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Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County highlights 25,000 visits, $3M in out-of-town economic impact
Summary
Laura Forte, new executive director of the Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County, briefed the Moorhead City Council on programs and impact, citing about 25,000 museum visitors in 2025, roughly $3 million in out-of-town visitor economic impact and roughly $450,000 in tax revenue.
The Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) presented to the Moorhead City Council on May 26, with incoming Executive Director Laura Forte outlining the society’s reach and economic contribution.
Forte described the organization as a regional cultural hub and said 2025 saw about 25,000 visitors, roughly 1,500 community contacts through outreach, and more than one million social-media views. She estimated out-of-town visitor spending related to the museum at just over $3 million and said the organization supports about $450,000 in tax revenue for city, county and state levels.
Forte emphasized programmatic access: the museum offers free admission on Tuesday evenings, rotating exhibitions every three to six months, school tours across Moorhead elementary schools and internships for college students. She said the Historical & Cultural Society provides stewardship and interpretation for city‑owned cultural assets under an in‑kind rental arrangement.
Council response: Councilmembers thanked Forte and discussed potential cross-promotion with other local events and video projects. Forte said the museum does not have a specific tracking mechanism to count how many visitors come in specifically because of FMCT events but said anecdotal evidence shows some spillover.
What happens next: The council received the presentation and asked follow-up questions; no formal action was required.
