Lake Minnetonka Historical Society

THE LAKE MINNETONKA HISTORICAL SOCIETY TELLS THE STORY OF LAKE MINNETONKA BY COLLECTING, PRESERVING AND SHARING ITS HISTORY.

PROGRAM: MUSEUM/DISPLAYS LMHS OPERATES MUSEUMS IN LAKE MINNETONKA'S THREE POPULATION CENTERS: EXCELSIOR, MOUND, AND WAYZATA. STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS DOCENTS, EXCELSIOR AND WAYZATA MUSEUMS ARE SEASONAL MUSEUMS OPEN IN THE SUMMER; MOUND IS OPEN YEAR-ROUND. THESE MUSEUMS ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH THE HISTORY OF LAKE MINNETONKA THROUGH ACCESSING EACH MUSEUM'S EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS. IN ADDITION TO ITS MUSEUMS, LHMS OPERATES A GARDEN RAILROAD AT THE WAYZATA MUSEUM AND IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO RETURN THE STREETCAR BOAT MINNEHAHA(LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES) TO ACTIVE OPERATION ON THE LAKE. THROUGH THESE EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES, YOUNG AND OLD CAN LEARN AND EXPERIENCE LIFE AS IT WAS IN THE LATE 1800S AND EARLY 1900S. ATTENDANCE AT THE MUSEUMS VARIES BY LOCATION AND WEATHER BUT RANGES BETWEEN 50-200 PER WEEKEND. MINNEHAHA RIDERSHIP, WHEN OPERATIONAL, AVERAGES 10,000 PER SEASON.

PROGRAM: PUBLIC.PROGRAMS EACH.MONTH, LMHS CONDUCTS PRESENTATIONS ON TOPICS RELATED TO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF LAKE MINNETONKA'S HISTORY. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE A DEEPER DIVE INTO SPECIFIC TOPICS BEYOND WHAT EACH MUSEUM'S INTERPRETIVE DISPLAYS ALLOW. PRESENTATIONS ROTATE ACROSS THE THREE POPULATION CENTERS AND ARE CUSTOMIZED TO EACH LOCATION TO REFLECT EACH COMMUNITY'S IDENTITY/HISTORY.. PRESENTATIONS ARE PROVIDED FREE TO THE PUBLIC, EXCEPT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THEY ARE CONDUCTED ABOARD A CHARTERED EXCURSION VESSEL. DEMAND FOR SEATING TYPICALLY EXCEEDS AVAILABLE ROOM CAPACITY,REQUIRING ENCORE DATES TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMAND. ASIDE FROM THE.MONTHLY PRESENTATIONS, LMHS CONDUCTS.A NUMBER OF WALKING TOURS, CEMETERY TOURS, GUIDED GUIDES OF THE MUSEUMS, AND PROVIDES.SPEAKERS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS.

PROGRAM: .COLLECTIONS LMHS HAS.ONE OF THE LARGEST ARCHIVAL AND DIGITAL COLLECTION OF LAKE MINNETONKA HISTORY. PRIOR TO THE OCTOBER 2023 CONSOLIDATION, EACH PARTNER MUSEUM OPERATED ITS OWN ARCHIVE. UPON THE FORMATION OF LMHS, THE ARCHIVES OF ALL THE MUSEUMS WERE CONSOLIDATED INTO A CENTRAL LOCATION- PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH A SINGLE LOCATION TO RESEARCH LAKE HISTORY, ETC. OPEN YEAR-ROUND, ARCHIVE VOLUNTEERS ACCESSION NEW ARTIFACTS INTO THE COLLECTION, ASSIST IN RESEARCH PROJECTS, ETC.