Barnes and Noble Bookfair- Museum Closed!
2026-05-23 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Stearns History Museum will be closed on Saturday, May 23rd, while the staff is at Barnes and Noble for our Bookfair! Stop by St. Cloud Barnes and Noble anytime between May 22 and May 26, and when you check out for the day, just tell them you’d like to support the Stearns History Museum Bookfair, and a portion of the sales will be donated to the museum!
Can’t visit the store in person? Go to bn.com/bookfair and enter the code 12947263 and that works too!

70s Car Show
2026-06-04 16:00 - 19:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us as we kick off our summer season with a 1970s themed car show! We’re marking 50 years since the Bicentennial, and are therefore throwing it back to 1976. Beer and pizza will be available (while supplies last), classic 70s tunes will be blaring, and we will be celebrating the start of the summer!
Any car is welcome, but if you’ve got a 70s classic, you’ll be featured!
Cost for registering your car is $10, and if you’d like to sign up ahead of time just contact Caitlin at ccarlson@stearns-museum.org, or call the museum at 320-253-8424.
There is no cost to you for attending this event- so we hope to see you there!

Breakfast Club: Liz Fiedler Mergen, "Flowers Bloom Anyway"
2026-06-10 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us at our monthly Breakfast Club program, enjoy some coffee and donuts, and hear local business owner, flower farmer, and author Liz Fiedler Mergen talk about her new book, “Flowers Bloom Anyway.”
$7/person, FREE for SHM members

Hiking Through History: Kraemer Lake/Wildwood County Park
2026-06-11 17:30 - 18:30 | Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park, 12857 Co. Rd. 51, St. Joseph, MN, 56374, United States
Join the Stearns History Museum and Stearns County Parks this summer as we hike through some of Stearns County’s most beautiful parks, learn about the natural wonders and ecosystems found there, with some history sprinkled in. These walks will be between 1 and 1.5 miles and fairly gentle, but bring your walking shoes!
This program is free to the public

Drywall vs. Lath and Plaster Hands-On Workshop
2026-06-27 09:00 - 12:00 | MN
Learn about the benefits and drawbacks of Drywall vs. Lath and Plaster from Mark Johnston, owner of Historic Design Consulting and an expert in the building preservation trades at this hands-on workshop. Mark will demonstrate original eighteenth- and nineteenth-century techniques for plaster repair at a beautiful Prairie-style home built ca. 1915 on the banks of the Mississippi River near downtown St. Cloud and show how home and building owners can use modern products to achieve similar results. Whether you are a home or building owner needing help with repairs, a preservation enthusiast eager to learn or just want to know how things are built, this workshop is for you!
General admission for the class is $30. Admission for Stearns History Museum members is $25.
Class size is limited so register today!
To register, visit stearnshistorymuseum.org or contact Ann Marie at 320-253-8424 or development@stearns-museum.org.
This project is in part funded by the Historic Preservation Education Foundation.

Breakfast Club: Chad O'Brien- More than Brick and Mortar: Investing in Downtown St. Cloud
2026-07-08 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Chad O’Brien, owner of O’Brien Dry Goods in downtown St. Cloud, will talk about how his passion for local downtown history has sparked his interest not only in renovation, but in revitalizing and renewing the vibrancy of the past in this part of the city.
Cost of Program: $7/member, FREE for SHM Members

Hiking Through History: Quarry Park
2026-07-09 17:30 - 18:30 | Quarry Park, 1802 Co. Rd. 137, Waite Park, 56387, United States

At War and At Home: the WWII Experience
2026-07-11 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-07-12 11:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
It’s time again for our annual WWII Living History event! On July 11th and 12th, 2026, the grounds of the Stearns History Museum will come alive with authentic WWII-era military equipment and vehicles, homefront displays, costumed reenactors, and more! As always, we will have plenty of activities for all ages, including our Obstacle Course, WWII trivia, arts and crafts, and beyond.
We will be selling hot dogs and brats for lunch, so you can stay all day!
This event is FREE to the public!

History in the Gardens
2026-07-16 10:00 - 18:00 | Munsinger Clemens Gardens, 1515 Riverside Dr. SE, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, 56304
Come visit the museum, and many others, at this year’s History in the Gardens! We’ll be there on Thursday, July 16th, all day- hope to see you there!
Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society- Art Fair in the Gardens

Heritage Circle: SCSU Community Garden
2026-07-30 10:00 - 11:00 | SCSU Community Garden, 5th Ave S., St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for an outdoor adventure at the SCSU Community Garden, site of the next Heritage Circle Tour of the year. Learn about the garden’s history and growth, the legacy of the land, and how working together strengthens community and creates a more sustainable stewardship of people, place and space. The tour takes place on Thursday, July 30th, at 10 am, and will be led by Tracy Ore, Garden Director and Professor of Sociology at SCSU. Tracy has an origin story about the garden that is pretty cool! The tour will be outdoors so wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather. Note that there are places to sit at the garden!
Thank you for making this tour possible through your ongoing support and your interest in the history of Stearns County. Heritage Circle Tours are members-only tours and are a special benefit of membership support. Members play an important role in helping to preserve and share the history of Stearns County. Your support is appreciated! Space for the tour is limited so register soon. See you at the tour!

