At the recommendation of a local friend (someone I know from the Bay Area, who relocated to MSP a few years ago and really loves it (or did as of the end of February anyway)) – Joyce and I checked out the Mill City Museum. The museum is housed in what was once the largest flour mill in the world. In fact, with the wheat of the Great Plains to the west, and the availability of hydropower from Saint Anthony Falls (the only waterfall on the Mississippi River!), at one time Minneapolis was the flour milling capital of the world. Who knew?!
The Museum details this flour milling history, and the founding and growth of Minneapolis. There was a fun film, “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat,” which was an informative whirlwind by a local humorist. We also enjoyed the Flour Tower Tour, which took us up and down in a freight elevator to view scenes of the mill in action. Audio features interviews will former mill workers – the mill closed in 1965. At the end of the Tour we were let off at the top floor observation deck, which had great views of the mill complex and out over the riverfront.
The exhibits were really well done, and there were hands-on areas – something for all ages! I particularly enjoyed seeing the different machinery and learning about the process of making flour – something I’d never really thought about. Well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Minneapolis!
2m2t 
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