Stearns History Museum

Memory Writers
2022-10-18 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Memory Writers is a writing group that meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:00 am. The group develop topics to write about and in turn shares those stories. This program is free to Museum members (non-members $7).

Memory Writers
2022-11-01 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Memory Writers is a writing group that meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:00 am. The group develop topics to write about and in turn shares those stories. This program is free to Museum members (non-members $7).
For additional information, please call the Museum at 320.253.8424.

Hops & History: Mississippi River Mayhem with Dean Klinkenberg
2022-11-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Beaver Island Brewing Company, 216 6th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for another Hops & History! This time, we’ll be at Beaver Island Brewing Company learning more about the disasters and tragedies of the Mississippi River with writer and Mississippi River historian Dean Klinkenberg as he discusses his new book, in which he explores the many disastrous events to have occurred on and along the river in the 19th and 20th centuries– from steamboat explosions to Yellow Fever epidemics, floods, and prohibition piracy.
$7 for nonmembers and members are free!
So, mark your calendars and get some cash ready for the bar! Call the Museum at 320.253.8424 with questions & to register or register online.
Register Today!

Whippersnapper Hour: Spy School
2022-11-12 10:00 - 23:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
At this month’s “Whippersnapper Hour,” kids are invited to a crash course at the Stearns History Museum Spy School! Kids will learn all about the different secret spy tactics used during World War Il, with everything from Morse Code to writing messages in invisible ink! They will then put those skills to use in order to solve a mystery right here in the museum. Save the date: Saturday, November 12 at 10am. Recommended for kids ages 7-13. Cost is $3 for nonmembers, members are free. Click here to register online or call us at 320.253.8424
Register online

Mission Moonshine Escape Room
2022-12-01 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-08 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-15 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-22 16:00 - 19:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us this December for the Stearns History Museum’s first-ever Escape Room experience. During the hour, you’ll be transported to the 1920s, a time when everyone wanted the Moonshine Stearns County produced. But the agents are knocking down the door to dry out Stearns County with one goal in mind. Can you stop them?
Thursdays in December – Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22 from 4-7. One hour time slot per group, maximum 6 per session. Sign up today!
$20/person (nonmembers), $15 for members
To get tickets, you must register online by clicking here. Questions? Call us at 320.253.8424
Register online

Escape room opens!
2022-12-01 16:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Additional information TBA.

Memory Writers
2022-12-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-12-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-01-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Memory Writers is a writing group that meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:00 am. The group develop topics to write about and in turn shares those stories. This program is free to Museum members (non-members $7).
Questions? Call the Museum at 320.253.8424.

Civil War Roundtable: How the Civil War changed Christmas (meeting at Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud)
2022-12-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Great River Regional Library, 1300 W St Germain St, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: Christmas prior to the Civil War looked very different from what it does today. Join us and learn how the Civil War changed Christmas. At this special December CWRT meeting, we’ll have FOOD from authentic Civil War recipes as well as 1860’s inspired Christmas ornaments and decorations. (PLEASE NOTE the change in time and location from our usual meeting).
Free and Open to the Public
December 6, 2022 – 5:30pm
Great River Regional Library
1300 W. St. Germain, St Cloud
Advanced Registration Required
To Register, email aditlevson@gmail.com no later than November 30!

Breakfast Club: German-Catholic of Stearns County with Jeanette Blonigen Clancy
2022-12-14 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for this month’s Breakfast Club. Join us for coffee and rolls with Jeanette Blonigen Clancy as we discuss the German-Catholics of Stearns County.
Please call the Museum at 320-253-8424 or click here to register. The Breakfast Club program is free for Stearns History Museum members and $7 for nonmembers.

Mission Moonshine Escape Room
2022-12-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
We’re opening two more time slots for the Mission Moonshine Escape Room! This Saturday, December 17 from 2-3 and 3-4.
Register and get tickets by clicking here.

During the hour, you’ll be transported to the 1920s, a time when everyone wanted the Moonshine Stearns County produced. But the agents are knocking down the door to dry out Stearns County with one goal in mind. Can you stop them?

