Dakota Times

The Dakota County Historical Society will host a grand opening of the newly renovated Lawshe Museum in South St. Paul on Saturday, Jan. 21. The event will run from 1–5 p.m. with light refreshments available.

Admission to the event is free. The Lawshe Memorial Museum is located at 130 3rd Ave. N. in South St. Paul. Contact the Lawshe Museum at 651-552-7548 or visit the Dakota County Historical Society website to reserve a spot.

In March 2021, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners approved $1.2 million in accessibility upgrades and improvements to the Lawshe Museum. Starting in November 2021, the museum closed for renovations. The project focused primarily on making the space more accessible to the public and has provided a variety of changes to the museum. 

The front desk and gift shop have been renovated to provide easier access with lower counter heights and more space to maneuver inside the gift shop. A new exhibits wing replaces the narrow pathways of the Old Town exhibit that will now feature multiple new exhibits. The topics of these exhibits range from the history of women's medical treatment from the 1870–1920s, Dakota County's rural and agricultural history, to the Black pioneers of Dakota County.

The second floor features newly renovated ADA accessible family restrooms. The museum's archive and research library has expanded, along with a newly renovated flexible meeting room that will provide the ability to host hybrid meetings in the future. The public will have a chance to explore these spaces and the exhibits during the event. 

The museum will remain open during normal operating hours after the event concludes. The hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursdays from 9 a.m.–8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Admission to the museum will remain free of charge, but donations are encouraged.

Original source can be found here.