Pope County Museum

06/05/2026

The gallery is ready at Central Square. Join us this afternoon for the grand re-opening.

05/21/2026

Edna C. Pahl
An electrolysis graduation certificate was dropped off today. Edna C. Pahl completed the course through the Kree Institute in Miami, Florida in March, 1974. The donor says the framed degree was found in the attic of their home and has no other information. We have questions:
Who Is Edna Pahl? We don’t find a local family with that name in our filing system.
Why was her graduation certificate from 1974 tucked into an attic in Glenwood?
Can we establish a connection between Edna Pahl and Pope County?
Did Edna work at a local beauty salon?
Let us know if you remember Edna Pahl and can help to fill in details of her local connections.

04/26/2026

Merlin Peterson is reupholstering the chairs at the museum. Guess which one is for me? (The answer is in the first comment.)

04/09/2026

Local history is gearing up for a great year! Check out Kensington History Day on April 25!

01/22/2026

Weather closure update, January 22, 2026:

The Pope County Museum may close over the next few days due to the extreme cold. Please call ahead if you plan to visit. 320-634-3293

12/11/2025

You can now watch the Dr. Nellie Barsness Documentary on YouTube.

You can now see the Dr. Nellie Barsness Documentary on YouTube! We hope you enjoy it!Dr. Barsness grew up in Pope County, was one of the first women to earn a degree from the University of Minnesot…

11/19/2025

Museum Volunteer Steve Martin is decking the halls at the Pope County Museum today as we prepare for our open house on Saturday.
Join us Saturday, November 22 from 1-4 for treats and fellowship.
Screenings of the new Dr. Nellie Barsness Documentary will be at 1:30 and 2:30. Director Susan Marks will be on-site to talk about the documentary and to answer questions.
Please join us!

11/16/2025

4. SKETCHBOOK - An artist's sketch of the Minnewaska District Hospital site in Starbuck, Minn. This is the current location of Glacial Hills Elementary School.

11/16/2025

7. BOX - This wooden box contains Glenwood artist Joe Merrill's paints, brushes, and palette. There are 17 brushes, and 35 tubes of oil paint.

11/16/2025

8. STITCH - This is a crazy quilt with a definite Dresden pattern. In the center of the quilt is a circle of petals and in each corner is a fourth of a circle of petals; the remainder of the quilt is made up of irregular shapes. Small simple images are embroidered on several of the scraps. Each pieces is finished around with embroidered stitches in a variety of patterns and colors. The quilt is lined with a very fine floral cotton.