Minnesota State Fair
History
Walking Tour
Two ne
w
stops!
Welcome to the
Minnesota State Fair.
This History Walking and Mobile Tour was developed by the
Minnesota State Fair Foundation and the Minnesota Historical
Society. It’s your guide to some of the State Fair’s most
historically significant spots.
Complete eight stops and earn a prize.
• Start your tour at any of the 13 stops.
• Use the map on the last page of this brochure to find your way.
• Use the hole punch at each stop to punch out the
corresponding number in your brochure.
• Once you’ve punched each stop, bring your brochure to
the J.V. Bailey House or the Minnesota Historical Society
booth in the NW quadrant of the lower level of the
Grandstand by 8 p.m.
• Complete eight stops and collect one free prize. Complete all
12 stops and collect two prizes! (while supplies last).
J.V. Bailey House
Built 1911, Restored 2006
Then: The State Fair’s green thumbs once planted themselves at
the J.V. Bailey House. Greenhouse superintendents and groundskeepers resided at the 1911 American foursquare-style home
from 1916-2004. The house is named for J.V. Bailey, founder of
Bailey Nurseries, Superintendent of Horticulture (1912-1932) and
an Agricultural Society Board Member (1924-1934).
Hear History!
Enjoy listening to Minnesota State Fair history through
personal memories on an easy-to-use mobile tour. Listen to it
as a companion to the brochure or separately at a later time.
Now: The Bailey House is home to the Minnesota State Fair
Foundation. Stop by to learn how you can support the future
of the Minnesota State Fair.
Question: If you had the opportunity to live in the Bailey
House, would you do it?
Intro to Mobile Tour
Begin your self-guided tour of Minnesota State Fair history
by scanning the QR code below, or entering
www.mnhs.org/tours/statefair into your mobile browser.
Mobile Tour Stop: 02
You can also listen to the tour by dialing 1-877-411-4123 and
following the prompts.
01 -Introduction
02 - J.V. Bailey House
03 -Space Tower
04 -4-H Building
05 -Fine Arts Center
06-Machinery Hill
07-Food at the Fair
08- Politics at the Fair
09-Grandstand
10 -Heritage Square
11 -Horse Barn
12 -DNR Building
13 -Agriculture Horticulture
Building
01
02
Space Tower
4-H Building
Then: Built smack-dab in the middle of the space race in
1965, the State Fair’s Space Tower was modeled after the
Space Needle in Seattle, Wash., but is only half as tall as that
Evergreen State icon. Hop aboard the Space Tower’s revolving
observation capsule and you’ll rise 33 stories above the
fairgrounds while enjoying a 360-degree view. Ever hear of
Googie Architecture? That’s the type of futuristic design used
to create the Space Tower. The Googie style sports lots of glass,
steel and upswept roofs—structures that look like they’re
straight out of a Jetsons cartoon!
Then: The Works Progress Administration constructed this
gleaming white Art Deco-style building at the end of the
Great Depression. Concrete in the building’s horizontal base
and central tower conveys a sense of strength meant to boost
morale during those challenging economic times. The 4-H
symbol, a four-leaf clover, greets visitors outside the main
entrance. The “H” in each clover’s leaf represents one area
of personal development central to the youth organization:
head, heart, hands and health.
Built 1965
Opened 1939, Dedicated 1940
Now: In the early ‘80s, Errol Kantor was determined to fulfill
a lifelong dream of owning an attraction at the fair—he
ended up buying the Space Tower. Today, Kantor still owns
and operates the Space Tower. Every year the tower gives fair
visitors breathtaking views of the fair and the downtowns of
Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Now: Thousands of young Minnesotans flock to the 4-H
building every summer to showcase the results of their hard
work. Some present livestock while others exhibit projects
that feature technology, art, gardening, photography, quilting
and more. The upstairs dormitories are filled with 4-H
participants excited to make new friends from around the
state. They’re also excited to compete for a ribbon!
Question: You are designing a ride for the State Fair. What
Question: Are the four Hs (Head, Heart, Hands and Health)
theme will you use for the ride?
reflected in any way in or on the 4-H building?
