We list 58 historic sites you can visit in Minnesota: 3 National Park Service units, state historic sites, museums, battlefields and house museums. 19 are free. Hours and admission were read from each operator’s own page.
Header photo: The W. W. Mayo House in Le Sueur, photographed for the Historic American Buildings Survey in March 1934. Credit: H. F. Maine, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS MINN,40-LESUR,1-1, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 58historic sites
- 19free to visit
- 3National Park Service units
- 8regions covered
- Twin Cities Metro
- St. Croix Valley & East Central
- Duluth & North Shore
- Iron Range & Voyageurs
- Red River Valley
- Central Lakes & St. Cloud
- Minnesota River Valley & Prairielands
- South Lakes & Bluff Country
- Free sites
Download this data: CSV · JSON · 58 sites · free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to It’s Minnesota. All open data: catalog.json.
Historic sites in Minnesota by region
Twin Cities Metro (22)
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Free | NPS unit | St. Paul, Ramsey | Park open 24 hours, year-round (partner sites set own hours) | Free (partner sites may charge) | 72-mile river park; Mississippi River Visitor Center; partner historic sites along the river |
| Alexander Ramsey House | House museum | St. Paul, Ramsey | Closed | $15 adults; $12 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and MNHS members free | Closed for planned restoration work; MNHS has not posted a reopening date. When open: the 1872 Victorian mansion of Alexander Ramsey, territorial governor (1849) and second state governor, with over 14,000 original family objects |
| American Swedish Institute (Turnblad Mansion) | Museum | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Thu-Sun 10-4; Mon-Wed closed (galleries and mansion closed Jan 10-Feb 18) | $12 adults; $8 ages 62+; $6 ages 6-18 and students; 0-5 and members free | Turnblad Mansion and galleries |
| Fort Snelling National Cemetery | Memorial | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Visitation weekdays 7:30 am-8 pm; weekends/federal holidays 8 am-8 pm | See official site | National cemetery adjoining historic Fort Snelling |
| Gammelgården Museum | Historic village | Scandia, Washington | Wed-Sat 10-4; Sun 1-4 (2026 season May 2-Dec 19; closed Oct 25-31, 2026) | Building tours $15 ($14 military/veterans/Time Traveler members; members free) | Historic Swedish immigrant buildings; Välkommen Hus and Butik |
| Gibbs Farm | Historic village | Falcon Heights, Ramsey | See official site | See official site | ‘Pathways to Dakota & Pioneer Life’ on about eight acres |
| Hennepin History Museum | Museum | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Thu-Fri 10-3; Sat 10-5 | See official site | County history exhibits |
| Historic Fort Snelling | Fort | St. Paul, Hennepin | Thu-Sat 10-4 (Sept 7-Dec 31, 2026); fort by guided walking tour only, weather dependent | $12 adults; $10 seniors 65+/college students/active military; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under free; Native Americans and veterans free (on-site); parking $6 | 1825 stone fort (National Historic Landmark), Plank Museum & Visitor Center in a rehabilitated 1904 cavalry barracks, river overlooks, ‘Many Voices, Many Stories, One Place’ exhibit |
| Jackson Street Roundhouse Museum | Museum | St. Paul, Ramsey | Wed and Sat 10-4 | See official site | Railroad roundhouse museum |
| James J. Hill House | House museum | St. Paul, Ramsey | Thu-Sun 10-5 (Sept 10-Nov 22, 2026; same hours for A Gilded Age Christmas Nov 28, 2026-Jan 3, 2027) | $15 adults; $12 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and members free | Railroad magnate James J. Hill’s Summit Avenue mansion (NHL); 60-minute guided tours |
| Landmark Center | Other | St. Paul, Ramsey | Building Mon-Fri 8-5; Sat 10-5; visitor center Mon-Fri 10-2, Sat 10-4, Sun 12-3 | See official site | Historic building; St. Paul & Ramsey County visitor information center |
| Marine Mill Free | State historic site | Marine on St. Croix, Washington | Daily 8-8 | Free | Ruins of the first commercial sawmill in Minnesota (operated 1839-1895) on a bluff over the St. Croix River; trails |
| Mill City Museum | Museum | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Wed-Fri 10-4; Sat-Sun 10-5; Mon-Tue closed | $15 adults; $12 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and MNHS members free | Museum in the Washburn A Mill complex (NHL); Flour Tower elevator show, water and baking labs, riverfront views |
