Legacy of the Lakes Museum

LEGACY OF THE LAKES museum

Much of Minnesota’s history is riences of Minnesota lake life, preserving it inspired by the many beautiful for future generations. MUSEUM EXHIBITS lakes throughout our state, and the Legacy of the Lakes Museum and Gardens is dedicated to bringing that history to the public. Legacy of the Lakes is open at 25 percent capacity and visitors are required to sign in and leave their contact information to comply with the Minnesota Department of Health regulations. Masks are strongly encouraged but not required. The museum features handcrafted wooden boats, grand hotels and fishing clubs, bringing to life traditions that reach back nearly a century and a half. These diverse exhibits, as well as the Gardens, are all part of the Legacy of the Lakes Museum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of antique and classic watercraft, resort memorabilia and sporting equipment used on the Minnesota lakes. Originally known as the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum, the name was changed to Legacy of the Lakes in 2016 to In 2018, the BoatHouse, an indoor event center, was added and is available for rent for weddings, corporate events and family gatherings as well as a place for the museum to host educational programs and includes an indoor event hall, bathrooms and bridal suite/greenroom. The museum is located in downtown Alexandria at 205 Third Avenue West, near the Alexandria Fire Department. The museum is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from 12-4 p.m. Contact the museum at (320) 759-1114 or through its website www. legacyofthelakes.org. Cost of admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for military and veterans and students ages 5-17 and $25 for families (parent and children 17 years of age and younger). Children 5 and younger are free when accompanied by a paying adult. GRAND HOTELS AND RESORTS Each June they would arrive via the Great Northern and Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroads, bringing trunks filled with silks and linens, formal dinner wear and European hats. See how these affluent early visitors summered in grandeur. WOODEN BOATS Since the Museum’s inception, wooden boats have held center stage. Few museums offer as wide a range of rare boats including Chris-Craft, Gar Wood, Century and Hackercraft, as well as the ultimate collection of made-in-Minnesota craft. SHAPES OF THE FUTURE Fiberglass revolutionized the boating industry— making boats more affordable while enabling radical new designs. See some of the coolest in our “Fiberglassics” exhibit today. GO FISH! See how fishing technology has evolved since our area first became famous for great fishing in the late 1800s. Check out some amazing catches and learn about the legendary guides that made them possible. better communicate and reflect its mission THE MINNESOURI CLUB of celebrating shared memories and expeIn 1890, 20 men from Missouri and 15 from

Minneapolis formed a club overlooking the waters of Lake Miltona. Experience life on the lake back in the day with our re-creation of a Minnesouri Club front porch. MADE IN MINNESOTA! Minnesota’s been home to skilled watercraft builders since Native Americans first fashioned birch bark canoes hundreds of years ago. The museum boasts the most complete collection of Minnesota-made boats from Larson to our own Alexandria Boat Works.