Historic Fort Snelling

Location

Fort Snelling History Center
Minnesota 55 & Minnesota 5
Saint Paul, MN 55111
http://www.historicfortsnelling.org/education
Visit Historic Fort Snelling for a unique program on daily life at a 19th century fort.

Living History Tours

Spring Tours: April - June
Fall Tours: September - November

Living History Tours are available every
Spring and Fall at Historic Fort Snelling. Tours begin every 10 minutes
and last 90 minutes. All tours start at the Fort Snelling Visitor Center
and continue throughout the historic fort. Students will visit with
costumed guides dressed as soldiers, laundresses, and many others in a
variety of learning stations around the fort. Students will learn about American Indians who lived in the region before the fort was built, about the lives of soldiers and civilians who lived and worked at the fort, and also visit the Dred Scott Space, where they will hear the story of Dred and Harriet Scott, who sued for their freedom and helped ignite the Civil War.

Make sure to schedule a time for your class to watch the brand-new 15-minute film Where the Waters Meet: Stories of Fort Snelling in the Visitors Center either before or after your tour of the historic site. 

Extra time should be allowed during your visit to climb the Round Tower
and Guardhouse inside the historic fort, as well as to experience “History Under the Floorboards,” a multi-media exhibit about archeology at Fort Snelling located in the Officers' Quarters.

Call 612-726-1171 to book your tour today!

Home School Programs

Perfect for Home School Groups, the Time Travel Fridays programs
are offered once a week in September. Interactive activities and
demonstrations, tours and costumed presenters. Discount for groups
attending multiple sessions.

Past events and classes

  • Fri, Sep 23, 2011
    10:00am - 4:00pm
    Time Travel Fridays: Minnesota and World War II
    Fort Snelling was a major induction and training center for troops from across the Midwest during World War II. More than 300,000 soldiers began their military life here, and special schools for Military Police, railroad engineers and translators were set up at the Fort. See uniform and weapon displays, firing demonstrations, learn about life on the Minnesota home front and try a WWII-style obstacle course. Recommended for ages 5-16. $5/person.
  • Fri, Sep 16, 2011
    10:00am - 4:00pm
    Time Travel Fridays: Fort Snelling and the Civil War
    Fort Snelling closed in 1858, but the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 spurred thousands of Minnesotans to join the Union cause. The Fort reopened and became the entry and training point for more than 24,000 Minnesota volunteers who fought in the Civil War. Learn about soldier life, technology, the U.S.-Dakota War and how slaves at Fort Snelling influenced the lead up to the Civil War. Recommended for ages 5-16. $5/person.
  • Fri, Sep 9, 2011
    10:00am - 4:00pm
    Time Travel Fridays: Technology Timeline
    Go on a journey through time, learning about the various forms of technology and scientific methods used at Historic Fort Snelling,from the 19th-century through World War II. See demonstrations of military life from different eras, watch tradespeople work in the fort's shops and compare how technology has changed (and stayed the same) throughout history. Recommended for ages 5-16. $5/person

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