| Mill Ruins Park Free | Archaeological site | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Park 6 am-midnight (developed areas); seasonal tours | Free | Excavated flour mill ruins, tailrace canal, railroad bridge remnants at the foot of the Stone Arch Bridge |
| Minnehaha Depot Free | Other | Minneapolis, Hennepin | See official site | Free | ‘Gingerbread’-canopied depot on the first rail line out of Minneapolis, in Minnehaha Park |
| Minnesota History Center | Museum | St. Paul, Ramsey | Wed and Fri-Sun 10-4; Thu 10-8; Mon-Tue closed | $15 adults; $12 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and MNHS members free | Exhibits incl. ‘Our Home: Native Minnesota’, ‘Minnesota’s Greatest Generation’, ‘Then Now Wow’; Gale Family Library |
| Minnesota State Capitol Free | Other | St. Paul, Ramsey | Mon-Fri 8-4:30; Sat 10-3; Sun closed (Feb 17-Dec 31, 2026) | Free; suggested $5 donation for guided tours | Third state capitol (1905), restored 2013-2017; guided and self-guided tours |
| Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring) Free | Other | Minneapolis, Hennepin | Daily 6 am-10 pm | Free | Spring and restored landscape near Fort Snelling |
| Sibley Historic Site | House museum | Mendota, Dakota | Closed for the season (except events) | $10 adults; $8 seniors/veterans/active military/college students; $6 ages 5-17; 4 & under and members free | Sibley House, Faribault House and Dupuis House (stone buildings) |
| Warden’s House Museum | House museum | Stillwater, Washington | Tours Thu-Sun at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm | See official site | Historic warden’s house museum |
| Washington County Heritage Center | Museum | Stillwater, Washington | Tue-Sat 10-4 | See official site | County history exhibits |
| Wic̣aḣapi (Indian Mounds Regional Park) | Archaeological site | St. Paul, Ramsey | See official site | See official site | Sacred burial mounds (a cemetery) on the Mississippi bluff; 10 Mounds Blvd. |
St. Croix Valley & East Central (3)
St. Croix Valley & East Central events →
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folsom House Free | House museum | Taylors Falls, Chisago | See official site | Free; donations appreciated | Guided tour of the Folsom family house restored to its 19th-century appearance |
| Hinckley Fire Museum | Museum | Hinckley, Pine | Thu-Sun 10-5 | See official site | Museum on the September 1, 1894 fire |
| Snake River Fur Post Free | State historic site | Pine City, Pine | Grounds open daily dawn to dusk | Free | Fur post at Ginebig-ziibi (Snake River); grounds |
Duluth & North Shore (6)
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Portage National Monument Free | NPS unit | Grand Portage, Cook | Heritage Center winter hours 9-4:30, closed Sundays and federal holidays; Historic Depot closed until Memorial Day weekend 2027 | Free | Heritage Center exhibits and film; reconstructed Historic Depot (Great Hall, kitchen, canoe warehouse, stockade); Ojibwe Village, hiking trails |
| Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Free | Memorial | Duluth, St. Louis | Outdoor public plaza | Free | Memorial plaza at East First Street and North Second Avenue East, across from the lynching site; sculptures and quotations |
| Glensheen Historic Estate | House museum | Duluth, St. Louis | Daily 10-4 (Oct 20-Jan 4); Fri-Sun 10-4 (Jan 5-Mar 4); closed Nov 2-5, Nov 9-12, Thanksgiving, Dec 24-25 | Classic Tour $20 adults; $18 veterans and seniors 62+; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under free | Congdon family mansion and grounds on Lake Superior; self-guided Classic Tour |
| Lake Superior Railroad Museum | Museum | Duluth, St. Louis | Daily 10-5 (holiday closures; early close Fri-Sun during Christmas City Express) | $14 adults 14+; $7 ages 3-13; 2 & under free | Railroad museum in the historic St. Louis County Depot; North Shore Scenic Railroad departures |
| SS William A. Irvin | Museum | Duluth, St. Louis | See official site | See official site | Guided tours of a retired Great Lakes freighter |
| Split Rock Lighthouse | State historic site | Two Harbors, Lake | Mon and Thu-Sun 10-4; Tue-Wed closed (Oct 20, 2026-Jan 4, 2027) | Grounds Pass $8 (no lighthouse or keeper’s home access); Keeper’s Tour $25; Christmas at the Lighthouse $20 (MNHS members free) | 1910 lighthouse and fog signal building, keeper’s house, visitor center film and exhibits on a 25-acre site |
