Old Town Hall Museum

Museum Hours

Museum Hours
Tue	1 - 5 PM
Wed	1 - 5 PM
Thu	1 - 5 PM
Sat	1 - 5 PM

Address

Bloomington Old Town Hall
10200 Penn Avenue South
Bloomington, MN
[Google Map]

Phone: 952-881-4114

Upcoming Events at the Old Town Hall Museum


September 19, 2026 2-4 PM	Bells Across America: Celebrate the Constitution Join our guests the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as we celebrate a "Bells Across America" Constitution Week event. Meet, greet, and celebrate with DAR members and ask questions about September 1787 when the US Constitution was ratified. Watch a short program about our country's Constitution and then ring the museum's historic school bell at 3:00 PM. Kids can participate in coloring and puzzle-solving activities. The event is free, and donations are accepted.

October 23, 2026 7 PM	Open Mic Poetry Reading The Old Town Hall Poetry Group hosts an open mic poetry reading event. It is an opportunity for you to share one or two of your compositions or read one of your favorite poets. If you prefer not to read, just come and enjoy the compositions of others and support the local community of writers. This is a free event. Donations to Bloomington Historical Society are appreciated.

November 10, 2026 7 PM	More Than a Shipwreck: The Enduring Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald Explore one of the Great Lakes' biggest unsolved mysteries with author A. L. Padden: the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Hear about the significance of the Mighty Fitz, the events that led to the giant ore boat going down and the different theories about why it happened, and the ship's lasting impact on the Great Lakes. The event is free, and donations are accepted.

December 13, 2026 2 PM	How Christmas Got to Be This Way Dr. Bruce Forbes, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Morningside University, Sioux City, IA, has a special interest in the history of holidays and is author of the book Christmas: A Candid History. He will offer an overview, illustrated history of Christmas, from its beginnings through developments over the centuries, including topics such as Puritan opposition to Christmas, how St. Nicholas became Santa Claus, winter traditions, and more.

About the Museum

The Bloomington Old Town Hall Museum is housed in the historic Old Town Hall, which was built in 1892 and extensively renovated two times. The building served as town headquarters and a meeting place for the Town Board. The City of Bloomington's administrative offices were housed in the Old Town Hall until 1964.

Since 1964, the building has been home to the Bloomington Historical Society and a museum which features exhibits of artifacts from all periods of history.

In its early years, the Old Town Hall was a community meeting place where celebrations, dances and other social festivities were held. The museum continues to draw visitors coming to enjoy the view of a unique historic building, to view exhibits and to learn about the history of Bloomington.

Museum Collection

The Old Town Hall Museum displays many objects from its collection, while other artifacts are held in storage until featured displays are installed or artifacts are cycled into display. A growing number of our artifacts can be browsed or searched at the following public website:

MN Collections

Museum holdings can be conveniently browsed online at the MN Collections site, and you can find connections to other local history museums that also have made their holdings available for public search. If you see an artifact you want to view, contact the Bloomington Historical society to make an appointment with a Museum Curation Volunteer.

Tour Options

For groups or special circumstances, advanced tour arrangements can be made by contacting the Bloomington Historical Society. For a virtual museum tour, visit our Virtual Tour link.

Funding

The Bloomington Historical Society staff are passionate about sharing Bloomington history, preserving the growing museum collection, and researching topics of historical interest. If our work is valuable to you, please consider supporting our mission with a membership or donation, large or small. We appreciate your support!