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Historical Society asks for PATH collections funding and $22.8M in asset preservation
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Summary
The Minnesota Historical Society asked the capital committee for PATH collections investments, $22.8 million for historic-site asset preservation, and continued county/local preservation grants; MNHS leaders emphasized urgent roof and storage needs at several sites.
Kent Whitworth, CEO of the Minnesota Historical Society, and colleagues presented the society’s three 2026 capital priorities: the Preservation and Access to History (PATH) project to upgrade collections facilities, historic sites asset preservation (a $22.8 million request), and county/local historic preservation grants that require local matches.
Whitworth said the PATH project would outfit unfinished collection space at the Minnesota History Center and update an off-site storage building to provide proper climate control to preserve state archives and museum collections. David Kelleher and Marie Bjornberg described widespread deferred maintenance across roughly 150 historic sites and estimated a large replacement value for those assets; the MNHS said modest, timely investments can secure collections and prevent catastrophic loss.
Committee members pressed on grant sizes and allocations and raised concerns about a roughly $7 million Fort Snelling request given recent appropriations and sensitive community context. MNHS staff said Fort Snelling projects reflect a running list of needs, noted prior appropriations and private support for related projects, and affirmed ongoing engagement with tribal advisory bodies.
No appropriation votes were taken; MNHS offered to provide the committee with project lists and dollar estimates for consideration in the capital process.