One hour time slot per group, maximum 6 per session. $20/person (nonmembers), $15 for members
Questions? Call us at 320-253-8424

Memory Writers
2023-01-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Memory Writers is a writing group that meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:00 am. The group develop topics to write about and in turn shares those stories. This program is free to Museum members (non-members $7).
Questions? Call the Museum at 320.253.8424.wr

Civil War Roundtable: The Cincinnati Dock Riots of 1862 with Dr. Shannon Smith
2023-01-10 15:15 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: In July of 1862, Irish workers in Cincinnati rioted to keep Black workers from laboring on the docks and attempted to “clean out” African American residential sections of the city. A precursor to the more infamous New York draft riots of 1863, the violence was triggered by the prospect of a draft and the rumored arming of Black soldiers. Fearing that their jobs would be threatened by emancipation and an influx of Black workers, immigrant laborers tried to establish themselves as true citizens and African Americans as interlopers. During the Civil War, as at other times in the nation’s history, Black men staked their claims to citizenship on their loyal labor and their armed service—not just in federal armies, but in defense of their homes and livelihoods. When Black workers organized in self-defense, white Cincinnatians quickly formed militia units in response. This wartime rioting followed patterns of antebellum riots, but the emancipation of African Americans and their military service during the war created a clear turning point in Black demands for social citizenship.
Speaker: Shannon Smith is an associate professor of history at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. She teaches courses on the Civil War and Reconstruction in American culture, gender and race in US history, and protest and riots. Her research focuses on how riots and their military response led to the development of the National Guard and how protest has influenced citizenship and belonging in public space.
Meetings are held at the Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud.
Note change in starting time:
3:00pm – doors open and opportunity to socialize and interact with fellow members
3:15pm – welcome and “new features”
3:30pm – speaker presentation
4:45pm – adjourn
For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477
Presented by Dr. Shannon Smith, Associate Professor of History, CSB/SJU
Find more details on the program at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3000739850230287?active_tab=about
Find the Central MN Civil War Round Table at: https://www.facebook.com/cmcwrt
Free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a friend!

Breakfast Club "The 10th Division: Our WWII Mountain Troops" with Elena White & Molly Weyrens
2023-01-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for a special January edition of Breakfast Club as Elena White and Molly Weyrens, members of the Nordic Ski Club of Northern Minnesota, discuss the 10th Mountain Division – a group of mountaineers who fought in Italy, Austria, and other areas during WWII.
January 11 at 9am – Stearns History Museum
Open to the public! Free to Museum members and $7 for nonmembers. Call us to register or click here to register online.

Whippersnapper Hour: Fur Trade Frenzy
2023-01-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Whippersnapper Hour is a program for children to learn about history with hands-on activities.
At this month’s Whippersnapper Hour, kids will get a little taste of what it was like to be involved in the American Fur Trade during the 19th century here in Minnesota. They will get to touch real furs, barter for goods and make their own Bandolier bag to take home!

Saturday, January 21 @ 10am; Recommended for ages 7-13
$5 for nonmembers and members are free
Call to register! 320-253-8424

Heritage Circle Tour at Iron Street Distillery
2023-02-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Iron Street Distillery, 539 East St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN, 56304, United States
Heritage Circle members! We’d like to invite you to tour the new Iron Street Distillery, formerly the International Harvester building (ca 1928). The distillery tour will begin at 10am with lunch to follow.

Please RSVP to info@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424 by Monday Jan 30 for the Thursday Feb 2 event! Hope to see you there!

