Excelsior Avenue in 1908

Hopkins Historical Society

Since 1972, the Hopkins Historical Society has been dedicated to preserving the history of the Hopkins community. They are a resource center of over 6000 photographs depicting historical Hopkins including county fairs, the Raspberry Festival, schools and economic development. The Historical Society is also fortunate to have inherited, collected and preserved many Hopkins artifacts dating back to 1856 and local newspapers from the mid-1920's.

The Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that is supported by its 150-person membership. They host membership meetings featuring a guest speaker and publish a quarterly newsletter. The dedicated volunteers spend much of their time responding to inquiries of a particular Hopkins resident, historical event, development or activity.

The Hopkins Historical Society documents, preserves and classifies historical records, interprets material unique to our local history, gathers artifacts and materials to exhibit the story of Hopkins and serves as community historians to children and adults.

Membership

$10/year
Membership includes three newsletters each year and meeting announcements. Please call for more information.

Meetings

Occasional Sundays, 2:30 pm
Hopkins Activity Center
Meeting topics are always lively with plenty of time for refreshments and reminiscing. Call the Society or visit their website for more information.

Hopkins Historic Homes Committee

The Historic Homes Committee identifies and catalogs historic Hopkins Homes. Once a year, proclamations are awarded to two Hopkins homes.

If anyone has a home they would like to have considered for a proclamation or have any questions about the Historical Homes Project, please send an email to homes@hopkinsmnhistoricalsociety.org.

Archives

The Historical Society has many artifacts, photographs and written documents. Please call to make an appointment to view any of the historical archives.

  • Over 100 audio-taped interviews with Hopkins families
  • City records
  • High School Yearbooks, 1934-
  • Books, postcards, family scrapbooks, phonograph records, films and sheet music
  • Raspberry Festival memorabilia
  • Hopkins directories, 1934-
  • Women's Club records, 1908-
  • Community maps, 1854-
  • The Hennepin County Review, 1925-
  • Sun Sailor Newspapers, 1969-
  • Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company and Minneapolis Moline memorabilia
  • Over 6000 photographs
  • Hopkins Historical Society meeting and Hopkins event video tapes
  • Obituary records (some on Microfiche), 1960-
  • Family genealogies
  • Local church history

Contacts

  • Hopkins Historical Society
    33 14th Ave. N, Hopkins
    952-548-6480
  • Visit the Hopkins Historical Society website for Hopkins Historical Society news, museum hours, and general information.

Hopkins: Through the Years

Learn more the Hopkins Historical Society's Hopkins: Through The Years, covering Hopkins history from the 1880s to 2000s.

Board of Directors

  • President
    Dean Empanger
    952-938-8304
  • Secretary
    Jim Zdrazil
    952-935-3884
  • Editor
    Mary Raabe
    952-927-6945
  • At Large
    Marlene Dvorak
    952-938-7865
  • At Large
    Jennifer Timmers
    952-938-9061
  • At Large
    Jerre Miller
    952-938-5567
  • At Large
    Bob Miller
    952-201-9745