History Break: Dakota Language Program
2025-11-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Goodhue County History Center, 1166 Oak Street, Red Wing, MN, 55066, United States
Join Dacia Lussier, Dakota Language Specialist, for a History Break about Prairie Island’s efforts to revitalize the Dakota language in their community!

Nape-kičhiyuzapi,
Wašiču ia Dacia Lussier emakíayapi, Dakota ia Oyáte aš’a win emakiyapi ye. Oyáte mitháwa kiŋ Bdéwakaŋtunwaŋ k’a Wakpekute ewíčhakiyapi. Tiŋta Wita oyaŋke hečhiya taŋhaŋ wahi.
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Greetings,
My name is Dacia Lussier, my Dakota name is Oyate as’a win which means the Nation shouts at woman. My people are the Bdéwakaŋtunwaŋ and Wakpekute. I am from the Prairie Island community.

The Dakota language is flourishing. The assimilation policies of Native American boarding schools and United States government and the ensuing decades had nearly eradicated our distinctive and sacred language, as American influence encroached upon our ancestral lands. Nevertheless, we have persevered, and I am delighted to announce that the Dakota language is now thriving throughout all Oceti Sakowin communities, owing to the tireless efforts of language warriors who have committed themselves to learning and preserving it.

Free Family Fun Day: Holidays!
2025-12-13 12:00 - 15:00
Happy Holidays from GCHS! Join us for an afternoon of fun activities as we learn about different holidays celebrated in Goodhue County and around the world. Highlights include decorating cookies, making a snowman craft, visiting with Santa, and more! All are welcome to join our Community Show & Tell by bringing a special ornament to display during the event. Admission is free thanks to our sponsor, Sturdiwheat!
GCHS is also collecting winter items for the local Girl Scouts’ Mitten Tree Project! Bring a donation and place it on the tree for local families!

Free Family Fun Day: New Year's Traditions
2026-01-10 12:00 - 15:00
Happy New Year! How do people around the world celebrate the start of a new year? Come find out at Free Family Fun Day! Make your own resolutions, create a unique snowflake craft, and more!

Admission is free for everyone, thanks to our sponsor!

Free Family Fun Day: Valentine's Day
2026-02-14 12:00 - 15:00
It’s Valentine’s Day! Join us for an afternoon of fun as we explore the history of the holiday. Why do we send Valentines cards and where did Conversation Hearts come from? Find out at our event and enjoy a sweet treat on this special holiday! Highlights include a woven heart craft, themed scavenger hunt, story time, and more!
Admission is free for everyone, thanks to our sponsor!

History Break: "Colvill Smiled"
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00
Why do Minnesotans love and admire Colonel William Colvill, Red Wing’s gigantic 6’5” Civil War hero? Join Steve Hoffbeck, a Minnesota-born-and-raised author, who will explore the life and times of William Colvill, with words from Colvill, and with heroic images from Hoffbeck’s newest book, “Colvill Smiled:” The Legend of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Regiment at Gettysburg. All are welcome for this exciting History Break with a discussion and book-signing opportunity to follow! “Colvill Smiled” is available in the museum gift shop.

About the Speaker: Steve Hoffbeck is a self-described old but lively Minnesotan who grew up as a farmer’s son near Morgan. Hoffbeck is a former Professor of History at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and his first book, The Haymakers, was a Minnesota Book Award winner. He has presented illustrated history programs in every corner of Minnesota, including talks about baseball history, World War II, and legendary Minnesotans. Hoffbeck and his wife, Dianne, live in Barnesville, MN, and have four adult children and seven grandchildren. (Pictured below: Steve Hoffbeck at Rollag Steam Threshers Reunion, 2016)

Date Night @ GCHS
2026-02-26 18:00 - 20:00
Tickets are now on sale for our Date Night event on Thursday, February 26th! Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the Goodhue County History Center or via phone at 651-388-6024.
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Switch up your date night routine with a wine tasting at GCHS! Grab your partner or a friend and join local Wine Stories blogger and columnist Ron Skjong to learn about local wines, and enjoy activities around the museum.

Highlights include:

Sample local wines
Light refreshments
Photo booth
Special exhibit: Goodhue County Couples

Free Family Fun Day: Women's History Month
2026-03-14 12:00 - 15:00
Photo: Women posing in front of a train, July 1915

March is Women’s History Month! Come learn about incredible women in Goodhue County’s history at this month’s Free Family Fun Day. Enjoy a scavenger hunt, write notes of appreciation to women in your life, and more!
Admission is free for everyone, thanks to our sponsor!

