State School Orphanage Museum
State School Orphanage Museum
4.5
About
Experience what life was like at this state-run school for orphaned or neglected children. The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was built in 1886 and closed in 1945. The museum uses exhibits of artifacts, as well as video and audio stations to tell the story of the more than 10,000 children who came through the school.
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4.5
56 reviews
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Robin B
Phoenix, AZ1,486 contributions
Sept 2021
I was really looking forward to visiting this museum was, but it was beyond disappointing. It is located in a building that states it is “city hall” over the entry door, so I’m not sure whether it originally was the orphanage or it just currently houses the display cases. And we would never find out because there was absolutely no one around to ask. The place was completely deserted at 3:00 in the afternoon. It appeared that the museum consisted of display cases of photos lining the hallways of the building. I couldn’t discern any order and frankly, reading display cases isn’t my favorite way to see a museum. And what cemetery? It would have been nice if there had been someone around to ask . . .
Written 6 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kery E
Chatfield, MN30 contributions
Oct 2011
The State School once was home to all of Minnesota's neglected, abused, or orhapned children. Some loved it, some hated it, but it had a significant impact on thousands of MN children. The museum and cottages are worth spending 2-3 hours to check out.
Written 11 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toofaraway
Chillicothe, Ohio192 contributions
We visited the State School Orphanage Museum on September 24, 2008. The museum is housed in a large brick building, which apparently also contains various offices for the City of Owatonna. The museum is set up in several hallways of the building, and the exhibits do an excellent job of presenting the life that residents of the orphanage faced. Some outbuildings and a cemetery remain from the days of the orphanage. I found the exhibits to be very illuminating and well done. No charge is made for the museum, but there is an opportunity for free will offerings if one so desires. It was a memorable experience.
Written 17 October 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gwen Z
Owatonna, MN14 contributions
Sept 2014 • Family
Self guided tour for the most part. You will see what life was like for the children who were left here. It is emotional and thought provoking. Tour the main building which houses the museum and a local art gallery. Then visit the boys cabin, cemetery and grounds. One of the last surviving boys lends his voice and stories through recordings that can be heard from multiple stations throughout the campus. He is also available for presentation to large groups for a donation to the museu, if requested in advance.
Written 4 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelly B
Brainerd, MN5 contributions
Jun 2012 • Friends
They have a large collection of items from the period. Cottage 11 is especially moving. You really get a feeling for the era the school was actve.
Written 25 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wallflowerone
Arkansas169 contributions
Jun 2012 • Family
It was sad to read some of the stories about some of the children their, and the cemetery also for the children that died their. It was free, I looked for a donation box and was unable to find one. The cottage wasn't open when we where their, if it had been I would have loved to have taken a look inside it, they need to open it sooner in the day. Despite me finding it sad and depressing I did find it interesting. I will also add, it's nice to see that the place has been preserved (no longer forgotten) and the buildings are still being used by local gov. offices.
Written 15 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carl W
Owatonna, MN773 contributions
Dec 2011 • Family
We visited when Harvey Ronglien was a tour guide. He grew up in the orphanage. He stayed late, after closing time to show us the museum and tell us the history.
Written 15 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VoddyK
La Jolla19 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
This was such a moving experience. First you drive up to these beautiful grounds and see majestic buildings that were made to stand the test of time. You go into the main building and start reading some of the stories and see the photos and you begin to feel some emotional pain. We were fortunate to be there when the Boy's Cottage was open. Oh my-the poor children that lived in this environment. The audio clips were so interesting-as he explained some children didn't mind their stay because it was better than the chaos they came from while others were left there because their parents could no longer take care of them. Cannot imagine being that parent that had to leave their child/children off at the door. It sounded like the female matrons who each had 25-30 children in their "cottage" could be some really evil people. SOme of the children became indentured servants! That was shocking.....if you stayed for any length of time you were definitely institutionalized. Thank-you to everyone who helped make this museum a monument to the children and to the poor souls in the children's cemetery.
Written 15 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2gothere
Shoreview, MN340 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
On a recent visit to Owatonna we stopped here to visit. The grounds are impressive. The buildings have been maintained very well. Most of them are being used for different groups. The museum has nice exhibits of how the orphanage was in the past. There are many pictures and stories to read from actual people who lived there. Some of the stories were good and others were so sad. It was amazing to see how many children had passed through this institution and how it had affected them. We actually met a man who had been there for most of his childhood. He is a guide there to answer questions you may have.
We then took the self guided audio tour around the grounds and learned so much more about how the place was run when it was open. We toured the cottage some of the boys lived in and learned more from audio boxes placed throughout this building. The saddest visit was at the cemetary with all the little crosses with the names of very young children on them. It was a great learning experience for my family.
We then took the self guided audio tour around the grounds and learned so much more about how the place was run when it was open. We toured the cottage some of the boys lived in and learned more from audio boxes placed throughout this building. The saddest visit was at the cemetary with all the little crosses with the names of very young children on them. It was a great learning experience for my family.
Written 6 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raelynn F
Fort Madison, IA47 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
This is a very interesting museum where you can take your own walking tour with stations that tell more about the buildings. Be sure to go through the main building also as there's more information and photo's. Kids don't like to stop to read all the displays but I think adults will really enjoy it. It is also sad to read about and see the childrens cemetary
Written 23 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When is this open for tours? Are reservations needed? Is there a fee?
Written 16 December 2015
They have a website, orpanagemuseum with information on hours, self guided or formal tours. Or google Minnesota state school Owatonna to find the web site. TripAdvisor does not allow including web addresses in answers.
Written 18 December 2015
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