Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historical Society Capital topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minnesota Historical Society seeks larger, sustained capital funding for sites and collections care
Summary
Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) leaders told the committee they are seeking funding for historic‑site preservation, a county/local preservation grant program, and a multi‑year Preservation and Access to History (PATH) project to improve collections storage and build out expansion space at the History Center.
Kent Whitworth, director and CEO of the Minnesota Historical Society, told the Capital Investment Committee that MNHS is seeking state support for three capital priorities: historic sites asset preservation, a county and local historic preservation grant program, and a multi‑year PATH initiative to improve collections care and storage.
Whitworth said MNHS operates 26 historic sites, stewards about 150 buildings and that roughly half of those structures are more than 100 years old. "Our mission is to serve all the people of Minnesota," Whitworth told the committee, adding that many of the sites are in need of specialized, historically sensitive repairs and facility investments.
David Kelleher, vice president for public policy and government relations, walked members through MNHS's asset‑preservation math: the society estimates a roughly $400 million replacement value across its facilities and used a 4% annual replacement benchmark to calculate roughly $11 million per year (about $22 million per biennium) needed to sustain the portfolio. Kelleher said the agency's 2025 request totals about $15,000,000 for historic sites asset preservation and noted the governor's recommended amount for that item is $5,100,000.
Kelleher described a separate county and local historic preservation grant program the society is requesting; the governor recommended $900,000 for that program. He said the program is competitive, requires local match and typically funds publicly owned historic structures; local non‑public museums more often rely on legacy funding for preservation projects.
On the PATH collections project, MNHS presented a phased plan that prioritizes collections care. Kelleher said the first phase would renovate state‑owned 1500 Mississippi Street for off‑site collections storage, build out unfinished expansion space in the Minnesota History Center and renovate existing collection areas to improve efficiency and preservation conditions.
Committee members raised questions about how MNHS will expand cultural representation and ensure its sites and programs reflect Minnesota's diverse communities. Representative Perez Vega asked why the public face of the society sometimes lacks staff diversity; Whitworth and Kelleher said they welcome follow‑up conversations and described ongoing strategic planning that includes access, re‑envisioning space and expanding partnerships.
No bonding decisions were made at the hearing. MNHS asked the committee to consider its multi‑part capital package and offered site visits and follow‑up materials to committee members.
Ending: MNHS framed the requests as preservation and capacity investments meant to protect irreplaceable collections and sites and to expand public access; the society and committee members agreed to follow up on program details and on efforts to increase cultural representation in sites and programming.
