This is much more than a railroad museum. It has displays on the history of the Crosby area…read moreincluding mining, tools, household and business gadgets and clothing of bygone eras. The small park next to the museum is nicely done with lots of plants, flowers and trees. Thanks to the wonderful docents who keep this museum open for everyone's enjoyment!

Downton Abbey era museum right in Crosby! Great historical significance, curious objects and…read moreartifacts from antique dresses, to household objects, to railway paraphernalia and mining history. Lovely staff took the time to walk us through highlights. Donations needed! They can't afford central heat in the museum so please stop by and give what you can!

Great food! Great service! Friendly staff! Great view of Mille Lacs lake across the road…read more Definitely want to come back!

Interesting content- native made items and descriptions. Helpful and informative staff. I enjoyed…read morethe guided presentation of native life in the different seasons.

I'm a sucker for the historical society sites and this is no exception. They have some great…read moredisplays in the building and the tour of the fort was informative. The staff was friendly and quite tolerant of curious children. We had the tour to ourselves when we went so had no issues hearing and asking questions. Afterwards we took some trails down by the river and back to the building. Their t-shirts were cute and cheap so we bought one for each member of the family.

The North West Company Fur Post is located west of Pine City proper off of Exit 169. It is an…read moreofficial museum of the Minnesota Historical Society. Apparently, a local farmer found remnants of a fur trading post on his land and contacted the Canadian branch of the North West Trading Company, to get the official plans; and from there, a complete replica of the fur trading post was built. In the interpretive center, the story was told from the perspectives of the Native peoples who hunted and skinned the pelts; the British traders who brought together goods from all throughout the world to trade for the fur they wanted, and the French-Canadian Voyageurs who were the brawn behind the whole apparatus. The story also doesn't shy away from the fact that several intermarraiges took place and how they were resolved for the wives and children when the overseers left their posts and married within the church. (Apparently intermarraige was frowned upon by the Hudson Bay company but allowed and even encouraged by the North West Company and the XY Company whch they acquired). From the museum, we were led out by a person reenacting the Native perspective. She showed us the various animal pelts caught at the post, and how the Native people travelled a 100-mile radius throughout the seasons to fish in summer, hunt and trap in fall, survive the winter, and obtain sugar bush in the spring. She then led us down the path to the fur trading post, explaining room by room, how the post was run, from the youngest 14-year old voyageurs to the junior accountants to the post managers. It was amazing how many moving parts there were in the fur trade, and how the business was run down to every little detail. There is a chance to walk down to the river, or go on a 1/2 mile nature walk. Events also take place at the post all year long -- there are even snowshoes hanging for winter events. It was a very interesting museum and a year-round event center. It is certainly worth the detour if you want something to do in the area.

This place is pretty cool and the price is free (donations are accepted though and appreciated)…read more The people running this set up have multiple rooms with the most impressive being the main room when you first walk in. An elaborate set of the northwoods and local ore industry with HO scale trains running throughout (they have all sorts of different scale trains). Not sure what to do on that rainy day or when you need to give the body a break from the sun? Here is that option. The people are knowledgeable and friendly. Perfect for the budding train enthusiast or just to learn something of the area in a cool environment.

We love this place! We live in CA and visit every time we come to MN. My kids talk about it all…read moreyear.

My interest in Historic construction methods and materials often brings me to some interesting, and…read morealot of times off the path locations. The St Cloud area was, and still is one of the Country's largest suppliers of granite. When you love things such as old cobblestone streets, and old stone buildings as much as I do, sometimes you begin to wonder about what different types of stone were quarried and used the most in your area. While St Cloud is by no means a small city, the museum, as well as where the former and present day quarries are is off the path a bit. I was blown away by the exibits at this museum, I'd been expecting just a small museum with small displays. Instead the exibits were huge, and they have a 2 story tall interactive exibit on the quarry's. There was alot of other Central Minnesota history covered with big exibits as well. If you're out in this area and are intersted in Minnesota History, or are a fan of old tyme construction materials I'm sure you'll find this to be a great museum. I think this would be a fun museum for kids as well.

If you're from out of town, you should make the time to check out the Stearns History Museum. It…read morehas exhibits that are surprising for a mid-size town museum. Unfortunately, for those of us who live in the area, the exhibits seldom change. As a result, if you were to go here repeatedly, you'd end up seeing the same thing. Having said that, there are things to recommend. The park surrounding the museum has nice walking paths that are great for a summer afternoon walk. Inside, you'll find a fairly elaborate exhibit of granite quarrying (common to Granite City). You'll also find a nature exhibit that features the flora and fauna common to Central Minnesota. Our children enjoy this section of the museum. There are other exhibits as well, but I'd like to keep some of it a surprise for you to find when you visit. In addition, one of the gold mines at the museum for locals is the library which has extensive materials and resources for doing family research, especially if your family has ties to Central Minnesota. You could spend hours here researching and learning about family members from the area.

The facility is supposed to be open for visiting and tours. It wasn't until after we arrived and…read moresaw that the house is not open during the week. Very disappointing

Excellent. They do a fantastic job here. Look, there is not much to look at if all you 'see' is an…read moreold house. You need to get to know the old wood and reeds here. The storytelling work they put into their tours is top-notch. I highly recommend for young kids who will enjoy re-tracing Lindbergh's boyhood past. Tours run regularly and run about 45 minutes. You should get there a little bit early to walk around the museum and soak up the narratives. Allow 15-30 minutes at least. From a museum management perspective you can tell the marks of excellent work. The tour is well thought-out and the guides are prepared to answer questions. They draw upon sensations (taste, sight, sound, etc.) to help you experience the home. The cookies are delicious.

Great museum! I spent an hour and a half browsing their collection of antique and vintage outboard…read moremotors, lures, dark house equipment and more. The attendant was very nice and welcoming. Not much fly fishing equipment, but I didn't mind. Would visit again!

A very unique place to visit. They have an amazing collection of fishing gears. All items are well…read moreorganized and easy to understand. The docent is super nice.

Visited here on a recent weekend up at the cabin nearby. I was impressed. Its small, but it is…read morevery well done. The doll exhibit that was there when I visited was not my cup of tea, but my 5-year-old loved it and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Its a really nice space. Their exhibits turn over pretty frequently, which is impressive. Overall a great place to visit when in town, and I plan to be back!

A great art museum to visit regardless of size. Staff is extremely helpful and informative . There…read moreare visiting artists, there are local artists , besides the renowned Francis Jaques Museum and Art. There is a significant amount of consignment art from popular artists like Les Kouba . Hours are usually 9 to 4 but check their website to confirm. It is always free to visit. But bring money because you will not want to go home empty-handed. Here is their website. http://jaquesart.com I ordered beautiful Christmas cards from them .