Exhibits

At the History Center

Tours of the Bartholomew House

are available during any of our public hours. This 160 year old house has witnessed Richfield’s change from an agricultural community, to a truck-farm town, to one of the earliest and fastest growing suburbs. Whether its 19th century decorations delight or confuse you, you don’t want to miss this Richfield treasure.

Teenage Richfield!
No matter where you were a teenager or when you were a teenager, come celebrate hangouts, heartaches, and high school at the Richfield Historical Society celebrates all our teen years. Relive you prom (or somebody else’s), play a song at the soda fountain, hang out with your friends at the local pizza joint, share your teenage stories and hear your neighbors’ stories, too. In the main gallery now.

 

Online Exhibits

Richfield Historical Society Map and Image Collection
Our volunteers have been hard at work creating virtual exhibits by scanning our photo and map collections. With the help of grants, our online collection is beginning to grow.

 

Past Exhibits (Now Closed)

Minnesota Homefront
(January-March 2014)—Come visit the Richfield History Center January 18 and see “Minnesota Homefront, World War II,” a traveling exhibit that explores the accomplishments, sacrifices, disappointments and challenges that have shaped the enduring legacy of Minnesota’s Greatest Generation through their stories. In “Minnesota Homefront, World War II,” visitors find out what it was like to “make do” with rationing, farm during a severe labor shortage, work on the Iron Range, develop inventions for the war, be trained as a translator at Fort Snelling and endure a starvation experiment for science and the war effort.

Richfield Christmas, 1986
November 2013 – January 4, 2014
Our annual Christmas exhibit is back for the third year in a row. This time the year is 1986! Were you rockin’ out out to your new Walkman? Did you get your kids a Cabbage Patch Doll or a Teddy Ruxpin? Did you ask Santa for a pair of rollerskates with pom poms on them or did you go big and ask for a ColecoVision? Time travel to the not-so-distant past as we take a look at what Christmas morning might have looked like — 80s style!

Remembering JFK
October 2013 through December 2013
The news of JFK’s assassination as presented in Richfield media on the 50th anniversary of the President’s death.

Richfield: House & Home
Showing until August 5th, 2012
This main gallery exhibit takes a closer look at the “lookalike” houses of Richfield. We see our local Cape Cods, Ramblers, and other suburban houses every day. This fun and interactive exhibit will let us explore what makes a rambler a rambler, why Cape Cods came back into fashion, and why those “lookalike” house don’t look alike any more.

Highlights of the Collection
May 12th, 2012 through September 2012 in the Library Gallery
Guest Curator Jane Sponsler has raided the collections room and chosen a little bit of everything to give you a peak behind the scenes at Richfield Historical Society. What kinds of artifacts are hidden away in storage? How about some pictures that rarely get seen? Stop by to see a treasure or two from every part of our collection.

Minnesota on the Map
Opening Saturday, January 28th, 2012, showing until March 10th, 2012
Calling all map lovers! This traveling exhibit from the Minnesota Historical Society makes a stop in our library gallery for a short time only. See how our state has been represented in maps from past to present and take a look at some of the gems in Richfield Historical Society’s great map collection. Hurry, this exhibit is here for a short time only!

Richfield Christmas, 1977
November 2011- January 2012
What’s orange and green and made of macrame? The 1970s! Take a trip to the past with our new holiday tradition. Bring the whole family and get transported to Christmas past in the reading room gallery where it’s 1977 from the sofa to the stocking stuffers! Page through the 1977 Christmas Wishbook while watching a 1977 Christmas special on a black & white TV. Hear the crackle of the fireplace while you try to spy the good stuff under the tree…