Washburn A Mill
About
Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building.
A guide will take visitors into the building's many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour-milling years, and the many changes to the building over time.
This is the only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building and the only chance to see some of its non-public spaces.
Tour highlights include:
-The dramatic story of the 1878 Washburn A Mill explosion, and the other dangers that mill workers faced on a daily basis.
-"The Octopus," a large machine that directed wheat into nine storage bins.
-The Humphrey Manlift, a vertical conveyor belt that carried workers from floor to floor.
-The Rail Corridor where hundreds of boxcars arrived each day to unload wheat and carry away flour.
-Millstone Plaza, originally paved with retired millstones and the location for lunchtime concerts by the Washburn-Crosby employee band in the 1920s.
-Evidence of the three major fires that damaged the building in 1878, 1928, and 1991.
-The East Engine House, which was once home to a two-story steam engine, has been remodeled into two classrooms, while preserving the original railroad car-pulling machinery.
The tour includes no more than 1 mile of moderately paced walking on uneven surfaces. Please call ahead to make arrangements for guests with limited mobility.
$18/MNHS members save 20%, includes museum admission.
Visit the MNHS website for tickets.