Mobile Tour Stop: 03
Mobile Tour Stop: 04
03
04
Fine Arts Center
Machinery Hill
Then: The State Fair has featured fine art since the 1880s.
Through the years, visitors have viewed works created by
Minnesota artists as well as international masters like Matisse,
O’Keefe and Picasso. In 1980, fine art found a permanent
home inside this former Dairy Building, one of the three
oldest buildings on the fairgrounds.
Then: For more than 100 years, Minnesota farmers have
found the latest and greatest in agricultural equipment atop
Machinery Hill. In its prime, nearly 80 acres displayed farm
implements and vehicles that gave visitors a glimpse into
the future of farming. Countless kids were in awe of the giant
tractors and combines!
Now: Every year the Fine Arts Center features an exhibition of
painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, glass and textiles
all created by Minnesota artists. Only works selected in a
juried competition are displayed. Top winners receive monetary
awards. Some have even gone on to international acclaim!
Now: New agricultural and industrial equipment still finds a
home on Machinery Hill. It also now features the Little Farm
Hands exhibit, a fun place for kids to learn about agriculture
from the field to the grocery store.
Built 1907
Question: What artwork in the Fine Arts Center reflects
Minnesota to you?
1905 or Earlier
Question: How does learning about the history of Machinery
Hill change the way you see it today?
Mobile Tour Stop: 06
Mobile Tour Stop: 05
05
06
Politics at the Fair
1856-Present
Food at the Fair
Since the Beginning of the Fair
Then: In the early days, if you wanted a full meal at the fair,
you had to bring your own. The first foods available for purchase
included peanuts, watermelon, popcorn and lemonade. Around
the 1900s, churches started pitching tents for sit-down meals,
such as roast chicken and gravy, prepared at home and transported to the fair. With the arrival of WWII, fair visitors were
introduced to foods from around the world, like falafel and
chow mein.
Now: Eating is an all-day activity. Visitors check off their yearly
must-haves like corn dogs, mini donuts and cheese curds, then
try the most outrageous new additions, such as deep-fried
candy bars and bacon ice cream. Food on-a-stick has become
synonymous with the State Fair, and with good reason. With
portable versions of cheeseburgers, walleye or even tater tot
hot dish, it’s much easier to eat on the go!
Then: Politics and the Minnesota State Fair have been
intertwined from the very beginning. Back in 1856, Governor
Alexander Ramsey opened the second territorial fair, held at
Fort Snelling, with a rousing speech that promoted agriculture.
In 1901, thousands of Minnesotans heard Theodore Roosevelt
utter the famous line “Speak softly and carry a big stick,”
which became known as “the Minnesota speech.” In fact,
political speeches were the main event at the fair until the
1920s when political speeches took a backseat to more thrilling
offerings at the fair like train wrecks and airplane aerobatics.
Now: Though you won’t hear a lot of formal speeches
anymore, politics remain prominent at the Great Minnesota
Get-Together. Every year you can spot politicos rubbing elbows
with voters or campaigning for upcoming elections. The fair
gives the public a chance to address politicians face to face
with ideas, concerns or advice.
Question: If you were running for public office, how would
you attract fair visitors to your campaign booth?
Mobile Tour Stop: 08
Question: What’s your “must have” food to eat at the fair
every year?
Mobile Tour Stop: 07
07
08
Grandstand
Built 1909
Then: The Grandstand boasts a grand history: it has hosted
horse races, baseball games, airplane stunt shows and auto
races. President Theodore Roosevelt first uttered his famous
phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick” at the Grandstand
in 1901. In 1906, the legendary harness-racing horse Dan Patch
set a world record: one mile in one minute, 55 seconds. The
original Grandstand was built out of wood in 1885 and torn
down in 1908. Today’s Grandstand opened in 1909 and was
expanded in the 1930s.
Now: The Grandstand remains a premier outdoor concert
venue that attracts national performers from KISS to Tim
McGraw. The Grandstand is also home to one of the fair’s
great shopping hubs.
