Hennepin History Museum

History museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Hennepin History Museum

Established| 1938
Location| 2303 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates| 44°57′36.5″N 93°16′21″W﻿ / ﻿44.960139°N 93.27250°W﻿ / 44.960139; -93.27250
Director| John Crippen
Website| hennepinhistory.org

Hennepin History Museum is a museum dedicated to the history, people, and communities of Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The museum provides in-house exhibits, history-themed programming, and social events throughout the year.

## Location

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The museum is located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis in the historic Christian Mansion, a historic home built in 1919. Today, it is included in the Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion District of Minneapolis, and is located on the east side of Washburn-Fair Oaks Park.[1] The house was designed by Hennepin County architects Hewitt and Brown.

## Exhibits

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The Hennepin History Museum features a combination of permanent and changing exhibits. The permanent collection showcases objects, artifacts, and documents that tell the story of Hennepin County from its earliest days to the present. Visitors can explore various aspects of local history, including:

* Indigenous cultures [2]
* Early settlement and development
* Industry and commerce[3]
* Social movements and politics[4]
* Art and culture[5]

## Programs

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The museum offers a variety of public programs throughout the year, including lectures, workshops, family events, and tours. These programs provide opportunities for the community to learn more about local history and engage with the museum's collections.[6]

## Community

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The museum is home to a wide variety of events, including monthly "Fireside Chats" on various historical topics, as well as social events and author talks.[7]

The museum has also worked to spotlight various communities in Hennepin County. In 2003, the museum partnered with the Walker Art Museum and 30 East African students from local high schools to use letters and photographs to create an exhibit about East African communities in Minneapolis.[8] The museum's cultural outreach continued in 2009, when University of Minnesota interior design students exhibited designs for culturally sensitive homes for Somali and Mexican immigrants.[9]

## Library

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The museum's library is open to the community and highlights the museum's archival collections. The library has reference materials such as city directories, photos of houses and buildings, maps, atlases, genealogical resources, city history files, business histories, and many other reference materials. A professional archivist is on site during library open hours to assist researchers.[10]

## Funding

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About 40% of the museum's annual budget is funded by Hennepin County. The remaining 60% is funded by individual donors.[11]

## Magazine

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Three times a year, the museum publishes Hennepin History Magazine.[12] Redesigned in 2017, the magazine features topics of interest from all over Hennepin County. Digital reproductions of Hennepin History, the official publication of the Hennepin History Museum, are available online thanks to the Hennepin County Library Digital Collections. Earlier issues included articles such as "The Birth of Target",[13] which explores the history of the Target Corporation, placing it in a historical context with the Dayton family and their department store Daytons. Such examinations of local companies are common in the magazine; the Winter 2012 issue explored Northwest Airlines in the 1930s.[14]

## See also

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* Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota
* List of museums in Minnesota

## References

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1. ^ "George Christian Mansion". Placeography. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
2. ^ Jovanovic, Marija (September 9, 2019). "New Director Says Hennepin History Museum Has 'Room for Growth'". Southwest Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
3. ^ "The History Of Eat Street - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. September 20, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
4. ^ Anderson, Christine (March 9, 2022). "Museum Exhibit Reveals I-35W's Impact on a South Minneapolis Community". Crossroads. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
5. ^ Regan, Sheila (February 28, 2023). "Hennepin History Museum highlights 'Hidden Gems' after cataloguing its art collection". MinnPost. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
6. ^ "Hennepin History Museum". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
7. ^ "Fireside Chats". Hennepin History Museum. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
8. ^ "Hennepin History Museum Spotlights New East African Neighbors". South Side Pride. Archived from the original on December 17, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
9. ^ Kim Palmer (February 3, 2009). "The Culture of Home". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2010.
10. ^ "Museum Library and Collections". Hennepin History Museum. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
11. ^ "Membership". www.hennepinhistory.org. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017.
12. ^ "Hennepin History Magazine". Hennepin History Museum. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
13. ^ Dayton, Bruce; Green, Ellen (2012). "The Birth of Target". Hennepin History. 71 (2). E.B. Green Editorial: 20.
14. ^ Johnson, Frederick (2012). "Fly Northwest circa 1932". Hennepin History. 71 (1). E.B. Green Editorial: 10.

## External links

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* Hennepin History Museum
* Hennepin History Museum at the Minnesota Digital Library

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hennepin History Museum.

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Museums in Minnesota

Minneapolis–Saint Paul
metropolitan area|

* American Museum of Asmat Art
* American Swedish Institute
* The Bakken
* Bell Museum of Natural History
* Historic Fort Snelling
* Goldstein Museum of Design
* Hennepin History Museum
* Hmong Cultural Center Museum
* Hoċokata Ti
* James J. Hill House
* Oliver Kelley Farm
* Mill City Museum
* Minneapolis Institute of Art
* Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
* Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery
* Minnesota Center for Book Arts
* Minnesota Children's Museum
* Minnesota History Center
* Minnesota Museum of American Art
* Minnesota Streetcar Museum
* Minnesota Transportation Museum
* Museum of Lake Minnetonka
* The Museum of Russian Art
* Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
* Science Museum of Minnesota
* Somali Museum of Minnesota
* Twin City Model Railroad Museum
* Walker Art Center
* Weisman Art Museum

Duluth|

* Glensheen Historic Estate
* Great Lakes Aquarium
* Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
* Lake Superior Railroad Museum
* Tweed Museum of Art
* William A. Irvin Floating Ship Museum

Elsewhere|

* 3M Museum (Two Harbors)
* Cross River Heritage Center (Schroeder)
* Greyhound Bus Museum (Hibbing)
* Hjemkomst Center (Moorhead)
* Mille Lacs Indian Museum (Onamia)
* Minnesota Marine Art Museum (Winona)
* Minnesota Military Museum (Fort Ripley)
* Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (New Ulm)
* North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum (Tofte)
* Rourke Art Museum (Moorhead)
* Spam Museum (Austin)
* Two Harbors Light (Two Harbors)
* United States Hockey Hall of Fame (Eveleth)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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