The Rice County Historical Society’s exhibit gallery will be opening to the public, with limited capacity, starting on Wednesday, June 10. The Gallery will then be open Monday – Friday from 9 to 4 pm.

We have set up stanchions throughout the gallery to help facilitate social distancing as per the Governor’s Stay Safe Plan. We also ask that everyone continue to wear masks.

Please note: We continue to ask that anyone interested in donating artifacts to the museum call the museum at 507-332-2121 to discuss the collection and make an appointment to bring your donation into the museum.

The Research Room will remain to be closed to the public. We are happy to assist with research remotely. Feel free to contact on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rchistory, email us at rchs@rchistory.org or call us at 507-322-2121.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

With Governor Walz’s update on May 14, we are one step closer to opening our doors to the public.

He announced that Beginning May 18, “Stay Safe Minnesota will still ask people: stay close to home, limit travel to what’s essential, but we can now gather with friends and family of groups of less than ten.” That has been clarified to include social, civil, and community gatherings.

Staff returned to work the week of May 4, and starting May 18, our collections and research volunteers will be welcome to return to the museum. We are asking all staff and volunteers to wear masks and encouraging them to stay home if they are feeling unwell.

As for opening to the public…we still have to wait a bit longer. When we do open we’ll also be asking visitors to wear masks and follow other social distancing practices. We want to do our part to keep everyone healthy but also welcome everyone to the museum.

In the meantime, if you have any research requests or general questions, feel free to email us at rchs@rchistory.org or call us at 507-332-2121.

[Updated with 4/30/2020 Governor’s Orders]

Following the Governor of Minnesota’s orders, the Rice County Historical Society will continue to be closed to the public through May 18, 2020. However, protecting the museum and the collection continue to be a primary concern so staff are making daily checks on the museum facilities and are gathering mail and messages at that time as well.

Unfortunately, our May programs, including our Spring Flea Market and our June Fundraiser (formerly scheduled for June 11) are canceled. We are, however, working on programming for the summer, as soon as we’re able to open to the public.

We have scheduled our Fall Flea Market for September 19 and already have 17 vendor stalls filled up. If you’re interested in being a vendor, call us at 507-332-2121 or email us at 507-332-2121.

In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook . We made it through the Rice County A to Z and are now posting daily with #MediaMonday featuring different photographic media types, #TownTuesday, #WhereIsItWendseday, #ThingThursday featuring artifacts in our collection, #FunFactFriday, #SchoolSaturday showcasing one of our many schools across the county, and #SundayReligiousSites. It’s a fun way to share the many aspects of Rice County History that we help to preserve. And, as always, if you have a question or suggestion you can reach us at rchs@rchistory.org or call at 507-332-2121.

Meanwhile, stay well. We hope to see you all soon.

[Updated with 4/8/2020 Governor’s Order dates]

Following the Governor of Minnesota’s orders, the Rice County Historical Society will continue to be closed to the public through May 4, 2020. However, protecting the museum and the collection continue to be a primary concern so staff are making daily checks on the museum facilities and are gathering mail and messages at that time as well.

Unfortunately, both of our planed April programs are postponed. Jeff Sauve’s program “Gaslight Murders” will be rescheduled for some time after September 1. The Movie Night will also be rescheduled. Additionally, our May – Spring Flea Market is canceled. All vendors who had signed up can hold their spot for the Fall Flea Market on September 19, 2020. Our committee chairman will be contacting each of the vendors to discuss their preferences.

In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook where we are participating in the #MnMuseumAlphebet. You can reach us at rchs@rchistory.org or call at 507-332-2121.