Iron Range & Voyageurs (3)
Iron Range & Voyageurs events →
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest History Center | Historic village | Grand Rapids, Itasca | Sat 10-4 (Oct 24-Dec 19, 2026) | $15 adults; $12 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and MNHS members free | Recreated 1900-era logging camp, 200-acre site, horse-drawn trolley and sleigh rides, kayak tours |
| Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park | State historic site | Soudan, St. Louis | Mine tours daily Memorial Day weekend-end of Sept; Sept 28-Oct 18 weekends (Thu-Sun MEA weekend); off-season group tours only | Mine tour: $15 ages 13+; $10 ages 5-12; 4 & under free (ticket required) | Cage ride 2,341 feet down to the 27th level and underground train to the Montana stope (NHL: Soudan Iron Mine) |
| Minnesota Discovery Center | Museum | Chisholm, St. Louis | Fall/winter: Tue-Sat 10-5 (Thu to 8); Sun-Mon closed. Summer adds Sun 10-5 | $12 adults; $10 seniors 62+ and veterans/active military; $7 students 3-17; 2 & under free | Iron Range history museum, research center, mining-themed attractions, trolley tours |
Red River Valley (2)
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comstock House | House museum | Moorhead, Clay | See official site | $8 adults; $7 seniors/veterans/active military/college students; $6 ages 5-17; MNHS and HCSCC members free | 19th-century home of the Comstock family |
| Hjemkomst Center | Museum | Moorhead, Clay | Mon-Sat 9-5; Tue 5-8 pm free; Sun 12-5 | See official site | Hjemkomst Viking ship replica, Hopperstad Stave Church replica, Clay County museum and archives |
Central Lakes & St. Cloud (5)
Central Lakes & St. Cloud events →
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Lindbergh House Free | House museum | Little Falls, Morrison | Trails open daily dawn to dusk; house: see official site | Free | Childhood home of aviator Charles A. Lindbergh (NHL) and museum; trails |
| Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post | Museum | Onamia, Mille Lacs | Wed-Sat 10-5; Sun-Tue closed | $12 adults; $10 seniors/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under, MNHS members and Native Americans free | Museum on the journey of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; restored trading post |
| Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | Archaeological site | Onamia, Mille Lacs | See official site | State park vehicle permit (see DNR) | Kathio Interpretive Center with artifact replicas; two self-guided trails to archaeological sites; NHL (Kathio Site) |
| Oliver Kelley Farm | Historic village | Elk River, Sherburne | Sat 9-3 (Sept 6-Dec 23, 2026) | $12 adults; $10 seniors 65+/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under and MNHS members free | 1860s farm life, Kelley homestead (NHL) |
| Runestone Museum | Museum | Alexandria, Douglas | Summer: Mon-Sat 10-4:30; Sun closed | $12 adults; $10 seniors 65+/college students/teachers; $7 veterans; $25 family; under 5 free | Kensington Runestone, found in 1898; MNopedia notes its authenticity has been debated for over a century |
Minnesota River Valley & Prairielands (14)
Minnesota River Valley & Prairielands events →
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestone National Monument Free | NPS unit | Pipestone, Pipestone | Circle Trail open any time; visitor center: see official site | Free | Active quarries, 3/4-mile Circle Trail, Mission 66 visitor center with exhibits, 22-minute film and traditional cultural demonstrations |
| Birch Coulee Battlefield Free | Battlefield | Morton, Renville | Trails open daily dawn to dusk (not maintained in winter) | Free | Self-guided trail across the battlefield |
| Brown County Historical Society Museum | Museum | New Ulm, Brown | Tue-Fri 10-4; Sat 10-3 | $7 adults; $5 seniors 65+; $4 students 5-18; 4 & under and members free | ‘Becoming Brown County’ and other exhibits; research library |
| Fort Ridgely Free | Fort | Fairfax, Nicollet | Grounds daily 8-8; commissary building currently closed | Free (State park vehicle permit required) | Site of the fort in Fort Ridgely State Park; commissary building |
| Harkin Store Free | State historic site | New Ulm, Nicollet | See official site | Free | Historic store site |
