Founded in Minnesota by territorial legislature in 1849, some 9 years before statehood, the Minnesota Historical Society is chief caretaker of the state’s story. One of the largest historical societies in the USA, the MNHS manages 25 historic sites and museums around Minnesota, including buildings, houses, and museums. The MNHS History Center, located in St. Paul, is home to the Society's vast collections, comprising some 550,000 books, 37,000 maps, 250,000 photographs, 165,000 historical artefacts, 800,000 archaeological items, 38,000 cubic feet (1100 cubic meters) of manuscripts, 45,000 cubic feet (1300 cubic meters) of government records, 5,500 painting and drawings and 1,300 moving images. The smallest artefact in the collection is a pair of fleas, dressed in tiny costumes and stored in a tiny box, part of a 1968 doll collection, and the largest is the Minnesota State Capitol building, built in 1905.

With the launch of the new Trees in the Gardens website scheduled for mid October, it will soon be possible to zoom and pan to your favourite areas of the Royal Botanic Gardens via a high resolution aerial photo and supporting bed and lawn maps to obtain detailed information about our tree collections.