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Curious Minnesota

Minnesota Star Tribune

What do you wonder about the people, places and culture of Minnesota? Listen to our community-driven reporting project, which invites listeners to ask questions that our newsroom researches and answers.

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Episodes

149 episodes

  1. What happened to St. Paul's underground Tunnel of Terror? 13:55
  2. What happened to Minneapolis' massive zombie pub crawl? 15:12
  3. Why does Minnesota seem to have so many water towers? 13:50
  4. The secret creek flowing beneath downtown Minneapolis 16:27
  5. What are the stories behind the two harbors of Two Harbors? 16:20
  6. When Christo and Jeanne-Claude tried to fly a giant artwork over Minneapolis 12:21
  7. The incredible story of a 40-ton grain elevator that crossed a Minnesota river 16:57
  8. Why do loons sometimes charge swimmers? 14:03
  9. The forgotten quarry history behind Sandstone, MN's bluffs and climbing cliffs 14:25
  10. How did meat raffles become a Minnesota tradition? 12:19
  11. Why Wisconsin (wrongly) claims to have more lakes than Minnesota 14:07
  12. This mysterious tiny building in Minneapolis has a heartwarming backstory 11:08
  13. Can you eat the weeds in Minnesota lakes? 11:03
  14. Will MN ever get a new state park? 12:47
  15. Solving the mystery of downtown Minneapolis’ mummies 15:05
  16. Who were the Minnesotans on board the Titanic? 14:05
  17. What’s the science behind ice thickness and when is it safe to drive on a lake? 16:15
  18. The story behind Basshenge, one musician’s monumental ode to his instrument 16:40
  19. What’s the history of the Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory and the Whipple Building? 18:40
  20. Introducing Essential Minnesota 19:42
  21. What's the history of the abandoned Cold War station in Finland, MN? 15:45
  22. How 'Bachelormania' once swept the town of Herman, Minnesota 16:00
  23. The coldest day in Minnesota history 13:11
  24. How did Minnesota become home to the world's first shopping mall? 15:46
  25. How did Mayor Hubert Humphrey change Minneapolis? 20:53
  26. Why do so many spam calls come from Norwood Young America, MN? 13:25
  27. Lake Superior’s most famous shipwrecks have dramatic tales to tell 19:00
  28. What happened to Minnesota's original Zombie Pub Crawl? 17:00
  29. What's the oldest bar in Minnesota? 15:02
  30. What’s the story of Pipestone National Monument? 19:03
  31. Why do anglers need a special stamp to fish for trout in Minnesota? 14:49
  32. How a 13-ton piece of public art no one wanted found a Minnesota home 18:11
  33. How did hundreds of ‘Old Order’ Amish wind up in Minnesota’s Driftless Area? 15:11
  34. What happened after a Minnesota man found ancient bison bones? 17:51
  35. How a small Minnesota town ‘seceded’ from the U.S. 16:00
  36. What happened after Herman, Minnesota's bachelormania? 18:22
  37. Why are there two seafood plants in the small Minnesota town of Motley? 18:34
  38. Introducing: Worth It 37:49
  39. How an unexpected gift launched Minnesota’s oldest zoo 17:08
  40. What’s the smallest town in Minnesota with a mayor? 21:28
  41. Who decides what’s allowed on a vanity plate in Minnesota? 14:13
  42. Why is the loon Minnesota’s state bird? It almost didn’t happen. 12:13
  43. Why did the Excelsior Amusement Park on Lake Minnetonka close? 18:36
  44. How did Minnesota become the birthplace of ski jumping in America? 19:37
  45. What’s the coldest Minnesota has ever been? 12:17
  46. Introducing "Ghost of a Chance" - Episode 1 31:31
  47. What happened to Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America? 12:23
  48. Minnesota’s ghost towns are a relic of grand visions gone awry 19:02
  49. Why are Minnesota’s roadside rest areas so nice? 18:13
  50. What’s behind the stereotype that Minnesotans don’t like spicy food? 24:11