Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum facts for kids

Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum

Main building
Established	1977 (1977)
Location	Bldg. 1-86, 15000 Highway 115, Little Falls, Minnesota, 56345
Type	Military history museum
Owner	Military Historical Society of Minnesota

The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum is a special place that helps us remember and understand Minnesota's military history. It's a non-profit group, which means it's not run for money. Instead, it works to teach everyone about the brave people who served.

This museum works with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota National Guard. You can visit it all year round! It's located inside Camp Ripley, a huge military training area near Little Falls. The museum tells stories from all parts of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and even what life was like at home during wartime.

Discovering Minnesota's Military History

The museum has the biggest collection of military items and records in Minnesota. It holds almost 35,000 different objects! These include things like old uniforms, weapons, military gear, and flags. You can also see bigger items like tanks, aircraft, and artillery pieces.

Explore Museum Exhibits

The museum has many cool exhibits that tell different stories.

• America at War – This exhibit shows why America fought in its biggest wars since Minnesota became a state in 1858. It also explains how these wars were fought and what happened afterward.

• State Forces – Learn about Minnesota's own armed forces, especially the Minnesota National Guard. You'll see how they've changed from early militias before the American Civil War to their missions around the world today.

• Forts on the Frontier – Discover how early forts and military camps in Minnesota helped keep the peace. They also played a role in the settlement of lands where Native American people lived. A special part of this exhibit focuses on Fort Ripley, an old U.S. Army outpost that was once located where Camp Ripley is now.

• The Arms Room – This room shows how military small arms, like pistols, rifles, and machine guns, changed over the 1800s and 1900s. You can see different types of weapons, ammunition, and even edged weapons.

• Honors – This exhibit celebrates Minnesotans who received the Medal of Honor, which is one of the highest awards for bravery in the military. It also displays other military awards from the past and present.

• Story of the Jeep – Find out about the famous American military Jeep! This exhibit shows how Minnesota helped develop this important vehicle. You can see six different models, from World War II until the 1980s. This part of the museum is open during the summer.

• Outdoor Exhibits – Outside the main building, you can explore many large items. There are vehicles, tanks, aircraft, and artillery pieces. You can even step inside a rare "40 & 8 boxcar," which was used to carry American troops and horses in France during World War I. You can also see a "tin hut" and latrine, set up like they were in 1965 at Camp Ripley.

• Special Exhibits – Besides the permanent displays, the museum often has temporary exhibits. These change regularly and cover different topics. Some past special exhibits have included "Women in the Ranks," "Remembering Pearl Harbor," and the history of Minnesota's 34th Infantry Division.

Museum Archive: Preserving Memories

The museum also has a huge archive where you can find records about veterans, military units, and veteran groups. It's the largest collection of its kind in Minnesota! The archive includes old photographs, personal letters, diaries, scrapbooks, maps, and newspapers. There are also films, audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and CDs that tell military stories.

Museum Library: Books and Manuals

The museum's library has more than 15,000 books and pamphlets about military history. It has a very large collection of military field manuals and technical guides. The library especially focuses on materials that share the military experiences of Minnesotans and units connected to Minnesota.

Museum Buildings and Grounds

The main building of the museum used to be a headquarters for the Minnesota National Guard during the summer at Camp Ripley. Its design was inspired by the old buildings of Fort Ripley, a frontier army post from the 1800s.

The building was updated in 1986–1987 to become the museum. It still holds most of the exhibits, offices, and the gift shop. Since 1987, several other buildings nearby have also been fixed up for work, storage, and more exhibits. The whole museum area now covers about 2 acres and includes nine buildings.

The museum started building a new, larger facility on September 17, 2023. This new building will be about 40,000 square feet.

See also

• Military history of Minnesota
• Military personnel from Minnesota
• Military units and formations in Minnesota