Minnesota Newspaper Foundation

What's that noise? Oh, it's just history happening at the Minnesota Newspaper Museum.

The Minnesota Newspaper Museum is a noisy, smelly place. And we're pretty proud of that. 

Located in the 4-H Building on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, the Minnesota Newspaper Museum comes to life annually during the state fair. Each year, volunteers put out a four-page publication, The Maynard News, using technology of a different time - somewhere around the 1930s, to be exact.

So sure, it's loud. That's the sound of Linotype machines clacking away as type is set one line at a time. Or it's the constant hum of a two-cylinder Miehle flatbed press cranking out copies of The Maynard News. Or, it's the sound of the belts running on the old paper folder, or the high-pitched "ding!" on the Kluge press. 

And that smell? Well, that's ink. Visitors to the newspaper museum often walk in, take a deep breath, and declare, "I love that smell!"

The Minnesota Newspaper Museum routinely hosts 22,000 to 25,000 visitors during the annual Minnesota State Fair. Visitors come from everywhere, too: In 2023, visitors from 44 states, 14 countries and two Canadian provinces signed our guest book!

An educational exhibit, the Minnesota Newspaper Museum offers many free items such as copies of The Maynard News, bookmarks, postcards, notebooks and pressmen's caps. 

In recent years, our hottest free item is a colored, printed poster of the First Amendment. These posters often invite exciting, educational discussions about the First Amendment and its liberties! 

The Minnesota Newspaper Museum is staffed largely by a base of dedicated, enthusiastic and friendly volunteers we affectionately call The Maynard Newsies. In a typical year, approximately 90 volunteers fill upwards of 180 volunteer shifts during the state fair. 

Your donation to the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation is a donation to the continued efforts of The Maynard Newsies, as they produce the small newspaper, run the big machines and educate a public about newspaper's past, present and future. 

We appreciate your support!

And if you're interested in becoming a Maynard Newsie, please reach out! Contact Volunteer/Operations Coordinator Michelle Leonard by phone, 651-238-5614, or by email, newsmusemsf@gmail.com..