Minnesota has no shortage of quirky monuments, statues, and roadside oddities. But which of these kitschy monuments is truly the best in the state? That’s what we asked YOU, the people, to decide! We’ve recently concluded Monument Madness 2026, a contest to decide which is the best roadside monument in the great state of Minnesota. Starting with a bracket of sixteen monuments, we put these roadside marvels head-to-head and solicited comments on social media and votes on our

Fort Snelling Viewed From a Distance , Seth Eastman, ca. 1850. How did Fort Snelling come to be built at Bdóte, a sacred site at the center of the homeland of the Dakota people? Join us for part two of our two-part examination of just how, exactly, the US came to claim this site. After delving deep into the backstory and setting the scene in our last episode, here we'll follow the 1805 mission of Lt. Zebulon Pike and take a close look at the supposed treaty that he negotiate

Tipis stand at Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring), a sacred site for the Dakota and other tribes, across from the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in the Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling. (Kerem Yücel | MPR News) Bdóte, the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, has been a site of incalculable spiritual, cultural, and historical significance to the Dakota people for centuries. However, today this sacred landscape is contained within an area officially kno

Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, as "drawn from remembrance by a phsyiognomist" in 1892. Credit: MNHS “Did you know the city of Saint Paul used to be called ‘Pig’s Eye’?” It’s a favorite “fun fact” repeated by local know-it-alls, (note: as “know-it-alls” ourselves, we use that term with respect), confirmed by every book written to date on the history of Saint Paul. It’s a great story. There’s just one problem with it: most of it is not true. Join us as we learn the TRUE story of “

Illustration from the Minneapolis Daily Times , June 19, 1904, Page 27. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, there have been zero recorded fatal bear attacks in Minnesota. However, that’s not technically true. Join us for the harrowing tale of the fatal bear attack THEY don’t want you to know about, which occurred in Mankato in 1934. (Content Warning: animal death, fatal bear attack) Images Here is a postcard showing the SIbley Park Zoo in the early 19