NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM OF THE IRON RANGE
APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER
May at the Minnesota Discovery Center

May is finally here and we hope the nice weather isn't far behind! As a reminder, on May 27th, we open the Summer Admissions Entrance, Heritage Park, trolley tours, and mini-golf, and outdoor exhibits. The Miner's Daughter Gift Shop will also be relocated in the Summer Admissions Entrance.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS MONTH'S HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS!

Summer Hours Starting May 27th!

Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - 9am-6pm
Wednesday - 9am-6pm
Thursday - 9am-8pm
Friday - 9am-6pm
Saturday - 9am-6pm
Sunday - 9am-6pm

1.) MUSEUM : Open Tuesday-Saturday through May 27th. NEW EXHIBIT, Never Dry: The Rise of Prohibition on the Iron Range.

2.) IRON RANGE RESEARCH CENTER: Open Tuesday-Saturday. NEW TOUR, "I'm New Here" Research Center Orientation Tour May 13th.

3.) MINER'S DAUGHTER GIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday-Saturday through May 23rd. CLOSED May 24th, 25th, 26th. The gift shop will be relocated to its summer location later this month and will reopen on May 27th inside Summer Admissions Entrance.

4.) REDHEAD MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK: Temporarily closed for seasonal transition. Reopening in May (date TBD) for mountain biking, hiking, and water recreation.

5.) RUSTIC PIG RESTARAUNT: The Rustic Pig is available for private venue rentals. Also, inquire about on-site and off-site catering! Call 218-254-7959 and ask for Alyssa, the Sales and Events Manager. Mother's Day Brunch Buffet Dinning Opportunity (reservations only) Sunday, May 14th. See info graphic below.

STARTING JUNE 1st: Bands, Brews, & BBQ Kicks Off Summer Thursday, June 1st in the Food Court from 4-8pm with live music from 5-7pm! Stay tuned for menu and music line up!
WINTER CAMPUS HOURS (Effective until May 27th)

CAMPUS HOURS:
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: CLOSED
Monday: CLOSED
RESEARCH CENTER HOURS:
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Monday - CLOSED
Sunday - CLOSED
MAY MEMBER PERK & UPCOMING EVENTS
12th Annual Iron Range Science & Engineering Festival Set to Inspire

The IRSEF’s goal is to reinvigorate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M. subjects) by creating exciting and educational hands-on learning experiences for 7th grade students.

The Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC) is excited to welcome back educational presenters, volunteers, teachers, and students for the 12th Annual Iron Range Science and Engineering Festival, presented by Minnesota Power, on May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. This year’s festival will serve approximately 1,200 7th graders from 14 participating schools across the Northern Minnesota.

“We are so excited to be welcoming back more than one thousand northland 7th graders for another year of S.T.E.M. experiences! The Iron Range Science and Engineering Festival has served more than 10,000 students over the last decade, inspiring curiosity in S.T.E.M. related fields and connecting students with opportunities that exist right here on the Iron Range,” said MDC Executive Director Donna Johnson.

The IRSEF is entirely donor funded and does not cost regional schools anything to participate. The 2023 IRSEF was made possible by these generous community sponsors: Minnesota Power, United States Steel Corporation, University of Minnesota Duluth, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, Applied Learning Institute, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Twin Metals Minnesota, Range Association of Municipalities and Schools, Jasper Engineering & Equipment Company, Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Iron Range Plumbing & Heating Inc, Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, Cast Corporation, and Hometown Focus: Northland News & Stories.
Iron Range Research Center Orientation Tour
 
Offered on the 2nd Saturday of every month through 2023 - tours will be offered on May 13th
 
Never heard of the Iron Range Research Center? Or, if you have, do you wonder what we’re all about? We invite you to come see for yourself who we are and what we have to offer.
 
You'll discover one of the largest records repositories in the Upper Midwest. Plus, you can ask our experienced team questions and try out our new research center equipment.
 
No appointment needed. No admission charge. Stop in for a tour between 10am-5pm.
 
The Iron Range Research Center is located on the campus of MDC (visitor service staff will point you in the right direction upon arrival). Reminder, we are now using the winter entrance in the back parking lot.
Mother's Day Brunch Buffet Catered by The Rustic Pig
 
Treat MOM to a delicious brunch buffet on Sunday, May 14th from 10:00am-2:30pm at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Taconite Square
 
The Minnesota Discovery Center is now accepting prepaid reservations for a special Mother's Day Brunch Buffet catered by The Rustic Pig on Sunday, May 14th between 10:00am-2:30pm in Taconite Square. This special dining experience is sure to make Mom smile with not one, not two, but FOUR signature cocktails and a delicious "Mom"osa Bar! Plus, every Mom gets a beautiful flower to take home. Prepaid reservations are required for this event. 

$23 Per Person | $9 Twelve & Under | Three & Under Eat Free (Prices do not include signature drinks). 