| Hermann Monument (Hermann Heights Park) | Memorial | New Ulm, Brown | Grounds open; climbing access closed. The official page still shows 2025 season hours | $3 per person; 5 & under free with adult | Copper statue of Hermann (Arminius) atop a dome |
| Jeffers Petroglyphs | Archaeological site | Comfrey, Cottonwood | Closed for the season (public season ended Oct 17, 2026) | $12 adults; $10 seniors/veterans/active military/college students; $8 ages 5-17; 4 & under, MNHS members and Native Americans free | Closed for the season: the 2026 public season ended Oct 17. About 5,000 sacred rock carvings on glacier-smoothed rock outcrops, visitor center exhibits on Native American culture and prairie, prairie trails |
| Lac qui Parle Mission Free | State historic site | Montevideo, Chippewa | Grounds daily 8-8; mission building closed for the season | Free | Site where Joseph Renville worked with missionaries to create the first written Dakota alphabet; mission building (seasonal) and trails |
| Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum | Museum | Walnut Grove, Redwood | Hours change by season (see monthly hours) | $10 ages 13+; $4 ages 5-12; 4 & under free | Eight exhibit buildings and a jail cell |
| Lower Sioux Agency | State historic site | Morton, Redwood | Trails open daily dawn to dusk; History Center hours via Lower Sioux Indian Community | Free (trails); History Center: see official site | Restored 1861 U.S. government building, History Center owned and operated by the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Minnesota River trails |
| Traverse des Sioux Free | State historic site | St. Peter, Nicollet | Grounds daily 8-8 | Free | Treaty site trails; adjacent Treaty Site History Center (separate admission) |
| Treaty Site History Center | Museum | St. Peter, Nicollet | Regular hours Tue-Sat 10-4; winter changes Nov 3, 2026-Feb 28, 2027 | See official site | Exhibits on the treaty and Nicollet County history |
| W. W. Mayo House | House museum | Le Sueur, Le Sueur | Holiday hours Nov 28-Dec 12, 2026: Sat 10-4, Sun 1-4 | $6 adults; $5 seniors/veterans/active military/college students; $4 ages 5-17; 4 & under free | Costumed-guide tours of the house where Mayo and Cosgrove families lived |
| Wanda Gág House Free | House museum | New Ulm, Brown | Sat 10-4; Sun 11-2 | Free; suggested donation $5 | Childhood home with attic studio, skylights and turrets; self-guided or 45-minute docent tours |
South Lakes & Bluff Country (3)
South Lakes & Bluff Country events →
| Site | Type | Where | Hours | Admission | What to see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodhue County History Center | Museum | Red Wing, Goodhue | Tue-Fri 10-4; Sat 10-3; Sun-Mon closed | $5 adults; $2 ages 13-18; 12 & under and members free | County history museum and research library |
| Historic Forestville Free | Historic village | Preston, Fillmore | See official site | Free (State Park vehicle permit required) | Historic village site in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park |
| History Center of Olmsted County | Museum | Rochester, Olmsted | Tue-Sat 9-5; Sun-Mon closed | See official site | County museum and research center |
Free historic sites in Minnesota
These list no admission charge on their own pages (parking, tours or special programs may still cost money):
- Birch Coulee Battlefield, Morton
- Charles Lindbergh House, Little Falls
- Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, Duluth
- Folsom House, Taylors Falls
- Fort Ridgely, Fairfax
- Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage
- Harkin Store, New Ulm
- Historic Forestville, Preston
- Lac qui Parle Mission, Montevideo
- Marine Mill, Marine on St. Croix
- Mill Ruins Park, Minneapolis
- Minnehaha Depot, Minneapolis
- Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul
- Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, St. Paul
- Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring), Minneapolis
- Pipestone National Monument, Pipestone
- Snake River Fur Post, Pine City
- Traverse des Sioux, St. Peter
- Wanda Gág House, New Ulm
Types of sites on this list
| Type | Sites |
|---|---|
| Museum | 18 |
| House museum | 10 |
| State historic site | 8 |
| Historic village | 5 |
| Other | 4 |
| Archaeological site | 4 |
| NPS unit | 3 |
| Memorial | 3 |
| Fort | 2 |
| Battlefield | 1 |
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.
