24 history events in Minnesota: battle reenactments, living-history days, heritage festivals and candlelight tours of historic homes. On now: Cabinet of Curiosities / Colonial Connections: The Tenney Family in Stearns County, Jun 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. Dates are the organizers’ own; where only a month is published we say so.
Header photo: Split Rock Lighthouse, lit each November 10 for the Edmund Fitzgerald, in a Bureau of Lighthouses photo from before 1934. Credit: U.S. Bureau of Lighthouses, National Archives (NAID 45709977) via DPLA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 24history events
- 17with confirmed dates ahead
- 5reenactments and living history
- 3America 250 events
Download this data: CSV · JSON · 24 events · free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to It’s Minnesota. All open data: catalog.json.
Coming up, by month
June 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet of Curiosities / Colonial Connections: The Tenney Family in Stearns County | America 250 exhibit | St. Cloud | Jun 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 | Museum admission | Stearns History Museum (listed by Minnesota America 250 Committee) |
October 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Thursday Nights at the History Center | Free admission night | St. Paul | Oct 22, 2026 to Dec 17, 2026 | Free (RSVP) | MNHS – Minnesota History Center |
| Lanterns & Legends | Evening history tour | St. Paul (Fort Snelling) | Oct 24, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 | See official site (members save 20%) | MNHS – Historic Fort Snelling |
| Summit Avenue Walking Tours (final 2026 dates) | Walking tour | St. Paul | Oct 24, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026 | $16-$20 | MNHS – James J. Hill House |
November 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America at 250 Concert Series: A Day in the Life of a Soldier | America 250 | Thief River Falls | Nov 10, 2026 | See official site | Northland Community Band (listed by Minnesota America 250 Committee) |
| Edmund Fitzgerald: A Great Lakes Memorial (beacon lighting) | Anniversary commemoration | Two Harbors | Nov 10, 2026 | Tickets include all-day site admission (tiers $8-$20) | MNHS – Split Rock Lighthouse |
| Lifting the Veil: A Glimpse at 19th Century Spiritualism | Living history | Elk River | Nov 14, 2026 | See official site | MNHS – Oliver H. Kelley Farm with the Living History Society of Minnesota |
| Millers’ Tour | Living history | Minneapolis | Nov 14, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | See official site | MNHS – Mill City Museum |
| In Disguise: Women in the Civil War | America 250 | Mendota | Nov 20, 2026 | See official site | Dakota County Historical Society / Sibley Historic Site |
| Capitol Civil War Tour | Guided tour | St. Paul | Nov 21, 2026 | $8-$12 | MNHS – Minnesota State Capitol |
| Thanksgiving on the Farm | Living history | Elk River | Nov 21, 2026 | Site admission | MNHS – Oliver H. Kelley Farm |
| Christmas at the Lighthouse | Holiday tour | Two Harbors | Nov 27, 2026 to Dec 27, 2026 | $20; MNHS members free | MNHS – Split Rock Lighthouse |
| A Gilded Age Christmas | Holiday tour | St. Paul | Nov 28, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 | House admission ($15 adults) | MNHS – James J. Hill House |
| Winter Sleigh Rides | Living history | Grand Rapids | Nov 28, 2026 to Feb 27, 2027 | Included with site admission | MNHS – Forest History Center |
December 2026
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How Christmas Won the Civil War | Holiday tour | Mendota | Dec 4, 2026 | $20; $15 DCHS/MNHS/Friends of Sibley members | Dakota County Historical Society at Sibley Historic Site (Mendota After Hours) |
| Julmarknad Handcraft Market and Festival | Heritage festival | Minneapolis | Dec 4, 2026 to Dec 6, 2026 | Adults $26 at the door (includes museum admission) | American Swedish Institute |
January 2027
| Event | Kind | Where | When | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split Rock Keeper’s Tour (New Year) | Holiday tour | Two Harbors | Jan 1, 2027 to Jan 3, 2027 | $25 (members save 20%) | MNHS – Split Rock Lighthouse |
Held every year: dates not announced yet
The organizer gives only the usual month or season. We add the exact dates when they are posted.
| Event | Kind | Where | Usually | Price | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas City Express | Holiday tour | Duluth | Holiday season, Fri-Sun performances (4 pm Fri/Sun, 3 pm Sat) | See official site | Lake Superior Railroad Museum |
| Defeat of Jesse James Days | Battle reenactment | Northfield | September 2027 (2026: Sept 9-13) | See official site | Defeat of Jesse James Days |
| Glensheen lantern-light tours | Holiday tour | Duluth | Fridays and Saturdays in October | See official site | Glensheen |
| Grand Portage Rendezvous Days | Heritage festival | Grand Portage | Usually second weekend of August (2026: Aug 7-9) | Free | National Park Service – Grand Portage National Monument |
| Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant | Living history | Walnut Grove | Usually July (Friday and Saturday evenings) | See official site | Wilder Pageant / Walnut Grove |
| Mahkato Wacipi | Heritage festival | Mankato | Usually September (2026: 54th annual, Sept 18-20) | See official site | Mahkato Wacipi |
Looking for every event, not only history? See all Minnesota events.
What we could not verify
- MNHS gives two counts: its membership text says 26 historic sites and museums, while its locations page lists 27 locations because it also counts the Gale Family Library. We use 26.
- Dates for 2027 MNHS seasonal programs (Summit Avenue tours, Lanterns & Legends, Shadows & Spirits, Jeffers season) are not posted yet; those rows show usual timing only.
We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Split Rock Lighthouse beacon lit?
Every November 10, in memory of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 crew, lost on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. In 2026 the memorial runs 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesday, November 10, and tickets include all-day site admission (source: MNHS: Edmund Fitzgerald: A Great Lakes Memorial).
How is Minnesota marking America 250?
Gov. Tim Walz created the Governor’s Committee on Minnesota America 250 by executive order on September 22, 2023, and MNHS convenes it. Its statewide calendar takes public submissions; 3 of its events are in our list, including a Thief River Falls concert on November 10 (source: Minnesota America 250 Committee: Events).
Where can I see historic holiday tours in Minnesota?
Split Rock Lighthouse runs Christmas at the Lighthouse from November 27 to December 27, 2026. The James J. Hill House dresses for A Gilded Age Christmas from November 28 to January 3. The Forest History Center offers winter sleigh rides from November 28 through February 27 (source: MNHS: James J. Hill House).
Last checked October 20, 2026 by the It’s Minnesota editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Cabinet of Curiosities / Colonial Connections: The Tenney Family in Stearns County
- Free Thursday Nights at the History Center
- Shadows & Spirits of the State Capitol
- Lanterns & Legends
- Summit Avenue Walking Tours (final 2026 dates)
- Edmund Fitzgerald: A Great Lakes Memorial (beacon lighting)
- Lifting the Veil: A Glimpse at 19th Century Spiritualism
- Millers’ Tour
- Capitol Civil War Tour
- Thanksgiving on the Farm
- Christmas at the Lighthouse
- A Gilded Age Christmas
- Winter Sleigh Rides
- How Christmas Won the Civil War
- Julmarknad Handcraft Market and Festival
- Christmas City Express
- Defeat of Jesse James Days
- Glensheen lantern-light tours
- Grand Portage Rendezvous Days
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant
- Mahkato Wacipi
Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “History Events in Minnesota: Reenactments, Living History and Candlelight Tours”, itsminnesota.com/history/events/ (updated ). By the It's Minnesota editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.