Connecting people through the power of history and culture

Explore the day away.

Explore Exhibits and Take a Trip Back In Time

At the Stearns History Museum, you can walk from one decade to the next all in one day. It’s like time travel, right in your own backyard.

Permanent and changing exhibits highlight the history of people, places, and stories in Central Minnesota’s history. We encourage you to explore at your own pace, schedule a tour, and come back often.

Lewis Project

Sinclair Lewis was a world-famous writer, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature. His older brother Claude helped St. Cloud become a regional center for the medical arts and nursing. This new exhibit explores the imprint these two men left on the world around them and the relationship they shared throughout their lives.

Running now through the winter.

Just For Fun: Toys We Loved

Recall old childhood memories. The exhibit includes dolls that date back to the mid-1800s, a Snurfer, a precursor to today’s snowboard, and a collection of early-manufactured Tonka trucks. It also features a working Lionel Electric Train on loan to the Museum by retired dentist Jeff Poehler.

Choices Made, Choices to Come

We brought the outside in so you can explore Stearns County Natural History and its environmental impacts.

On Solid Ground

Immerse yourself in a 1930s granite quarry and discover the impact of the granite industry in Central Minnesota.

Upcoming Exhibits

Stay tuned! Lots to come in 2023!

There’s More to Explore

The Stearns History Museum hosts exciting events, programs, and research opportunities throughout the year. Be sure to take a look around and enjoy all we have to offer.

Rent Our Space

Let our space be yours.

Discover Programs

Find something for everyone.

Start Researching

Explore your story right here.

Museum Hours:

Wed. - Sat. 10-5,
Sunday 12-4.