I want to go! The Mill City Museum

Ok, so I haven't been to Mill City Museum in Minneapolis (anyone?), but their website has me checking airfare. Between their website, Flickr, Facebook, and a couple reviews, I think this place looks pretty experimental and fun.

Here's how they describe themselves: "Built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill, Mill City Museum is located on the historic Mississippi Riverfront. Here, visitors of all ages learn about the intertwined histories of the flour industry, the river, and the city of Minneapolis [emphasis mine]." Their mission? "Mill City Museum creates opportunities to discover the people and industries that built Minneapolis, transformed a region and influenced our world [emphasis mine]."

Three things here in these statements signal an unconventional, visitor-centric approach to industrial history:

1. "Creates opportunities to discover," rather than "educates visitors." The mission statement focuses the museum's educational mission on visitor-directed experiences.
2. "Intertwined histories" -- this is key. The museum's programming bears out this commitment to interpreting the flour industry's relationship to the city as a whole, past and present, rather than letting it stand falsely alone.
3. "People and industries." Good word order.

But wait! Don't buy that plane ticket yet. Based solely on their web presence, here are four more things, in no particular order, that seem promising:

1. The building It's industrial revival, with less nostalgia and more creativity. When the Washburn Mill was heavily damaged by fire in 1991, the Minnesota Historical Society (which runs the museum today) rebuilt the structure. The result, rather than a recreation of the old mill, was a unique hybrid of history, modern functionality, and striking architecture. Because of copyright, you'll have to head over to Flickr to check out pictures of concerts held in the museum's "Ruin Courtyard." http://www.flickr.com/photos/millcitymuseum/4889281582/lightbox/

Mill City Museum's "Ruin" Courtyard

2. The programming The museum has a wide variety of appealing programs, from concerts to tours to flour comparisons. I'm really interested in their "Greening the Riverfront Series," described as "a year-long series of programs highlighting how the Minneapolis riverfront has transformed from an industrial center to a locus for new ways of thinking about our relationship with nature." Events range from explorations of Native American art to demonstrations on cooking with local produce. I'd love to see more industrial museums talking about environmental issues and industry's effects on the landscape; these discussions have the potential to make history tangibly relevant to the present and future, without romanticizing its past.

3. The Baking Lab Is just a fun, fun idea, and might give visitors new perspectives on something otherwise familiar, even mundane. Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, I really like bread.

4. The artwork Fundamentally, this industrial history is really labor history. The museum hired local artists to create an series of 13 sculptures from wood salvaged from a neighboring mill, depicting workers and other individuals engaged in the history of Minneapolis' flour industry. Distributed around the museum, this is an imaginative way to integrate the stories of individuals and prompt visitors to reflect on the human experience. Definitely preferable to typical [creepy] mannequins.

Sculpture by Paul Wrench and Becky Schurmann. Mill City Museum.

So, anyone been there? Enthusiastic? Skeptical? Love it? Hate it? Ready for a roadtrip?