Our mission... to collect, preserve and tell Edina's story
Contrary to popular belief, Edina's history began long before Southdale, the nation's first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall, opened in 1956. While the mall may have put Edina "on the map," the city was settled nearly a century earlier when a community rose up around a little red mill on Minnehaha Creek. The Edina Historical Society was formed in 1969 to collect, preserve and tell the story of our community as it grew from a small mill town to a mall suburb.
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Forty years ago, residents saw Edina's pioneer past disappearing before their eyes. Residential subdivisions replaced farms. Historic Cahill School, which served Edina schoolchildren since 1864, closed its doors in 1958 and was sitting in disrepair. The kids who had gone to school by horse and buggy were now senior citizens.
Spurred by the city's effort to save Historic Cahill School and provide history-themed programs for the building, a group of citizens formed the Edina Historical Society in 1969. Led by the City of Edina, they successfully restored the school, created a living history field trip program and began collecting stories and artifacts from Edina's early settlement years. |
The Society still works to preserve history from each era of the community's development, from the agricultural era to the early suburban years to present day.
We operate the Edina History Museum at Arneson Acres Park and living history programs at two of Edina's oldest buildings, Historic Cahill School and Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall, located at Tupa Park. The Edina Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on the support of its members and the public.
We operate the Edina History Museum at Arneson Acres Park and living history programs at two of Edina's oldest buildings, Historic Cahill School and Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall, located at Tupa Park. The Edina Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on the support of its members and the public.
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Edina Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and tell the early history of the state of Minnesota and the city of Edina. The major goals of our organization are to:
- Preserve historically significant objects: The Historical Society collection is home to 15,000 artifacts which includes 4,000 objects, 9,000 photographs, and 2,000 archive materials and books. These artifacts tell the history of the Edina community and the state of Minnesota.
- Create an educational space that is free to the public: The Edina History Museum houses two exhibit galleries, a research library, office space, and collections storage. These facilities are always free to the public to ensure access to valuable resources.
- Provide quality history programming for schools and the residents of our area: This includes a yearly speaker series for all ages, adult learning events, an elementary school tour program, summer camps, and a new history careers program for high school students.
Our History
The museum is located in the former home of Morton and Katherine Arneson, who owned a nursery business in St. Louis Park and enjoyed gardening at their Edina home. Envisioning an open green space with flowers for the benefit of all residents, the Arnesons donated their house, land and greenhouse to the city.
In 1988, the Edina Centennial Committee raised more than $220,000 to renovate the bulding and build an addition for exhibit space. The addition uses architectural remnants recovered from Edina's 1920 Wooddale School, including the auditorium seats, wood trim, gym floor and distinctive arched doorways.
Beautiful Arneson Acres, a 14-acre city park, includes a fountain, benches, gazebo and extensive formal gardens planted and maintained by the Edina Garden Council and City of Edina Parks department.
Today, the Edina History Museum houses two exhibit galleries, a research library, gift shop, office space and collections storage.
In 1988, the Edina Centennial Committee raised more than $220,000 to renovate the bulding and build an addition for exhibit space. The addition uses architectural remnants recovered from Edina's 1920 Wooddale School, including the auditorium seats, wood trim, gym floor and distinctive arched doorways.
Beautiful Arneson Acres, a 14-acre city park, includes a fountain, benches, gazebo and extensive formal gardens planted and maintained by the Edina Garden Council and City of Edina Parks department.
Today, the Edina History Museum houses two exhibit galleries, a research library, gift shop, office space and collections storage.
