mn state school header

540 West Hills Circle
Owatonna, Minnesota 55060
Directions

Self-Guided Tour Hours
Museum
Monday-Friday: 8 am-4:30 pm
Saturday-Sunday: 1 pm-5 pm
Closed Major Holidays

Cottage 11
Tuesday-Sunday
May 1-Labor Day:1pm-4pm
Labor Day-Dec 31: 1pm-3pm
Closed January and February
March 15-April 30: 1pm-3pm
or by appt. at 507-774-7369
$2 per person donation appreciated.

Campus
Seasonal: May 1-November 1
Map available in main museum with QR codes.
Six audio stations.

Group Tours
We happily schedule guided tours for groups of 10 or more. You will visit the Museum, view a 1930 film, and tour Cottage 11, a restored boys' cottage. A fee is charged. Group Tours Page

Contact Us
507-774-7369
museum@owatonna.gov
Request Records
Volunteer
Facebook Like us on Facebook!

Legacy Fund

Help Keep the State School Museum Operating
The mission has been to honor the memory of the children and preserve the history of the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children. With the help and generous donations of many individuals, businesses, organizations, and the City of Owatonna, we have been able to restore and preserve this State Public School, this national treasure, which may otherwise have been destroyed.

The Children Remembered: Orphanage Legacy Fund was established to secure a future for the museum, staff, and this wonderful historic landmark.

The Museum relies heavily on donations and cannot responsibly operate on "hopes" for donations throughout the year. The Legacy Fund will provide the needed monies to draw from to make the Orphanage Museum "self-sustaining." We need your dollars to help secure our Legacy Fund and keep the State School Museum operating.

Please reflect on how the State School may have affected your life, and donate generously and with your heart.
If you wish to make a larger gift, estate planning options are available as well. Please contact your financial advisor or legal representative about giving opportunities.

We set a goal forThe Children Remembered: Orphanage Legacy Fund of $300,000. In 2024, it is just over $177,000.

Our grateful thanks for helping us remember all the State School children who lived this history and keeping the stories of these children alive!


*All contributions are tax-deductible