History Break: Muus vs. Muus
2026-03-18 12:00 - 13:00
The Goodhue County Spectacle: The Muus vs. Muus Case that Made International Headlines

Join the translator and editor of Muus vs. Muus for a deep dive into the sensational 1880s divorce case that started in a local courthouse and became an international sensation. When Oline Muus filed her first lawsuit against her powerful husband in 1879, the private conflict of a marriage instantly became a public spectacle. Her husband, B.J. Muus, was not only the founder of St. Olaf College but also a prominent leader of the Norwegian Synod. Drawing from Goodhue County records, local newspaper coverage, and original court documents, this talk will examine how the case exposed the complex tensions within Norwegian-American immigrant life. We will explore the central struggle for women’s rights, the unyielding role of religion, and the cultural clash between a prominent couple that demanded attention on both sides of the Atlantic.

About the Speaker: Kari Lie Dorer is the King Olav V Chair in Scandinavian-American Studies, the Norwegian Department Chair, and Program Director of Nordic Studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.

GCHS Book Club
2026-03-25 18:00 - 19:00
Calling all bookworms! In 2026, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday! Join GCHS for a quarterly book club that reflects on 250 years of history and storytelling, and sparks conversations about the nation’s future. Each meeting will focus on a different book! Our first book will be What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner. This event is free, and participants are asked to provide their own copy of the book. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Bethany via phone or email (education@goodhistory.org) to ensure we have enough snacks. Thanks!

Synopsis: “At a moment of crisis over our national identity, venerated journalist Dan Rather has emerged as a voice of reason and integrity, reflecting on—and writing passionately about—what it means to be an American. Now, with this collection of original essays, he reminds us of the principles upon which the United States was founded. Looking at the freedoms that define us, from the vote to the press; the values that have transformed us, from empathy to inclusion to service; the institutions that sustain us, such as public education; and the traits that helped form our young country, such as the audacity to take on daunting challenges in science and medicine, Rather brings to bear his decades of experience on the frontlines of the world’s biggest stories. As a living witness to historical change, he offers up an intimate view of history, tracing where we have been in order to help us chart a way forward and heal our bitter divisions. With a fundamental sense of hope, What Unites Us is the book to inspire conversation and listening, and to remind us all how we are, finally, one.”

Antiques & Collectibles Appraisal
2026-05-15 15:00 - 18:00
What’s it worth? Find out at this event featuring antiques expert and author Mark Moran, PBS Antiques Roadshow appraiser and active appraiser of antiques and fine art for more than 20 years. Each $20 registration covers one item appraised. Please indicate item to be appraised when registering. Time slots for appraisals will be filled in order of registrations received with the first time slot beginning at 3 PM and ending at 6 PM. When registering, you will be given a one hour window of time in which your item will be appraised. If registering online and “Waiting List” appears, please add your name to the waiting list and you’ll be contacted and added to the next hour. Items accepted for appraisals: fine art, small furniture, ceramics, glassware, vintage photographs, advertising, folk art, toys, metal ware, clocks, costume jewelry, musical instruments, lighting, books, and sports memorabilia. Items NOT accepted for appraisal include: all weapons
including swords and knives, traps, coins or paper money, fine jewelry or precious gems, Beanie Babies, and Nazi memorabilia. If you have questions about objects not listed or you’re interested in an appraisal house call for larger, fragile, or a lot of items, contact Community Education at 651-385-4565. This class is co-sponsored by Red Wing Community Education and The Goodhue County History Center and will be held at 1166 Oak Street, Red Wing.

*Please note- The museum does not appraise items, nor do they purchase items for their collection.*

Tickets must be purchased through Red Wing Community Education. Register online at https://redwing.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/home/ or call their office with questions at (651) 385-4565.

College Hill Walking Tour (New!)
2026-05-30 10:00 - 12:00
Why does College Avenue take you up College Hill, but there is no college? Join local historian and author, Todd Walsh, on a new walking tour that spans the history of a Red Wing neighborhood known for its picturesque views. Learn about early indigenous peoples who claimed the hill as sacred ground, colleges that have come and gone, and one of Minnesota’s first golf courses that shared space with local cattle! Plus, take in the homes of notable Red Wing residents who achieved recognition on the local, state, and national level. This 1.5-mile tour will begin and end at the Goodhue County History Center and will last 2 hours. Please be advised this tour requires a moderate level of physical activity. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk up inclines and over uneven ground. In case of inclement weather, a program will be held at the museum instead.
Space is limited! Tickets must be purchased through Red Wing Community Education. Register online at https://redwing.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/home/ or call their office with questions at (651) 385-4565.