Exploring History & Culture in Central Minnesota - Hmong Cultural Center
2023-02-04 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-18 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom / Online
Learn about Hmong history and culture in Minnesota during a free February event series, “Exploring History and Culture in Central Minnesota – Hmong Cultural Center.” Hosted via Zoom each Saturday in February, this is a partnership project of the Benton, Morrison, Sherburne and Stearns county historical societies. The series seeks to create greater understanding and awareness of cultures that have been and still are part of central Minnesota and its history.
This year’s programming comes from the Hmong Cultural Center (HCC) in St. Paul, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and nourishing Hmong culture and to enhancing cross-cultural awareness. The programs will be presented by HCC’s director of programs, Dr. Mark Pfeifer, and executive director, Txongpao Lee. A traveling exhibit from HCC will be available for public viewing at each site on a revolving basis for two weeks in February.

February 4 – Hmong 101: Weddings & Funerals
February 11 – Hmong 101: Traditional Hmong Beliefs about Health and Medicine
February 18 – Hmong 101: Folk Arts Traditions
February 25 – Hmong 101: Minnesota Milestones

Registration is required. For more information and to register, visit or contact the Stearns History Museum at info@stearns-museum.org or (320)253-8424 or click here to register online.

Hmong Cultural Center Traveling Exhibit on view:

January 31 – February 16 – Morrison County Historical Society (2151 Lindbergh Drive South; Little Falls) and Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Avenue South; St. Cloud)
February 18 – March 1 – Sherburne History Center (10775 27th Avenue Southeast; Becker) and Benton County Historical Society (202 Second Avenue South, Sauk Rapids)

The 2023 event series is sponsored by Sourcewell, Wingnut Tattoo, Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union and Bezek Family Dentistry. Support also comes from the Hmong Student Organization at St. Cloud State University.

Breakfast Club w/ Tom Steman
2023-02-08 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Mark your calendars for a breakfast date with the history museum.
Join us the morning of Wednesday, February 8 for breakfast with St. Cloud State University Archivist Tom Steman. We will be exploring Central Minnesota’s connection with cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang as Tom discusses St. Cloud State alumni Ralph Heimdahl and his archival materials.
Please call the Museum at 320-253-8424 to register. The Breakfast Club program is free for Stearns History Museum members and $7 for nonmembers. We hope to see you there!

Civil War Roundtable: Unearthing Central MN History with Rob Mann
2023-02-14 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: Come and hear about the findings of an archaeological dig at the site of William Warren’s ca. 1949-1853 cabin in Morrison County, near Royalton. William Warren was the son of an Ojibwe-French woman and an American fur trader. He arrived in the area then known as Two Rivers around 1849/1850 and built a cabin/trading post on what is today the McDougall State Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Morrison County. During this period, Warren was actively working on the manuscript that would become the History of the Ojibwe People, originally published by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1885. This book was and is important because as a person of mixed ancestry Warren was a cultural broker, who thus wrote the first history of the Ojibwe from an Indigenous perspective. Warren was also an interpreter and a legislator from the Minnesota Territory, serving in the Minnesota Territorial House of Representative in 1851.
Speaker: Rob Mann – professor of archaeology at St. Cloud State University and past presenter at the Central MN Round Table.
Meetings are held at the Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud.
Note change in starting time:
3:00pm – doors open and opportunity to socialize and interact with fellow members
3:15pm – welcome and “new features”
3:30pm – speaker presentation
4:45pm – adjourn
For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477
Only exception to regular meeting time and location is the special December meeting. See details in schedule above.

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "All Ears: Incorporating Oral History into your Genealogical Research" with Brendon Duffy
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Would you like to learn how to better use interviews in your family history? Genealogist Brendon Duffy will present “All Ears: Incorporating Oral History in Your Genealogical Research” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33 rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will be offered both in-person and synchronously online and will be recorded for members and registered guests.
After conducting interviews for nearly two decades, Brendon Duffy will share tips for how to prepare for, conduct, record and preserve an oral history interview. Most important, he will discuss how they can be useful to you in your genealogical research. Some unique oral history resources will also be explored. Brendon Duffy is the archivist at CentraCare and earned his Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2018. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a board member of the St. Cloud Area Genealogists.
Free for SCAG members, $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com)
To learn more about becoming a SCAG member, and to register, please contact Brendon Duffy (duffyroots@gmail.com).
