Museums Specialized
Minnesota

Browse Museums

Aitkin County Historical Society & Depot Museum
Aitkin, Minnesota

History, Historic House, Historical Society, Specialized

The Aitkin County Historical Society operates two museums chockful of Aitkin County history, with many artifacts outdoors between the buildings as well. All provide ample opportunities to glimpse Aitkin County's past.

Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretative Center
Moorhead, Minnesota

General, History, Specialized

Ironhorse Central Railroad Museum
Chisago City, Minnesota

Culture, General, History, Historic House, Park, Specialized

The Ironhorse Central Railroad Museum is located in Chisago City, MN and has been in this present location since 1966. Richard and Robert Thompson and Doug Alexander started back in the 1950's collecting memorabilia, taking photos and going on MRA fan trips. They purchased engine # 4 in 1963 and had it stored until 1966 when it was moved to the present location. Track construction was started that year and in 1984 the circle was completed and a final spike ceremony was held celebrating the event. A documentary called "Ironhorse" was filmed from 1983 to 1984 and has been featured on television multiple times. In those years we had many newspaper articles and were shown on local news programs. We have almost a mile of track in a circle so we can run our equipment around.

Minnesota Historical Society
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Botanical Garden, Cemetery, Children's, Culture, General, History, Historic House

The Minnesota Historical Society is chief caretaker of Minnesota's story—and the History Center is home to the Society's vast collections. Within its archives reside artifacts ranging from American Indian moccasins and artwork to furniture and photographs, Civil War-era flags and a wealth of geneaological information. All of it is accessible today and for future generations. Through its 26 historic sites and museums, the Society offers opportunities for thought-provoking entertainment, learning and fun. Visitors can discover the power of water at Mill City Museum, enjoy a breathtaking view of Lake Superior at Split Rock Lighthouse, and experience 19th-century frontier living at Historic Fort Snelling.

Minnesota Veterinary Medicine Museum
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Science, Specialized

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community
Prior Lake, Minnesota

Specialized

Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Children's, History, Specialized

Located in historic Bandana Square, the Twin City Model Railroad Museum is an exquisitely detailed model panorama of railroads in the Twin Cities during the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. This was a time when both steam and diesel engines shared the rails. Thousands of volunteer hours have faithfully reproduced Twin Cities railroad history in O Scale (1/4 inch equals 1 foot), an impressive sight and well worth your visit. Come watch the Empire Builder speed along miles of tracks through the Twin Cities, rumble over St. Anthony Falls on the famed Stone Arch Bridge and down the Mississippi. Freight trains haul the goods to and from the industries that made the Twin Cities famous.

End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum
Currie, Minnesota

History, Specialized

Railroad museum and Park including historic turntable, Depot, Coal Bunker, 1945 Minneapolis and St Louis Bay Window Caboose, a Georgia Northern #102 engine, 1942 Grand Trunk Western Caboose, Foreman's House, Model Railroad, General Store, Schoolhouse, Church, Courthouse, Grist Mill, Playground, Guided Tours, and more.

Hinckley Fire Museum
Hinckley, Minnesota

Specialized

Midwest Art Conservation Center (MACC)
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Art, General, Library, Specialized

MACC is a regional art conservation center providing treatment for paintings, paper, objects and textiles; preservation outreach and field service programs are offered as well.

Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc.
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Specialized

Science Museum of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

History, Natural History, Science, Specialized

The Science Museum of Minnesota serves more than one million visitors each year with its hands-on exhibits, breathtaking giant screen films, special events, and unparalleled education programs.

SPAM Museum
Austin, Minnesota

Culture, Specialized

The SPAM Museum is over 16,500 sq. feet and it is all dedicated to SPAM. This museum features sophisticated exhibits, state of the art videos, and enticing displays. It also boasts having Monty Python, a puppetshow, wagon, a ballet, and a cyber diner and for canned meat. In addition to all of this the museum has a gift shop where visitors can purchase over 400 items everything and anything you can think of SPAM.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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