History Center of Olmsted County

Here's Your Chance to Make History with the History Center of Olmsted County

It's true, the History Center is the only organization (in the entire world) dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing Olmsted County's artifacts, archival material, and stories. It's also true that we cannot do it alone. You can make a difference!

Here’s how your donation makes history: 

• $45, on average, helps us document and care for each artifact donated to us. People donate about 1,500 objects to the History Center per year. 
• $50 helps our certified archivist provide one-on-one assistance to each archive and research center visitor. On average, our archivist assists 430 researchers each year helping them explore the history of their family, business, farm, house, town, or neighborhood.
• $150 helps us produce an edition of our Home Grown History lecture series, where expert local and national historians speak live at the History Center or via Zoom (or both). In 2021, we organized and hosted 26 lectures serving 679 lifelong learners.
• $175 goes a long way in helping us create one-of-kind exhibits that tell the story of Olmsted County's many communities. In 2020-2021, we researched, curated, and built 17 exhibits, many in partnership with community groups.
• $250 to $500 will help us match grants to restore the historic George Stoppel Farmstead, including the Smokehouse, man-made caves, Stone House, and Bank Barn. The History Center is committed to restoring and activating this rare property as the chief historic site for telling the story of agricultural and immigration history in Southeastern Minnesota.

These are just a sampling of how your donation helps save and share the history of Rochester and Olmsted County.

By supporting the History Center you support its mission to give people of all ages and backgrounds access and opportunity to learn about the past through interpretive programs and exhibits, research, publications, and events.