Enjoy Your Membership

Your interest in history may be a lifelong passion or an occasional pastime. But as a member of the Minnesota Historical Society, you'll find a vast repository of information that crosses hundreds of miles of Great Lakes coastline, Mississippi River banks and wide-open prairie, to touch the past and present lives of Minnesotans through the centuries.

Explore 26 Historic Sites and Museums

From historic homes, farms and battlefields to the state's signature landmarks and two flagship museums, our 26 historic sites and museums are where you can discover one-of-a-kind experiences across the state. You can also find a sweeping range of exhibits that bring the centuries-old story of Minnesota and its inhabitants to life, as well as traveling exhibits from such renowned organizations as Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Surf 12,000 pages on the Society's award-winning website.

From a searchable database of digital images to podcasts and blogs, you'll find page after page of in-depth information online, bringing Minnesota's history home to millions of people, worldwide.

Search through 250,000 Photographs and 5,000 paintings, prints and drawings.

The Society's extensive collection of paintings, prints and drawings, as well as daguerreotype images and contemporary newspaper photos offers a visual reocrd of Minnesotans, their lives, landscapes, leaisure and occupations. Ranging from the preterritorial period to the present, many of these treasured images can not only be appreciated in person, but are available at the Society's Photo & Art Database.

Examine 45,000 cubic feet of government records and 37,000 maps.

Join thousands of people who visit the Minnesota Historical Society Library each year to trace your family history... research a school project... learn more about a vintage home or local business... or simply explore Minnesota's rich and varied past.

Admire 800,000 Archaeological Finds and 165,000 Historical Artifacts.

From a rare 1,400-year-old St. Croix Woodland ceramic vessel to an original audiotape of Bob Dylan recored in 1960, you'll find objects that tell the stories of life in Minnesota, from the prehistoric to recent past.

Page through 550,000 books and 38,000 cubic feet of manuscripts.

Acquired and preserved by the Society since 1849, the library contains the world's largest collection of Minnesota fiction, works from local presses and nearly every newspaper every published in the state. A variety of classes, research services and expert advice are always available to assist you as you explore your connections to the past.