- Alexander Ramsey House is closed for planned restoration work. MNHS has not posted a reopening date, so check before you go.
- Jeffers Petroglyphs closed for the season on October 17, 2026. MNHS has not posted 2027 season dates yet.
- MNopedia says the Hermann Monument in New Ulm was built in 1897; National Archives photo captions say 1888. Its official page still showed 2025 hours on October 20, 2026.
- The Treaty Site History Center page lists regular hours of Tue-Sat 10-4 but also says the center is closed for winter and reopens January 13. Call before a winter visit.
We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.
Frequently asked questions
Which historic sites in Minnesota are free?
19 of the 58 places in our list are free, including Grand Portage and Pipestone national monuments, the State Capitol, Snake River Fur Post, Birch Coulee Battlefield, Traverse des Sioux and the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial. Historic Forestville and Fort Ridgely need a state park vehicle permit (source: Minnesota Historical Society: Locations).
Can you go inside the Soudan Underground Mine?
Yes. The Minnesota DNR runs a 90-minute tour that drops 2,341 feet by cage and rides an underground train to the Montana stope. Tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 5-12. Tours run daily from Memorial Day weekend through September, then weekends to mid-October (source: Minnesota DNR: Soudan Underground Mine tours).
Which Minnesota historic sites are closed right now?
The Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul is closed for planned restoration work, and MNHS has not posted a reopening date. Jeffers Petroglyphs ended its 2026 public season on October 17. Sibley Historic Site is closed for the season except events, and the Grand Portage Historic Depot reopens Memorial Day weekend 2027 (source: MNHS: Alexander Ramsey House).
Is the Kensington Runestone real?
Nobody has settled it. MNopedia calls the stone, found on a farm near Kensington in 1898, “a unique record of either Norse exploration of North America or Minnesota’s most brilliant and durable hoax.” It is on display at the Runestone Museum in Alexandria (source: MNopedia: Kensington Runestone).
Last checked October 20, 2026 by the It’s Minnesota editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Historic Fort Snelling
- Mill City Museum
- Split Rock Lighthouse
- James J. Hill House
- Alexander Ramsey House
- Minnesota History Center
- Minnesota State Capitol
- Oliver Kelley Farm
- Jeffers Petroglyphs
- Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post
- Forest History Center
- Sibley Historic Site
- W. W. Mayo House
- Comstock House
- Folsom House
- Charles Lindbergh House
- Historic Forestville
- Snake River Fur Post
- Fort Ridgely
- Birch Coulee Battlefield
- Lower Sioux Agency
- Harkin Store
- Lac qui Parle Mission
- Marine Mill
- Minnehaha Depot
- Traverse des Sioux
- Grand Portage National Monument
- Pipestone National Monument
- Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
- Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
- Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
- Minnesota Discovery Center
- American Swedish Institute (Turnblad Mansion)
- Glensheen Historic Estate
- Lake Superior Railroad Museum
- SS William A. Irvin
- Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial
- Hermann Monument (Hermann Heights Park)
- Brown County Historical Society Museum
- Wanda Gág House
- Warden’s House Museum
- Goodhue County History Center
- Gammelgården Museum
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
- Hinckley Fire Museum
- Hjemkomst Center
- History Center of Olmsted County
- Jackson Street Roundhouse Museum
- Landmark Center
- Runestone Museum
- Hennepin History Museum
- Mill Ruins Park
- Wic̣aḣapi (Indian Mounds Regional Park)
- Fort Snelling National Cemetery
- Gibbs Farm
- Treaty Site History Center
Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “Historic Sites in Minnesota: Hours, Admission and What to See”, itsminnesota.com/history/historic-sites/ (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.