Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Makes History
40,000 square-foot, $32 million facility will be first-of-its-kind in the nation
Little Falls, Minn. – On Sunday the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its new site at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn. Located on more than 30 acres just off Highway 371, and adjacent to the Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery, the future site of the Museum will ensure easy access by the public.
The outdoor event drew a crowd of more than 300 people and included a keynote address from retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, a Minnesota native and the former four-star commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command. During his remarks, Votel shared that “…it is in these stores that we learn, and that we honor. That is why this one-of-a-kind, world-class museum is so important. I know of no other state [that] has committed both private and public funds to build an institution of the kind envisioned here. And when I say ‘world-class,’ I don’t just mean a gleaming building with well-appointed display cases. I mean world-class stories of service, sacrifice, and love of country, all told well.”
The program also included participation from Civil War reenactors and special music. The five-member crew who ceremonially tossed the first shovelfuls of dirt included the following:
• Joe Nayquonabe Sr., an elder of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart recipient.
• Evan Krawczyk, the grandson of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Vessey, one of Minnesota’s most decorated Veterans. Evan’s grandfather and grandmother are buried just across the street at the Veterans Cemetery.
• Army National Guard Captain Takeisha Hunt. Captain Hunt serves as the Director of the Joint Visitor’s Bureau at Camp Ripley. She is one of five servicemembers represented in Charles Kapsner’s exceptional painting, titled “Women on Guard,” now on view in the current museum.
• Bob Anderson, the man responsible for getting all this started when he and his wife Debra donated 30 acres for the new Veterans Museum.
• Don Halverson, a WWII Veteran of the 168th Infantry, 34th Division, during the Italian Campaign.
For the grand finale, a restored WWII Bulldozer fired up and bulldozed a small section of the site. Construction is set to begin in earnest in the spring of 2024, with a grand opening expected in early 2026. Following the ceremony, the Hopkins VFW Post #425 made a surprise $25K donation to the nonprofit Museum. The board is more than halfway toward their private fundraising goal of $10 million, which will be used to outfit the facility with gallery spaces, classrooms and collections.
The State of Minnesota provided $32 million to design and construct the 40,000-square-foot facility. The museum's board of directors continues to raise private funds to outfit the facility with the galleries, classrooms and collections spaces planned for the Museum.
“When complete, this project will honor all branches of service, both past and present,” said Randal Dietrich, Executive Director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. “It will also truly represent a community effort, encompassing fiscal support from federal, state, community and private funding sources.
As part of the development process the board and planners traveled to some of the best museums in the country, spoke with veterans in Minnesota and beyond, and ultimately enlisted the renowned HGA Architects to help lead the design.
“The ceremonial groundbreaking was a way to celebrate a major milestone for this project, while at the same time activating a “call to action” for our supporters,” said Bill Strusinski, Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Board Member. “The Museum ultimately belongs to the public, and we are excited to continue mobilizing Minnesotans to build a world-class museum with a statewide reach, and beyond. Our focus will always be celebrating and remembering our military history.”
The Museum aims to strengthen public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and nation. It serves as a place of reverence, education, and celebration, uniquely emphasizing "living history" through initiatives such as the Post 9/11 Project and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
ABOUT THE MINNESOTA MILITARY & VETERANS MUSEUM: National challenges resolved by military institutions have shaped much of our collective state and national experience. The documents, artifacts, images and stories of how Minnesotans, in uniform and at home, willingly served their state and nation in war and peace help honor their memory. The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum inspires future generations through the exceptional stories of Minnesota’s citizen soldiers.