Time Traveler Camp: A History Day Camp for Kids
2026-08-04 10:00 - 2026-08-06 15:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Don’t miss out on the Stearns History Museum’s Time Traveler Camp! We are going to travel back in time for three days in August, and we’re inviting kids ages 7-13 to come along!
Camp will run Tuesday, August 4th-Thursday, August 6th, from 10am-3pm. Students should bring their own sack lunch and water bottle- snacks will be provided.
Cost is $50 per child for all three days.

Day One: Exploration

Hiking, Compasses, Surveying, and More!

Day Two: Communication

Fur Trade, Ojibwe Language lessons, and more!

Day Three: Destination

Granite, Printing Press, Photography, and more!

Questions? Contact Caitlin Carlson at ccarlson@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424

Hiking Through History: Warner Lake County Park
2026-08-13 17:30 - 18:30 | Warner Lake County Park, 143 County Road, Clearwater, 55320, United States

Windows of Opportunity: Restoring Historic Double-Hung Windows Workshop
2026-08-15 13:00 - 16:00 | MN
More historic building preservation knowledge and fun coming your way with the upcoming hands-on workshop, Windows of Opportunity: Restoring Historic Double-Hung Windows. Instructor and preservation expert, Mark Johnston, will demonstrate the mechanics of original wood windows, techniques for disassembly and reinstallation, and the process of re-glazing and painting. Participants can bring their own window sash from home to work on with Mark’s guidance. Gain working knowledge of how your windows were originally built and how they can be maintained by attending this class. Register today!
General admission for the class is $30. Admission for Stearns History Museum members is $25.
Class size is limited so register today!
To register, visit stearnshistorymuseum.org or contact Ann Marie at 320-253-8424 or development@stearns-museum.org.
This project is in part funded by the Historic Preservation Education Foundation.

Fix it Clinic
2026-08-20 13:00 - 16:00 | The Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr, St. Cloud, MN, 56303, United States

History Unboxed- From Carnegie to Community: Our Public Library
2026-09-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Step back in time and discover how our public library came to be, from its beginnings as a Carnegie library to the vibrant community space we know today. learn about the challenges and triumphs of building, growing, and adapting a library that has served generations of learners.
Get a rare, behind-the-scenes look at original materials that tell the story of the library’s transformation over time.
Thursday, September 3rd, 6pm
$5/person, FREE for members

Hiking Through History: Rockville County Park
2026-09-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Rockville County Park, 11503 Glacier Rd, St. Cloud, MN, United States

Hops and History: Stearns County Oddities
2026-09-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Koronis Brewing Company, 511 Slate Highway 55, Paynesville, 56362, United States
What makes an artifact worth preserving? Join the Stearns History Museum registrar, Michelle, for a behind-the-scenes look at some of the strangest, most unexpected, and fascinating objects in the museum’s collection. Along the way, discover how the objects came to be in the collection, what they reveal about the history of Stearns County, and how museums decide what to collect, preserve, and care for.

Cost: $10/person, FREE for members

Historic Harvest Fest
2026-09-26 10:00 - 13:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
It’s time again for our annual Historic Harvest Fest! Come to the museum this Saturday, September 26th, from 10am to 1pm and enjoy some family-friendly harvest fun! We will have vintage style carnival games, a cake walk, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, and more! We can’t wait to see you there!
There is NO COST to this program!

Archive Explorer- Introduction to Searching and Research
2026-10-01 18:00 - 19:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for an interactive program designed to boost your research skills. Learn simple but helpful search tips and tricks to navigate catalogs and online databases with confidence. We’ll also introduce you to historical records that can open new windows into your research. Perfect for beginners and anyone curious about digging deeper into the past.

Sundown Cemetery Tour- St. James Catholic Cemetery, Cold Spring (Jacobs Prairie)
2026-10-10 17:00 - 18:00 | St. James Catholic Cemetery, 25042 County Road 2, Cold Spring, MN, 56320, United States
This year, we will visit three different Stearns County cemeteries and learn the stories of some of the people celebrated there. Join us!
$10/person, members FREE
Hot cocoa and treats will be available!

Sundown Cemetery Tour- St. Benedict's Monastic Cemetery, St. Joseph
2026-10-17 17:00 - 18:00 | St. Benedict’s Monastic Cemetery, 104 Chapel Ln, St. Joseph, 56374, United States

Sundown Cemetery Tour- Big Grove Church Cemetery, Brooten
2026-10-24 17:00 - 18:00 | Big Grove Church Cemetery, 45575 County Rd 27, Brooten, MN, 56312, United States
