Lately, my posts have been focused on the art museums in Minneapolis, but there are so many other types of museums in this city. For instance, there is the Mill City Museum that takes visitors through the history of the flour milling industry in Minnesota. “How in the world did they make an entire museum based on boring old flour?” you may ask. How did the Spam Museum make an entire museum based on canned mystery meat? The world may never know; but I can tell you that not only is a whole museum on flour interesting, it’s also informative, interactive, and entertaining.
One of the coolest parts about the Mill City Museum is that the building includes part of an old mill that burned down in 1991. Some of the old equipment has been restored so you can see what the old factory looked like. You can also pay to have your wedding in the courtyard if that’s the kind of thing you’re in to. The old historical stuff is super cool to look at, but it’s the rest of the museum that takes you through the history of the flour industry in Minneapolis (aka “Mill City”).
The Mill City Museum is highly interactive with lots of exhibits, games, and videos to guide you around and inform you about the mill’s history. There are vintage ads, replicas of milling equipment and little games for kids (or you and your child-like friends) to play that teach about how the mill works. My favorite part of the whole museum was this elevator (which is more like a small theater) where you sit and listen to a voice narrating and see the events leading up to the explosion and fire that destroyed the mill played out.
It was so much fun visiting this unique museum and learning a bit about the history of my city. I encourage you to go find a quirky museum like Mill City in your own town (I guarantee every city has at least one) and learn some about where you live.
Please Say More. 