Minnesota Historical Society starts documenting impact of COVID-19

The nonprofit will use some stories online and for possible exhibits.

April 1, 2020 at 4:47AM
Minnesota History Center exterior Photo by Rebecca Studios, courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minnesotans are living through history during the coronavirus pandemic — and the Minnesota Historical Society is already documenting it.

The nonprofit is collecting stories, videos and photos documenting how residents are responding to COVID-19, just as it did for Prince's death in 2016 and the 2017 Women's March.

"We've found at moments like these, it's really important to document history as it happens," spokeswoman Lauren Peck said.

To share your story online, go to mnhs.org. Some submissions could be used on social media, in the historical society's online collections or physical exhibits.

During the outbreak, the historical society has, like other museums, closed its 26 sites across the state through May 1, including the History Center in St. Paul, the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis and Historic Fort Snelling.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141

about the writer

about the writer

Kelly Smith

News team leader

Kelly Smith is a news editor, supervising a team of reporters covering Minnesota social services, transportation issues and higher education. She previously worked as a news reporter for 16 years.

See Moreicon