Minnesota Experience

Oct 14, 2019

"Becoming Big League" explores how sport was changing in 1960 and how that changed Minnesota. From Olympic hockey to High School hoops, from pro-sports origins in Big Ten titles, "Becoming Big League" is a retro sports page come to life that illustrates how 1960 might be the most dynamic year in Minnesota Sports history. A Twin Cities PBS Original production.

Sep 25, 2018

Take a look at how the Mayo Clinic, which is "world renowned for its medical arts," has met the changing demands of healthcare for 150 years, and what it can teach us about facing the challenges of patient care today.

Oct 28, 2019

One of the oldest neighborhoods in the Twin Cities is the focus of this 60 minute documentary that explores its birth, growth, decline and reclamation over the course of more than 150 years. In partnership with the Ramsey Hill Association.

Nov 4, 2019

The Experimental City is a documentary about the Minnesota Experimental City project, a futuristic attempt to solve urban problems by creating a full-size city from scratch in the isolated woods of northern Minnesota.

Dec 9, 2019

Follow the Gunflint Trail and Mesabi Trail through their fascinating pasts, their multi-faceted modern uses, and explore what lays ahead for these winding paths. Enjoy the amazing views that these treasured trails have to offer.

Dec 16, 2019

Minnesota 13 explores the little-known history of an elite moonshine produced in the heart of Minnesota during Prohibition, and the modern-day attempts of a micro-distillery to resuscitate the brand as a craft whiskey.

Jan 13, 2020

Explore the pioneering spirit and passion that connects the brewing community through time. From historic breweries in Duluth, Virginia, and Tower to the current craft beer revolution underway, discover how beer making bubbled up in the Arrowhead. Hear the stories of brewers, families, and collectors connected to the beer history of the north.

Feb 3, 2020

Four stories bring to light the hidden histories of African American Minnesotans during and after the Civil War. These unsung heroes made unique contributions to the Union and their new state, but the details and records of their involvement still challenge historians. Produced with the Ramsey County Historical Society.

Feb 10, 2020

Born for espionage in World War II, the computer has touched nearly every part of human life. And for decades Minnesota was the global epicenter of computing as birthplace of the supercomputer and home to Univac, Control Data, IBM Rochester, and Honeywell.

Feb 17, 2020

Compelling stories about Minnesotans who have shaped the sounds of our beloved country music. Narrated and produced by former KARE 11 news anchor Diana Pierce, the half hour documentary touches on stories about Ardis Wells from Alexandria, the Walt Benton Hillbilly Rainbow Band from Dovray, WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, the Flame Bar in Minneapolis and more.

Feb 24, 2020

Celebrating the University of Minnesota's 50th Anniversary of the African American Studies program, This Free North reflects on the people and events that led to its formation as well as its connection to, and influence on, contemporary students. In the act of looking back, this documentary reminds the viewer that history is complicated, divisive, ongoing.

Mar 2, 2020

The Lost Twin Cities programs revisit places of the past that no longer exist in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The four programs recalled lost chapters in Twin Cities history. Best of Lost Twin Cities features favorite segments voted on by viewers.

Mar 16, 2020

Mary Lahammer teams up with historian Hy Berman and meteorologists Mark Seeley and Paul Douglas to tell the stories of Minnesota's most damaging historic blizzards and forest fires. They tell the story of the great forest fires of 1894 and 1918 along with the fabled Schoolchildren's Blizzard of 1888 and the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940.

Mar 23, 2020

Mary Lahammer leads us on a tour of the oldest neighborhood in the Twin Cities: the Uppertown and Irvine Park area of St. Paul. We explore how early builders used limestone mined nearby to create distinctive homes and businesses. Many of the structures date from before the Civil War. We watch as some of St. Paul's oldest buildings are being lovingly restored.

Mar 30, 2020

A possibly true story of the legendary Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. Prince may have made the club famous, but many others have toiled backstage to keep this landmark standing. From the days of Woodstock, through disco, punk, and hip-hop this "pirate ship that goes nowhere" has weathered the storm - just barely.

Apr 27, 2020

Bound by Earth: Archaeology in Minnesota focuses on the science and new technology archaeologists use to uncover and preserve archaeological resources in a non-invasive way, and how remaining evidence, such as Indian burial mounds, are still significant to Native people today.

May 18, 2020

The landscape of Minneapolis was once that of a tall grass prairie The landscape of Minneapolis was once that of a tall grass prairie with few trees and marshy lakes. Today the city is regarded as one of with few trees and marshy lakes. Today the city is regarded as one of America’s great "green" cities with tree-lined parkways.

May 25, 2020

Stories originating in places like Willmar, Bemidji, St. Paul, Fort Campbell, and South Vietnam provide personal perspectives of what the war in Vietnam was like for the teens and young adults who experienced it.

Jun 1, 2020

This fifth installment of the popular series explores the vibrant history of lost places and cultures in the metropolitan area. From All Star Wrestling to vanishing drive-in movie theaters and beyond, join us as we remember the places that brought us together - and anticipate gathering together once again.