January 2025
Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl
Join Mary Mahoney for a talk about the wild world of American Girl fandom. Mary will dive into American Girl books from their (and perhaps your) childhood. Using their knowledge as a professional historian and finely tuned instincts as an amateur pop culture critic, they’ll take you back to a very different time - the 1990s. Bring your Minnesotan dolls Kirsten Larson (1986) and Lila Monetti (2024) - or just bring your questions - for what promises to be an…
Find out more »February 2025
Saint Paul Conservatory of Music Faculty Concert Series
Join St. Joseph’s School of Music-Saint Paul Conservatory of Music for a free performance series at the Minnesota History Center. Each concert features a unique program performed by members of the recently-merged music school’s faculty. For many years, Saint Paul Conservatory of Music has presented their daytime monthly Coffee Concerts. Don’t miss this chance to hear the series in the beautiful History Center Museum on select Thursday nights from February to July! Free Minnesota History Center admission and parking is…
Find out more »Diversity and the Outdoors
Learn about the changing face of conservation and outdoor recreation in America with acclaimed Duluth-based author, photographer and advocate, Dudley Edmondson. In this thought-provoking talk, Edmondson, explores the intersection of race, representation and environmental stewardship. Drawing from his compelling book, People the Planet Needs Now, Edmondson shares powerful stories from Black and Brown scientists and activists whose lived experiences and groundbreaking work offer new perspectives on addressing the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. Join us for this inspiring…
Find out more »“That’s the Last Straw” Film Screening
From the late 1930s into the mid-1970s, Melton Barker ventured to different towns around the country making iterations of the same film titled The Kidnappers Foil. Melton Barker Productions would contact a local movie theater and a local newspaper to sponsor the production of the film. A casting call for local children would go out and parents would be encouraged to fill out applications that were printed in the newspaper or picked up in the theater. After brief rehearsals, filming…
Find out more »History Forum: Citizens of a Stolen Land: A Conversation of Ho-Chunk History & Survivance with Stephen Kantrowitz and Josie Lee
Join historian Stephen Kantrowitz and Josie Lee, Director of the Ho-Chunk Nation Museum & Cultural Center, for a conversation on Ho-Chunk history, land, and contemporary life. Together, they will speak about Kantrowitz’s new book Citizens of a Stolen Land: A Ho-Chunk History of Nineteenth-Century United States and Lee’s work in promoting, sheltering, and preserving past, present, and future Ho-Chunk ways of life. Kantrowitz’s book reconsiders the Civil War and Reconstruction eras by centering the Ho-Chunk and their strategic navigation of…
Find out more »KINTSUKUROI: Twin Cities Premiere Film Screening
Join us for the film screening premiere of KINTSUKUROI by Ikeibi Films. This event is in partnership with the Twin Cities Japanese American Citizens League and in commemoration of the Day of Remembrance, observed on February 19, as a day for the Japanese American community to reflect and share the history of the forced incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. The event will include a panel discussion following the screening and a closing reception…
Find out more »Girlhood Artist Workshop: Jena Holliday
Join Minnesota-based artist and illustrator Jena Holliday for an empowering and creative workshop that explores identity, girlhood, and self-expression. In this hands-on class, participants will begin by reflecting on their personal experiences through guided journaling inspired by the themes of the Girlhood (It's complicated) exhibit. Using this self-reflection as a foundation, Jena will lead attendees through the process of creating a self-portrait with a loose, expressive painting style. Workshop participants will have the option to incorporate collage materials, adding texture…
Find out more »March 2025
Women Composers Performed By The Mill City String Quartet
Celebrate Women’s History Month with the Mill City String Quartet as they showcase remarkable compositions by women in music. Join us for an inspiring concert featuring pianist Benjamin Downs, who will perform two exceptional piano quintets. Experience the stirring sounds of “Piano Quintet No. 1” by Grażyna Bacewicz, the lyrical beauty of “Piano Quintet Op. 67” by Amy Beach, and the innovative “Prospective Dwellers” by Tomeka Reid. This concert promises to be a captivating tribute to the contributions of women…
Find out more »Spirits Dancing
For millennia, humans have marveled at the night sky: the wonder of the aurora, the glory of the Milky Way, and the peace that comes with stargazing. Join us for an afternoon with photographer Travis Novitsky and learn more about the night skies of Minnesota. Travis Novitsky has been photographing the night sky for decades, and his vibrant images reflect and transmit the experiences he has had under the night sky. The free event will include a talk, Q&A session,…
Find out more »History Forum: Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America with Rebecca L. Davis
In her new book Fierce Desires, Rebecca L. Davis charts the shifting and multiple roles that sex and sexuality have played in our societies and identities over more than 400 years. Drawing on a wealth of sources, Davis’s rigorous research and wide scope provides the oft-missing historical depth needed to understand how and why sexuality and gender have taken center stage in some of today’s most polarizing debates. Featuring stories across a wide spectrum of the United States, Davis demonstrates…
Find out more »Minnesota Trivia Night
Join Trivia Mafia for a night of Minnesota themed trivia to put your knowledge to the test. Fewer than eight people recommended per team. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Free Minnesota History Center admission and parking runs every Thursday from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. Trivia will take place in the Heffelfinger Room on the first floor from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. No registration required. Support for this program has been provided by the Marney and Conley…
Find out more »Stories of Japanese American Girlhood
During WWII, the role of women in society changed drastically, but how did this look for the Japanese American community? The forced eviction and confinement of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor in 1941 was one of the worst civil rights violations of the twentieth century, and the repercussions were numerous. As a result of the forced removal, there was a Japanese American community established in the Twin Cities. Join us for a panel conversation that focuses on Japanese American experiences…
Find out more »April 2025
Explorations of Black Girlhood
Join the director of the National Center for Children’s Literature, Dr. Lashon Daley, for a talk about representations of Black girlhood in children’s literature. In this talk, Daley tells a story of race, gender, and class through the perspective of American Girl doll, Addy Walker. In detailing her experience visiting the flagship American Girl store in Chicago, Illinois to spending ten days on the Underground Railroad, Daley shows how doing things with dolls and experiencing girlhood blend together in a…
Find out more »100th Anniversary Reading of The Great Gatsby
Join the Minnesota Historical Society and the Friends of the St. Paul Library for a live reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, 100 years to the day after it was published. This will be a full read through of the novel, from start to finish. You never know who you’ll hear reading, so drop in for a page, a chapter, or the entire book! While you’re at the History Center, see items related to Fitzgerald from the MNHS…
Find out more »100th Anniversary Reading of The Great Gatsby
Join the Minnesota Historical Society and the Friends of the St. Paul Library for a live reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, 100 years to the day after it was published. This will be a full read through of the novel, from start to finish. You never know who you’ll hear reading, so drop in for a page, a chapter, or the entire book! While you’re at the History Center, see items related to Fitzgerald from the MNHS…
Find out more »History Forum: Asian American Histories of the United States with Catherine Ceniza Choy
Award-winning historian Catherine Ceniza Choy’s Asian American Histories of the United States is a nearly 200-year history of Asian migration, labor, and community formation in the US. Reckoning with the surge in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Choy presents an urgent social history of the fastest growing group of Americans. The book features the lived experiences and diverse voices of immigrants, refugees, US-born Asian Americans, multiracial Americans, and workers from industries spanning agriculture to healthcare. Despite significant Asian American…
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