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    Mille Lacs Lake Museum

    3.0 (1 review)

    Mille Lacs Lake Museum Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Mille Lacs Lake Museum

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    5 years ago

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    Snake River Fur Post - The reconstructed fur post is on the original site and is based on archaeological work done in the 1960's

    Snake River Fur Post

    5.0(3 reviews)
    50.3 km

    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.

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    Snake River Fur Post
    Snake River Fur Post

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    Stearns History Museum - Archives

    Stearns History Museum

    4.8(4 reviews)
    86.7 km

    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.

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    Stearns History Museum - Winter Wonderland

    Winter Wonderland

    Stearns History Museum
    Stearns History Museum - Healthyville exhibit for the summer.

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    Healthyville exhibit for the summer.

    Mille Lacs Lake Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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