The Dakota County Historical will open The Curiosity Collection, a new children's exhibit, on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Lawshe Memorial Museum. The Lawshe Museum is an admission-free museum, but donations are welcome.
The Lawshe Memorial Museum is located at 130 Third Ave. N. in South St. Paul. During the event, visitors can participate in raffles for prize packages from family-friendly businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minnesota prize packages include autographs from local sports teams, tickets to local museums and events, and tickets to local waterparks. Wisconsin prize packages include waterpark tickets to the Wisconsin Dells and a variety of activities in Door County. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Dakota County Historical Society. For more information call 651-552-7548 or visit the Dakota County Historical Society website.
The Curiosity Collection exhibit planning began in 2020 with design phases that sought to bring the Dakota County Historical Society collection to life through hands-on and engaging activities for children of all ages. Four distinct sections will explore Dakota County's pre-historic history through a dig pit that allows children to search for fossils, while a second section explores the DCHS early collection through the founder, Fred Lawshe. Children can also learn about rural electrification with a map showing some of the first electrical lines placed in the 1930s by Dakota Electric Association and then learn about the stockyards, an important business in Dakota County's early history.
The exhibit's design was made possible by donations from Dakota County Historical Society members and private donors​ as well as the Union Pacific Foundation. The fabrication and installation was made possible in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.