Question: What’s your favorite memory at the Grandstand?
Mobile Tour Stop: 09
Heritage Square
Opened 1975
Then: In the early 1960s this site catered to teens. First called
the Teen Fair and later the Young America Center, it was a
wildly successful spot where teens danced to rock n’ roll
bands, watched fashion shows, enjoyed custom car shows and
generally just hung out. By the 1970s, the site was ready for
a new idea. Heritage Square opened in 1975 and was greatly
expanded in 1976 to celebrate the Bicentennial.
Now: Visitors travel back to the 18th and 19th centuries to
discover an authentic log cabin, an original Royal American
Shows train car, the State Fair History Museum and much more.
Question: Heritage Square brings history to life. How would
you bring something from your history to life?
Mobile Tour Stop: 10
09
10
Horse Barn
Built 1937
Then: The Horse Barn dates back to the late 1930s and
was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a
federal program that created jobs for people during the Great
Depression. Typical of WPA architecture, the poured-concrete
and steel barn is ornamented with relief sculpture above the
windows. The imagery beautifully reflects what takes place
inside the building.
Now: Visitors are encouraged to stop in to meet and learn
about horses. The Horse Barn also features the “Aisle of
Breeds,” where visitors can discover Appaloosas, Pintabians
and Rocky Mountain Saddle horses to name a few. All the
horses are awaiting their chance to walk proudly in shows at
the Warner Coliseum.
Question: You’ve been hired as a judge in the horse shows.
Which horse gets your blue ribbon?
Mobile Tour Stop: 11
DNR Building
Built 1934
Then: The early 1900s brought a new exhibit: an aquarium full
of live native fish. The popular exhibit roamed the fair without
a permanent location until 1934, when the Department of
Conservation log cabin was built. Visitors could even see
wolves, coyotes and bears there. When the named changed
to the Department of Natural Resources in 1971, the fair
revitalized the exhibit, turning the formal south lawn garden
and fountain into wetlands and a mesmerizing fish pond.
Now: Each year, the exhibit informs over 500,000 guests
about stewardship of our natural resources in the areas of
outdoor recreation, conservation and sustainable commercial
use. Current topics include hunting regulations, protection
against invasive species and fire safety with Smokey the Bear.
Question: What is your favorite fish in the DNR fish pond?
Mobile Tour Stop: 12
11
12
Agriculture
Horticulture Building
Built 1947
Then: Agricultural displays were a mainstay of the fair
throughout its history. In 1885, both agriculture and
horticulture exhibits were presented in the “Main Building”
alongside many other fair exhibits. By 1901, this division
received a structure of its own. In 1947, a new, Art Decoinspired Agriculture Horticulture Building was constructed
and is still used for its original intent. The structure was
designed to mirror the style of some slightly earlier State Fair
buildings such as the Horse Barn, Sheep & Poultry Barn and
the 4-H Building.
13
Now: The Ag-Hort Building, as many refer to it today, still
impresses passersby with its central tower (lit up at night!)
and eight exhibit halls. Popular as always, visitors come to
see the multitude of flower shows, honey displays and
demonstrations, and the traditional fruits and vegetable
exhibits, all loved throughout the fair’s history.
Fun Fact: If you could name a new Minnesota apple, what
would it be called?
Mobile Tour Stop: 13
Minnesota State Fair
History Walking and
Mobile Tour Map
AgStar Arena
After completing the
tour, remember to pick
up your prize at either
the J.V. Bailey House or
Minnesota Historical
Society booth.
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FAN
Central
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Like State Fair
History? Visit...
The State Fair History Museum
Heritage Square
Share your State Fair memories:
www.mnhs.org/statefair
The State Fair Online Archives:
www.msffoundation.org
The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves
and improves State Fair buildings, grounds and educational experiences.
www.msffoundation.org
Established in 1849, the Minnesota Historical Society preserves and shares
Minnesota history through museum exhibits, historic sites, libraries and
collections, educational programs and book publishing.
www.mnhs.org
Made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund,
through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008.