Virginia Area Historical Society

Virginia Area Historical Society VAHS is a 501(c)(3) Minnesota non-profit and is an affiliate of the St. Louis Co. Historical Society.

We believe it's important to keep alive the history of the Virginia area. At the Heritage Museum we're collecting and preserving objects, photos and other materials that tell the stories of this community and the people who lived and worked here. We create exhibits and plan programs to bring those stories to the public. Our large collection of photos, newspapers, books and documents is available f

or researchers. The Heritage Museum includes the former home of the Olcott Park superintendent plus a 1913 Finnish log house and a 1930s Virginia tourist park cabin. The main building features a large permanent exhibit about white pine lumbering and the Virginia & Rainy Lake Company.

08/14/2026

The museum will be closed tomorrow August 15 due to illness. We are sorry for the inconvenience!

Happy 4th of July from the Virginia Area Historical Society.
07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July from the Virginia Area Historical Society.

07/03/2026

The Heritage Museum will be closed on Friday and Saturday for the Independence Day holiday. Enjoy weekend!

The semiquincentennial this year brings back fifty year old memories: Uncle Sam on stilts waving along the parade route...
07/02/2026

The semiquincentennial this year brings back fifty year old memories: Uncle Sam on stilts waving along the parade route. Club mascots lobbing candy at children lining the walk. Parents gamely doing all they can do to keep the family together and happy.

What fond memories do you have of the 1976 Bicentennial in your community?

Check out this week’s Hometown Focus for an article on Virginia in 1976.

In August of 1947, the Virginia American Finnish Civic Club's float won first prize. Do you think the judges chose it b...
06/04/2026

In August of 1947, the Virginia American Finnish Civic Club's float won first prize. Do you think the judges chose it because taking a sauna in August sounded like a good thing?

Would you like to take a sauna in June? Visit the Nelimark Homestead in Embarrass this Saturday.

Did you know that the city of Virginia had a Bicycle Derby in 1940? It's true! These random men riding, and two more c...
06/03/2026

Did you know that the city of Virginia had a Bicycle Derby in 1940? It's true! These random men riding, and two more crashed, on a track probably weren't at that particular event. Carl Borgeson, posing on his bike in front of the Virginia Public Library in 1921, was a library page. What are some of your early memories of your local public library?

05/18/2026

The Heritage Museum will be closed on Saturday, May 23rd.

Can you believe that they used to have car and poultry shows in the Recreation Building?? It's true! What are some of ...
05/14/2026

Can you believe that they used to have car and poultry shows in the Recreation Building?? It's true! What are some of your memories of the old recreation building/shirt factory?

This is what 1966 square dancers in Virginia looked like! Is square dancing--or some other form of called dancing--part...
05/07/2026

This is what 1966 square dancers in Virginia looked like! Is square dancing--or some other form of called dancing--part of your life?

Edited to add: The same photo with numbers! Please tell us who they are by matching names with numbers!

Address

800 N 9th Avenue
Virginia, MN
55792

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

(218) 741-1136

Website

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