Hennepin History Museum

10/10/2026

On Monday October 12, please join us in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day and honoring Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ (Bassett Creek).

Indigenous Research Professor Darlene St. Clair (Dakota) will extend a special welcome to participants. A water blessing will be offered by water protectors Amara Moore (Sisseton Dakota/Anishinaabe) and Ronelle Siert (Sisseton Dakota/Anishinaabe).

We’ll also celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day through song, land acknowledgment, and updates about the Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ / Bassett Creek Oral History Project. Indigenous participants will share ways to care for the lands and waters of Mni Sóta Makoce (Minnesota).

10:00 – Water Blessing. Meet at Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 West Franklin Avenue, St. Louis Park, MN 55426.

10:30 (approximate) – Arts activities and education tables.

Rain or shine. Free. Family friendly. Accessible. Please feel free to bring chairs, blankets, and water bottles. Free parking is available. Carpooling is encouraged.

Whóphida thaŋka (thank you!) to cultural advisors Bradley Blackhawk (Ho-Chunk), Darlene St. Clair (Dakota), Jim Rock (Dakota), and Roxanne Gould (Anishinaabe).

Funders: Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission, and Valley Community Presbyterian Church.

Community partners: City of Golden Valley DEI Commission, City of Minnetonka Historical Society, City of St. Louis Park, Golden Valley Historical Society, Minnesota Repair Communities, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, St. Louis Park Historical Society, Plymouth History Center, Robbinsdale Historical Society, The Loppet, Three Rivers Park District, and Westwood Hills Nature Center

09/23/2026

“History matters. And when you learn history that matters, then you see it in real time,” said community historian and public school teacher Jason Benjamin. For Jason, this history is the story of Eliza Winston.

Join Mapping Prejudice, Hennepin History Museum and Jason this Saturday from 12-3pm at Lake Harriet to learn about current efforts to share Eliza Winston's story more widely at one of the key locations in her journey. This community day is part of We Want More History, a coordinated national day of programming to strengthen civic health, build community trust, foster democratic dialogue, and showcase the vital role of history in public life.

Want to read more about the backstory to this community-driven project? Check out Mapping Prejudice’s latest newsletter: z.umn.edu/mpsept2026

08/29/2026

Back by popular demand!

We've added two more sessions of our popular walking tour, 'Grave Matters: The Story of a City as Told Through its Cemetery.' Join us at 1:00pm on September 20th or October 4th, 2026!

The story of a city is the story of its people. However, the stories of ordinary people — people who are marginalized, people who are neither rich, powerful, influential, or famous — these stories tend to get left out of history books and are often forgotten even by their descendants. In south Minneapolis, there exists a community of just such forgotten and overlooked individuals — all of them deceased. This is Pioneer & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Minneapolis and the final resting place for over 22,000 average citizens buried between 1853 and 1919.

The life stories of this cemetery's occupants provide a fascinating and diverse cross-section of Minneapolis history from the city's founding until its emergence as a major metropolis. Join Alex Weston from Hennepin History Museum for this guided walking tour that will highlight forgotten individuals in order to reconstruct a history of Minneapolis from the ground up via the lives of its everyday residents.

You can learn more and buy tickets at:
https://hennepinhistory.org/events/

08/27/2026

In 1860, Eliza Winston bravely fought for her own liberation and became the first and only enslaved person to gain their freedom in a Minnesota courtroom.

We're grateful to Hennepin County and the Hennepin County Library for recently hosting a panel discussion exploring Eliza Winston’s fight for freedom in Minnesota and the lasting impact of her 1860 court case. Moderated by Hennepin History Museum's Executive Director John Crippen, panel speakers included:

Christopher Lehman, co-curator of the Eliza Winston exhibit and author of "It Took Courage: Eliza Winston’s Quest for Freedom"

Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas

Bryan Tyner, president and CEO of the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center.

Enjoy some of the highlights from this discussion below!

You can learn more about Eliza's story in our ongoing exhibit, 'Winston: A Woman’s Fight for Freedom in Minnesota,' currently on display at Hennepin History Museum.

Highlights from Hennepin County’s “Unfinished Revolutions” event, e...

08/20/2026

There are still tickets available for our LAST walking tour of the season, happening THIS SATURDAY, August 22nd!

Join us for a tour of Hennepin History Museum's home turf, the historic Washburn Fair Oaks district. Named after the now-demolished palatial home of flour mogul William Drew Washburn (pictured below), this lovely area within Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood has evolved from one of the city's premier mansion districts into a diverse crossroads of arts, culture, and social services.

Tickets are $20, or $15 for Hennepin History Museum members, and include a free souvenir booklet on this history of this vibrant neighborhood. To learn more and purchase tickets, head to the link below:

https://hennepinhistory.org/event/washburn-fair-oaks-walking-tour-18/

08/06/2026

The forecast calls for lovely weather this coming Saturday and Sunday, which is great news because Hennepin History Museum will be offering TWO different walking tours this weekend!

On Saturday, August 8th, at 1:00 pm, join author Karen Cooper for, "A Raucous Ramble Around Minnehaha Falls." Through colorful anecdotes and thorough documentation, Karen brings to life a history of the Minnehaha Falls area full of dance halls, secret saloons, wild behavior, lawsuits, and wh***ey.

On Sunday, August 9th, at 1:00 pm, join Hennepin History Museum's own Alex Weston for, "Grave Matters: The Story of a City as Told Through its Cemetery." This tour through Pioneer and Solider's Memorial Cemetery, Minneapolis's oldest cemetery, will highlight forgotten individuals in order to reconstruct a history of Minneapolis from the ground up via the lives of its everyday residents.

To learn more about these tours and to buy tickets, head to:

https://hennepinhistory.org/events/

07/25/2026

Thanks again to Almanac and TPT - Twin Cities PBS for highlighting the remarkable story of Eliza Winston, the first and only enslaved person to gain their freedom in a Minnesota courtroom.

Our exhibit, 'Winston: A Woman’s Fight for Freedom in Minnesota,' is currently on display. Learn more at: hennepinhistory.org

Alauna Yust and David Lein explore an exhibit at the Hennepin History Museum.

07/16/2026

Due to unhealthy levels of heat and poor outdoor air quality, the museum will be closed on Friday, July 17th. Thank you for your understanding.

Based on current predictions, we plan to be open our usual hours on Saturday, July 18th. If the situation changes, we will make another announcement.