Mill City Museum Tour

Gold Medal Flour sign Minneapolis

Is it possible to make a museum about milling flour interesting?  On the surface, I thought the Mill City Museum might rival the National Linoleum Preservation Center for interest level.  I was wrong.  The Mill City Museum has much to offer visitors of every age and level of familiarity with Minnesota history.  The museum is tucked neatly into the ruins what used to be the world's largest flour mill.  By visiting the museum, I learned much more than just the history of mill factories in Minneapolis.   To top it off (literally), the Mill City Museum has the best bird's eye view of the Mississippi waterfront.   

What to Expect

I parked in Mills Ruin Park along the Mississippi River.  The beauty of the area surrounding the museum took me by surprise.  The Mill City Museum is situated next to St. Anthony Falls, the Stone Arch Bridge, and the Guthrie.  For about 50 years in the late 1800 and early 1900's, Minneapolis was known as the "Flour Milling Capital of the World."  The mills and factories of Minneapolis depended on the Mississippi river to provide energy and transportation, which is why the four mills were built next to St. Anthony Falls.  The Mill City Museum is built into the ruins of a mill that was destroyed by a fire in 1991.

Mill City Museum factory ruins, Minneapolis

Upon entering the museum, I was immediately drawn to a sign that proclaimed the Mill City Museum to be"The Most Explosive Museum in the World."  I later learned that flour dust is extremely combustible.  In fact, the first flour mill built in Minneapolis was completely leveled by an explosion!  The tour of the museum begins on the first floor.  There are several interactive exhibits where kids and adults can learn about the machines used to mill flour.  Other exhibits teach about the power and importance of the Mississippi River to Minnesota history.  As a history teacher, I especially liked the displays of old pictures and descriptions of downtown Minneapolis during the late 1800s.  There is even a kitchen where staff members teach about the different grains and flours, and then let you sample freshly baked examples.   That's what I call "hands on" education. There is also a theater that shows a short film about Minneapolis history made by local humorist Kevin Kling. 

Mississippi waterfront in Minneapolis from Mill City Museum

The highlight of the museum is the "Flour Tower" exhibit, which is an elevator ride through eight floors of the old factory .  The ride mixes video clips, taped interviews, and real-life milling machines to teach about the history of milling in Minneapolis.  Everyone in my group was impressed by the moving exhibit, which isn't a small feat considering that my group consisted of first grade students, teachers, and a retired couple.   After getting off the elevator on the eighth level, you get a chance to view the Mississippi riverfront from the museum's observation deck.   It was the perfect end to a museum that surprised me with it's ability to make history interesting and relevant to today's society. I gained a sense of how great of an impact the entire region had on the world during the Industrial Revolution.     

Mill City Museum baking lab

Just the Basics

• Location: 704 South Second Street, Minneapolis, MN
  
• Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Sunday, noon-5pm
• Cost: Adults $10, Seniors/College Students $8, children 6-17 $5, children under 5 are free
• Website: http://www.millcitymuseum.org/
• Advice: Park in Mill Ruins Park lot on W. River Parkway.  The lot costs only $1 per hour, instead of the $6 minimum in the museum ramp.
• More advice: Visit the museum on the weekends or late afternoon to avoid school groups filled with screaming elementary students.