A summer road trip across Minnesota is one of the best ways to experience the stories that have shaped our state. History comes alive through the power of place, where the voices of those who lived it still resonate today.
Whether you’re filling the gas tank and loading up the minivan this summer or exploring from home, Twin Cities PBS offers a rich collection of documentaries and programs that connect you to Minnesota’s people, places, and past.
Honoring Stories of Service
Memorial Day is a fitting time to visit sites that tell stories of service and sacrifice. From Fort Snelling National Cemetery to memorials on small-town main streets, Minnesota is filled with places that honor those who served.
In Litchfield, the Meeker County Historical Society’s museum is housed in a rare Grand Army of the Republic post. There, visitors can learn about Van Spence, a former enslaved man who fought for the Union and later became a beloved local figure known as Litchfield’s Lamplighter. His story, along with those of other Black Minnesotans during the Civil War, is featured in North Star: Civil War Stories.
Through Southeastern Minnesota
Traveling through southeastern Minnesota’s Driftless Area reveals dramatic river bluffs and places of enduring cultural significance, including the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Wanhi Yukan/Grand Meadow Chert Quarry trail.
In Red Wing, stories of innovation and creativity come together at the Anderson Center, the former home and laboratory of botanist A. P. Anderson. His invention of the cereal “puffing” process transformed the American breakfast table. Twin Cities PBS explores Anderson’s legacy and the region’s role in the rise of the milling industry in Flour Power.
North to Hinckley and Duluth
For many Twin Cities residents, a trip north begins with a stop in Hinckley — often for a famous cinnamon roll at Tobies. Another essential stop is the Hinckley Fire Museum, featured in Mary Lahammer’s Minnesota’s Fiercest Fires. The stories of those who survived the devastating 1894 fire remain strikingly relevant as Minnesota faces increasingly severe wildfires.
Farther north, Duluth’s transformation into one of Minnesota’s premier tourist destinations was shaped in part by the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. Preparations for the celebration helped spark historic preservation efforts and the revitalization of Canal Park. Twin Cities PBS revisits the Bicentennial chapter in the upcoming documentary, Summer of ’76.
The Iron Range and Highway 61
A journey to the Iron Range offers a deeper understanding of the communities that supplied the iron ore used to build America. Towns such as Hibbing, Mountain Iron, Eveleth, and Virginia tell the story of a region central to both Minnesota and national history, as chronicled in the Twin Cities PBS documentary about the Iron Range region that Built America.
From there, travelers can head east to Minnesota’s iconic Highway 61. In Tales of the Road: Highway 61, Cathy Wurzer follows the scenic route from Duluth to Grand Portage, introducing the people and places that define one of the state’s most storied roadways.
Wherever the Road Leads
The people featured in these Twin Cities PBS programs reflect the many voices, landscapes, and experiences that make Minnesota unique.
Whether your summer travels take you across the state or simply to your living room, these stories offer a powerful reminder that history is all around us. Wherever you go, if you listen closely, you’ll hear the voices of Minnesota.