Minnesota Historical Society

What Minnesota Historical Society does

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a non-profit cultural heritage institution established by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in 1849, headquartered at 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. in Saint Paul, Minnesota. MNHS preserves and interprets Minnesota's history through a network of 26 historic sites and museums statewide, including the Minnesota History Center, Mill City Museum, Historic Fort Snelling, Split Rock Lighthouse, James J. Hill House, the Minnesota State Capitol, and others spanning both metro and greater Minnesota locations. The organization serves nearly one million visitors annually through direct site visits, field trips, group tours, and events, supplemented by virtual tours, educational programming aligned to state social studies standards (Northern Lights curriculum), and free admission for Minnesota 6th graders via the History Pass program.

MNHS's product portfolio spans core physical experiences (guided tours such as Keepers Tours at Split Rock Lighthouse, Horse-Drawn Forest History Tours, Summit Avenue Walking Tours, kayak adventures, and pontoon tours), membership subscriptions providing free admission to all 26 sites, retail merchandise through the MNHS Store, and publishing via MNHS Press and the quarterly Minnesota History magazine. Digital products include the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub (millions of newspaper pages), MNopedia online encyclopedia, Gale Family Library research services, Collections Online database, Minnesota People Records (genealogy), and 360 Virtual Tours of all sites. Content distribution extends across email newsletters, major social platforms (including TikTok), and the Minnesota Unraveled podcast. The underlying technology stack comprises standard content management, digital archive platforms, and virtual tour delivery systems; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are documented.

MNHS's revenue model is diversified across six streams: membership subscriptions, site admission and ticket sales (e.g., $16-$28 per program), retail merchandise, donations (including the North Star Circle major donor program, planned giving, and endowment), MNHS Press publications, and grants/government funding from the State of Minnesota and the Legacy Amendment (voter-approved November 4, 2008). GTM is event-driven through in-person site experiences, complemented by educational outreach to K-12 schools and teachers, group sales, and online ticketing. Customer segments are primarily K-12 students and educators and the general public, with secondary segments of researchers/genealogists and members/donors. The organization employs 501-1,000 staff and is governed by an Executive Council with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital involvement.

Name

Minnesota Historical Society

Legal name

Minnesota Historical Society

Website

https://mnhs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1849

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit cultural heritage institution founded in 1849 that operates 26 historic sites and museums across Minnesota, serving nearly one million visitors annually through admissions, memberships, educational programming, research libraries, and publishing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

History Museums (THAJADAB), Political, Social History & Civic Tours (THAJAAAK), Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)

Keywords

• Historical society
• Museum operations
• Cultural heritage
• History education
• Archival research

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership: Annual membership providing free general admission to all 26 MNHS historic sites and museums, plus discounts on events, purchases, and more.
2. Site Admission and Tickets: Revenue from admission tickets to historic sites and museums, with various pricing for adults, children, seniors, and special programs.
3. Retail Shop Sales: Sales of books, gifts, and merchandise relating to Minnesota people, history, and culture through the MNHS Store.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations of all sizes help MNHS provide services to visitors. Includes North Star Circle major donor program, planned giving, and endowment giving options.
5. MNHS Press Publications: Sales of books and publications on Minnesota and Upper Midwest history and culture published by MNHS Press.
6. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from State of Minnesota, Legacy Amendment through vote of Minnesotans (Nov 4, 2008), and corporate/foundation donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Minnesota Historical Society operates a network of 26 historic sites and museums across Minnesota offering tours, exhibits, and educational experiences. It also delivers history education programs (Northern Lights curriculum, National History Day, Field Trips), research and genealogy services through the Gale Family Library and online databases, MNHS Press publications, and digital tools including MNopedia and the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub.

Product overview

The Minnesota Historical Society operates a platform of 26 historic sites and museums across Minnesota, offering cultural heritage experiences, research tools, and educational programs. The core offerings include historic site admissions (with membership as a key product), MNHS Press publications, the Gale Family Library for research, Minnesota People Records for genealogy, Digital Newspapers, MNopedia encyclopedia, Northern Lights education curriculum, National History Day program, Minnesota History Magazine, the Minnesota Unraveled podcast, and 360 Virtual Tours. Tours and events include various guided experiences at different locations. The organization also operates an online store for books and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MNHS Press: Publishing division of Minnesota Historical Society that publishes books on the history and culture of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
• Gale Family Library
• MNopedia
• Minnesota History magazine
• Minnesota Unraveled
• Northern Lights

Products and services

• MNHS Historic Sites & Museums Network of 26 historic sites and museums across Minnesota offering tours, exhibits, and educational experiences for the general public, students, and tourists.
• MNHS Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 1 million visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Henry Ford: Large Michigan-based cultural institution combining a museum, historic village, and innovation programming. Comparable in operating multi-site historic attractions with education focus, though significantly larger and more commercially oriented.
• Smithsonian Institution: The U.S. national museum complex operating 21 museums and the National Zoo. Comparable as a multi-site historical/cultural institution with extensive collections, research libraries, and education programming—though at vastly greater scale and federally funded.
• Colonial Williamsburg: Large living-history museum operating a restored 18th-century town in Virginia. Comparable as a multi-site historic attraction with paid admissions, membership, donor funding, and educational programming.
• New York Historical Society: One of the oldest and largest historical societies in the U.S., operating a major museum, library, and extensive programming in New York City. Comparable in mission (state/regional history preservation, publishing, education) but at substantially larger scale.

Regional players

• Minnesota Children's Museum: Saint Paul-based children's museum serving overlapping regional audiences and education-focused segments. Comparable in geography and K-12 educational engagement, though focused on children's learning rather than history.

Direct peers

• Wisconsin Historical Society: Wisconsin's state-level historical society, operating a network of historic sites and museums, maintaining extensive collections and archives, and providing education programs. Highly comparable to MNHS in mission, scale, and funding model (state appropriations plus donations).
• Ohio History Connection: Ohio's state-affiliated historical organization operating multiple historic sites, museums, and archives across the state. Comparable in scale, multi-site operating model, and mixed state/private funding structure.
• State Historical Society of Iowa: Iowa's state historical society with a similar mandate of preserving state history through museums, archives, and educational programming. Comparable in nonprofit/state-affiliated governance and K-12 curriculum integration.
• Indiana Historical Society: Indiana's private nonprofit historical society operating the Indiana History Center and statewide programs. Closely comparable in non-profit structure, membership-driven model, and emphasis on education and publishing.
• Illinois State Museum: State-operated museum system preserving Illinois history through multiple locations and collections. Comparable as a regional Midwest historical institution with significant archaeological holdings and educational programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mnhs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@minnesotahistory
• Facebookfacebook.com/minnesotahistoricalsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minnesota-historical-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/mnhs.info
• TikToktiktok.com/@mnhs.info

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Historical Society