Stearns History Museum

Crazy Quilt Exhibit opens
2023-01-25 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
View our Crazy Quilt exhibit in gallery 2&3!

Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park
2023-01-22 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Riverside Park, 1725 Kilian Blvd, St. Cloud, MN, 56304, United States
Love history? Like to ski? Take the central Minnesota park history challenge and try Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park during the 15th Annual Sons of Norway Barnelopet (children’s ski) at Riverside Park on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Check your knowledge while doing a scavenger hunt along some of Riverside Park’s great ski trails. Stop by the park shelter (1725 Kilian Boulevard Southeast) to get started. This self- guided, free event is open to all ages. Event starts at 11:30 a.m.
Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park is hosted by the Stearns History Museum with support from the Central MN Youth Ski Club, Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota and St. Cloud (Trollheim) Sons of Norway Lodge. For more information/to register, go to www.rethos.org/classes, contact info@stearns-museum.org or call 320/253-8424.
10th St. Bridge, St. Cloud State University, 1910 Image courtesy SCSU Archives.

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

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "A Whole New World of Catholic Records" with Margaret R. Fortier
2023-01-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for SCAG’s first meetup of 2023!
Have you wondered what new resources are available for those with Catholic ancestors and how to decipher them? Margaret R. Fortier, Certified Genealogist (CG), will present the webinar “A Whole New World of Catholic Records” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, January 17, 2022 at 7 p.m. Participants will gather to enjoy the webinar at Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Ave S., St. Cloud) and the webinar will also be offered synchronously online.
Catholic sacramental records can be genealogical gems. They identify important moments, places and cultural information about your ancestors. Fortier will discuss the expanded availability of Catholic records online and how to find them both online and offline. She will cover parish records both for the United States and internationally as well as records for Catholic institutions and newspapers. Come hear what these records contain, what they mean and how you can use them in your family research.
Margaret R. Fortier, CG, a Boston-based genealogist, researches immigrant ancestors, focusing on those with French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese roots. She serves on the board of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Free for members, $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com) Call or email the Museum or SCAG to register.
St. Cloud Area Genealogists Facebook Page

Memory Writers
2023-01-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-12-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-12-06 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.

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.

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!

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

MUSEUM CLOSED
2023-01-02 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

Museum CLOSED
2023-01-01 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Closed for the holiday. Happy New Year!

Open from 10-3
2022-12-31 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
We will be closing early to observe the New Year holiday. Note: we will be closed all day 1/1 New Years Day!

Lion Man Literacy Exhibit closing
2022-12-31 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
A new comic book exhibit featuring the work of young community members kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 25, at Stearns History Museum.
The Lion Man Literacy Project highlights the visions of young Black youth solving real-life problems through the embodiment of superheroes. The summer program, under the guidance of Michael Dando, an English professor at St. Cloud State University, involves students at Too Much Talent, Southside Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota and District 742 South Junior High School CRUSH Academy. The students created characters and one- to two-page stories using technology like Procreate and other digital art tools.
The name Lion Man comes from the first Black superhero comic written in 1947 by Black Philadelphia journalist Orrin Cromwell Evans. The story follows an American scientist turned superhero (Lion Man) tasked by the United Nation to watch over a magical mountain full of uranium in Africa to prevent war. The exhibit is expected to run through September in conjunction with Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics, a Michigan State University’s traveling exhibition. The second presentation explores how aesthetics and community shape contemporary Black comics. It also offers stories inspired by African folklore such as Is’nana the Were-Spider and stories from the Black speculative tradition.
Presented by United Way Partner for Student Success 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Stearns History Museum.

Museum CLOSED
2022-12-23 - 2022-12-26 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Museum closed for the Holidays. We will reopen and see you Wednesday, December 28th!

Mission Moonshine Escape Room
2022-12-22 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-15 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-08 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-01 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

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

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.

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!

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.

Volunteer Luncheon
2022-12-01 11:30 - 13:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
To say thank you to all of our volunteers, we invite you to join us for lunch at the Museum on Thursday, December 1st from 11:30a – 1p.

Museum CLOSED
2022-11-24, 2022-11-23, 2022-11-22, 2022-11-21 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Happy Thanksgiving! The Museum will be closed November 21-24. We will reopen Friday, November 25 and remain open at regular hours for the remainder of the weekend. Thanks all!

Research Center CLOSED
2022-11-19 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Museum’s Research center will be closed all day Saturday, November 19th. Sorry for any inconvenience. Exhibits and galleries are still open for viewing!

Civil War Roundtable: Human Interest Stories of the Irish in the Civil War with Scott Mingus
2022-11-16 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for Civil War Roundtable featuring Scott Mingus on Wednesday, November 16 @ 3:30 p.m. (note change in date from usual meeting!)
Meeting Overview: Erin Go Bragh. Anglicized from the Gaelic phrase for “Ireland Forever.” In the mid-19th century, the slogan was particularly popular among many Irish immigrants who had moved to the United States for political or personal reasons, yet maintained their strong familial, social, and often nationalistic ties to the old Emerald Isle. Tens of thousands of Irish-born men (and a handful of women) and an even larger number of Irish and Scots-Irish descendants fought in the Civil War, with Sons of Erin serving prominently in both the Union and Confederate armies. Many left compelling personal stories of their martial service, or of Irish comrades. In this PowerPoint presentation, Scott will share more than two dozen stories of prominent and not-so-prominent Irishmen and women from the war years.
Scott Mingus is a retired scientist and executive in the global specialty paper industry. The Ohio native graduated from the Paper Science & Engineering program at Miami University. He was part of the research team that developed the first commercially successful self-adhesive U.S. postage stamps, and he was an early pioneer in the development of bar code labels. He has written more than 30 Civil War and Underground Railroad books and numerous articles for Gettysburg Magazine and other historical journals. He has appeared on C-SPAN, C-SPAN3, PCN, and other TV networks. Mingus writes a blog on the Civil War history of York County, PA, where he lives (www.yorkblog.com/cannonball). He also has written six scenario books for miniature wargaming. A great-great-grandfather was a 15-year-old soldier in the 51st Ohio in the Western Theater, and a great-grandfather was in the 183rd Ohio during the Carolinas Campaign. Other family members fought at Antietam and Gettysburg in the 7th West Virginia of the Army of the Potomac.
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
