Bloomington MN Historical Society

10/02/2026

At Civic Plaza, check out the latest Bloomington Historical Society exhibit (near the main desk at Bloomington Civic Plaza). We feature the sketches of the late Lloyd Bergquist, a Bloomington artist who sketched scenes of Bloomington.

09/14/2026

The program at the Old Town Hall Museum on Friday 9/11 about the terrorist attack and the heroism of Tom Burnett Jr. was well attended. Heartfelt memories of that tragic day 25 years ago were shared by audience members. We still remember and grieve.

07/15/2026

Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism has updated its online listing for the Old Town Hall Museum! Remember to recommend a visit to your hometown museum when friends or family visit for sports games, shopping or holidays! See the new listing --

The Old Town Hall is home to the Bloomington Historical Society. The building features exhibits of artifacts from all periods of history.

07/13/2026

The last week in July we will be CLOSED for a building repair project. --
**** July 27 through Aug 1 ****

Meanwhile, here's an article from 1953 that details building work done at that time. Enjoy!

07/06/2026

Special Exhibit: Steamboats on the Minnesota River.
In this special exhibit you can see models of actual steamboats and paddle wheelers that plied the Minnesota River in the 1800s. This exhibit is now on display at the Old Town Hall Museum https://bloomingtonhistoricalsociety.org/about/museum.html .

07/01/2026

Sometimes people attending the Bloomington Historical Society Nine Mile Creek History Walk are interested in progress of the City of Bloomington project to renew the Nine Mile Creek corridor.
Here is the June 2026 Restore the Nine Newsletter with some updates : https://mailchi.mp/restorethenine/restore-the-nine-april-2026-newsletter-12777397?e=b59f7b24ef .

Restore the Nine members, thank you for your ongoing involvement and continuing concern for the outcome of the Nine Mile Creek Corridor (NMCC) renewal project. Our united efforts have successfully kept the corridor trails pedestrian-only, preventing the addition of more paved trails.

06/24/2026

If you were at the Sousa Band concert by https://www.facebook.com/1stJohnPhilipSousaBand at the Gideon and Agnes Pond House the evening of Fathers Day, and you bought an ice cream cone from the Bloomington Historical Society fundraiser tent, we appreciate your patronage! We also received a number of generous donations. The patronage and donations will help support all the important work we do preserving and sharing local history. To our donors and patrons, THANK YOU!

In this photo a gentleman who claimed to be named Gideon Pond sat down to socialize with the Bloomington Historical Society volunteers hard at work keeping the audience refreshed.

05/27/2026

Dan Patch is a prominent name in Minnesota which can be found on several streets, parks, and even railroad lines. The famous pacing horse who owns this name actually spent a considerable amount of time right here in Bloomington with his owner Marion Savage!

Here are some fun facts about Dan Patch:
▪️His harness racing career began in 1900 when he was four years old
▪️Dan Patch never lost a race, and only lost two heats throughout his entire career!
▪️Dan Patch became a household name during his racing career, with his name being put on many household items such as food and beverages, toys, toothpicks, and even washing machines!

05/17/2026

Road construction, Minnesota's other season, is here! Stop in to see a special exhibit of construction equipment made at the Creekside woodshop by Len Lasker.
More information about the toy trucks in this exhibit may be seen at the Old Town Hall Museum online collections catalog at this link: https://bloomingtonhistoricalsociety.org/collections/collections.html

05/08/2026

There's a new display in the BHS cabinet at civic plaza! Stop by during business hours when the gate is open and learn about steamboats on the Minnesota River. Our new display area is just around the corner across from park and rec. It will be up until late June.