PREPAID RESERVATIONS ONLY: Call 218-254-7959 Tuesday-Saturday during open hours or email info@mndiscoverycenter.com. Discover the full menu by clicking the button below.
Late Night in the Research Center May 25th

Our experienced staff are ready to assist you with your family research needs

Can’t make it in during the day? No problem, stop by in the evening. The Iron Range Research Center (IRRC) will be open from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm on Thursday, May 25th. Don't forget, it's free to visit the research center!

Future Late Night in the Research Center: June, 29th 2023
EXPLORE THE MUSEUM

Discover our newest temporary exhibit, Never Dry: The Rise of Prohibition on the Iron Range, on display Tuesday-Saturday.

Take advantage of free museum admission on Thursday's from 3-5pm.

Schedule a private museum tour or inquire about field trip opportunities by calling
218-254-7959 Tuesday-Saturday. Ask for the Education Department.

AMPHITHEATER CONCERTS 2023

The Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC) Amphitheater is set to 'Rock the Range' this summer!

Thanks to a new partnership with The Reif in Grand Rapids, MDC was able to book 3 larger performances.

In Addition, MDC is also scheduling more performances in the Amphitheater and has a full music line up set for the popular Bands, Brews, & BBQ starting June 1st.
RECENT HISTORY: APRIL MEMORIES
MINNESOTA MEDIA ARTS SCHOOL: Last month, the Minnesota Discovery Center 's (MDC) Minnesota Media Arts School welcomed students for the first filmmaking workshops in the new Creative Lab. The Minnesota Discovery Center's Minnesota Media Arts School, in partnership with UMD Duluth and Zeitgeist Film, is an affordable option for the Northland’s diverse creative community ranging from filmmakers, graphic designers, multimedia artists, and theatrical artists to learn, work, create, and connect. With teaching hubs in Chisholm and Duluth, we will add important contributions to the regional film ecosystem. 
EARTH FEST: Last month, the Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC) was happy to team up with Cherry Greenhouse for the annual Iron Range Partnership & Sustainability's Earth Fest at the beautiful new Iron Trail Motors Event Center in Virginia. This year, we put together a DIY 'Watch it Grow' planting activity. Event attendee's were able to learn about gardening history on the Iron Range while they planted a green bean, marigold, or sunflower to take home and watch it sprout. Once the seedlings sprout, we invited participants to bring back their plants to plant in the Homestead Education Garden in Heritage Park at MDC. We can't wait to see how much the plants have grown since the event!
APRIL CAMPUS PROJECTS, MEETINGS, & EVENTS: April proved to be a busy month at the Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC). Nelson's Roofing, Inc of Grand Rapids and Hibbing was able to start work replacing the old leaking roof on the Iron Range Research Center, visual-artist Moira Villard and her colleague stopped by for a tour of the Minnesota Discovery Center as a part of a Minnesota State Arts Board grant project she is partnering on with MDC and will be announcing soon, and the Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists All Team Gathering went very well despite a last minute snowstorm!
FLAVOR OF THE NORTH: The culinary team at The Rustic Pig participated in another delicious Flavor of the North supporting United Way of Northeast MN's Buddy Backpacks Program last month. We were thrilled to be at the event and received a wonderful response earning runner up (2nd place) for ’Best Appetizer’ for the Rustic Pig's tasty Wonton Chips and ‘Best Dessert’ for The Pig's mouthwatering Tiramisu. We can't wait to return next year! The Rustic Pig offers private venue rentals and on-site
and off-site catering.
IRON RANGE RESOURCES & REHABILITATION: Last month, the Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC) was excited to welcome the new Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Commissioner Ida Rukavina (pictured above with blue shirt) to the Minnesota Discovery Center. We had a great discussion about how we can continue working together to offer history oriented experiences for a generation to come!
DISCOVER THIS MONTH'S HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
HISTORY HIGHLIGHT 1: The month of May in Northern Minnesota means (hopefully) ice out and for many of us, May marks our first trip to the cabin. The photo above depicts the Opie residence on Dollar Island, Burntside Lake, Ely, Minnesota. A woman and a child (possibly Edna and Ross Opie) can be scene standing near the cabin. It's easy to understand why they named it 'Dollar Island', don't you agree? The photo was taken sometime between 1890-1910 and is a part of a large collection of historic photos housed at the Iron Range Research Center.
HISTORY HIGHLIGHT 2: May also gets us thinking about our gardens. Check out the Oliver Iron Mining Company vegetable garden, featuring Mrs. Pelean, the garden caretaker. This particular vegetable garden was located on Adams Avenue in Eveleth, Minnesota. The photo was taken in August of 1917 and is part of a large collection of historic photos housed at the Iron Range Research Center. .
FINALLY...JOIN OUR GROWING NONPROFIT!
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