Curious Minnesota

Latest Episodes:

Lake Superior’s most famous shipwrecks have dramatic tales to tell Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

The Edmund Fitzgerald went down 50 years ago on Nov. 10, 1977. The ore carrier simply vanished from the surface of Lake Superior. It was an ominous ending — mysterious and tragic, too. Hundreds of other vessels have sunk in the big lake, and shipwreck hunters still work to find their watery resting places. Guest Christa Lawler shares some of Lake Superior's striking shipwreck stories with host Erica Pearson.

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What happened to Minnesota's original Zombie Pub Crawl? Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

At its peak, an estimated 35,000 rotting Minnesotans participated in the annual Zombie Pub Crawl, founded 20 years ago. The event grew large enough to set a world record for the largest amount of people dressed as zombies. Then the festival seemed to have its own apocalypse. Our guest is columnist Laura Yuen.

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What's the oldest bar in Minnesota? Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Curious Minnesota goes on a bit of a bar crawl through history. We look into which of the state’s historic watering holes is really Minnesota’s oldest. The question is trickier than you might think.

What’s the story of Pipestone National Monument? Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

For thousands of years, Native Americans have quarried a sacred, soft red rock from a patch of Minnesota prairie. The site is now Pipestone National Monument. Reporter Jp Lawrence joins host Erica Pearson to share the story of this special place.

Why do anglers need a special stamp to fish for trout in Minnesota? Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Minnesota’s trout stamp, a special add-on to fishing licenses, brings in more than $1 million each year. The program funds fish hatcheries, restocking efforts and more. Reporter Anna Sago joins host Erica Pearson to share the history of the program and give a glimpse into what a day's work is like at a trout hatchery.

How a 13-ton piece of public art no one wanted found a Minnesota home Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

A scuplture called “The Scroll” once had a prominent spot in downtown Minneapolis. It stood in front of the old central library for more than 4 decades. Alicia Eler, the Minnesota Star Tribune's visual art reporter and critic, joins host Erica Pearson to tell the story of how the sculpture narrowly missed ending up in a scrap heap when the library building was demolished to make way for a new one.

How did hundreds of ‘Old Order’ Amish wind up in Minnesota’s Driftless Area? Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

Harmony, Minnesota is home to the largest Amish settlement in the state. The "Old Order" community is also one of the most conservative of its kind in the country. Reporter Sean Baker joins host Erica Pearson to explain why and when the Amish selected this sliver of southeast Minnesota to call home.

What happened after a Minnesota man found ancient bison bones? Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Nearly 8,000 years ago, in the wild expanse of what is now southwestern Minnesota, a primal drama of survival unfolded. Early Plains Archaic hunters ambushed a herd of massive, now-extinct bison. Then, in 1988 a Granite Falls man found bones while digging in his pasture. Reporter Jp Lawrence joins host Erica Pearson to share what happened next and explain why archeologists left some of the site undisturbed.

How a small Minnesota town ‘seceded’ from the U.S. Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

In the summer of 1977, the leaders of a small Iron Range town made a rather bold announcement: Kinney, Minn., had seceded from the United States. The statement was tongue-in-cheek, but the town’s situation wasn’t funny. The story of the Republic of Kinney is one of dismissed town needs, a wacky, bar-born plan and the power of media attention. Reporter Christa Lawler joined host Erica Pearson to share Kinney's story.

What happened after Herman, Minnesota's bachelormania? Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

The Minnesota town of Herman gained notoriety in the 1990s for having nearly 80 bachelors and fewer than a dozen unmarried women. During Herman’s time as “Bachelortown, U.S.A.”, its eligible bachelor farmers were seemingly everywhere — including on “The Oprah Winfrey Show." Reporter Jenny Berg joined host Erica Pearson to share what happened in the decades since.

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What happened after ‘bachelormania’ beset Herman, Minnesota?