Join MNSAH for our events and tours. Although our name sounds exclusive, we are not. In fact, many MNSAH members are simply people who love architecture and are eager to experience the fascinating built environment of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest with their fellow enthusiasts.
MNSAH Fall Tour 2026 – University of Minnesota – St. Paul Campus
MNSAH Fall Tour
University of Minnesota – St. Paul Campus
Past Events
Spring Tour 2018
John Cuningham, FAIA, invites MNSAH to his offices overlooking the Mississippi River for a talk about his career and the firm he founded, Cuningham Group Architecture. Following his studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design under Walter Gropius, John worked for James Stageberg in Minneapolis until he began his own firm. Founded in 1968, the firm has achieved an international presence with more than four hundred employees around the world. This year the firm celebrates its 50th anniversary.
John will discuss projects that range from the Cross House in Stillwater, his first project after founding his firm, to the Alpensia Resort, the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He has also been involved in historic preservation projects, including the renovation of the Itasca complex, one of the first warehouse conversion projects in the Minneapolis Warehouse District.
MNSAH 2018 Annual Meeting
This year’s annual meeting keynote presentation showcases the 71st Annual International Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, coming to St. Paul in mid-April. The conference is a Big Deal, and this is our opportunity to showcase how great the Twin Cities are. Really, the Super Bowl was just a warm up act for this.
Our speakers are MNSAH members Katherine Solomonson (from the University of Minnesota School of Architecture) and Kristin Anderson (from Augsburg University), the conference’s local co-chairs, together with Victoria Young (from the University of St. Thomas), the 2nd Vice President of the Society of Architectural Historians. They have been at work on conference arrangements for well over a year, and they are very excited to preview the conference for MNSAH members.
Works in Progress 2017
Works in Progress is the annual MNSAH event that provides members an opportunity to keep abreast of current architectural scholarship through presentations by scholars, preservationists, and curators. The program is free, and preregistration is not required.
This year, MNSAH is pleased to present:
Fall Tour 2017
For more than a century, locals have known Northeast Minneapolis for its lively mix of cultures. A trip along Central Avenue reveals many tempting restaurants that represent cuisines from around the world. Beyond the wonders of Central Avenue, old standbys such as Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company, Emily’s Lebanese Deli, and Sikora’s Polish Market dot the area, and you can buy pyrohy/perohi on carefully timed trips to St. Constantine’s Ukrainian Catholic Church or St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
Spring Tour 2017
MNSAH’s Spring Tour features Mankato and sites and communities in the surrounding area. Our first stop will be Ottawa, a town with numerous buildings constructed with sandstone from nearby quarries. The next stop will be the Vetter Stone Company, which, since 1884, has supplied Kasota stone for buildings including Target Field, the AT&T building, and St. Olaf Catholic Church.
The tour proceeds to the Blue Earth County Historical Society in Mankato where we’ll have lunch and hear a talk about the history and architecture of the area. After lunch we’ll tour the Hubbard House, an 1871 French Second Empire residence with a later remodeling by Arts-and-Crafts era designer John Bradstreet. The next stop is the 1913 Prairie style First National Bank attributed to Ellerbe and Round, but with a (scandalous!) Purcell and Elmslie connection. The tour continues with a narrated drive through the downtown commercial district and the Lincoln Park historic residential district.
MNSAH 2017 Annual Meeting
We’re heading back to the Minnesota Humanities Center for our 2017 Annual Meeting. The keynote presentation will be a deep dive into the history of the Handicraft Guild building in downtown Minneapolis, as well as MNSAH’s efforts to research and document the building when it was learned that a portion of the complex was slated for demolition. Our speakers will be Marcia Anderson and Rolf Anderson. (Note: I have been unable to confirm that Marcia Anderson is the long-lost missing third member of the famous Anderson Triplets. Further investigation is warranted.)
6:00 Reception
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Annual Meeting
8:00 Lecture
9:00 Adjourn
