Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Minnesota was the first state to volunteer men to fight for the Union Army in the Civil War. Visitors of all ages are invited to join-up at the Capitol to participate in tours and activities to find out about Minnesotas important role in the War. Visit the Governors Reception Room and learn about Civil War battles and the soldiers who fought them through huge paintings that hang on the walls. See newly conserved Civil War flags that were carried in battle and larger-than-life statues of Minnesota's war heroes in the rotunda. Sample hardtack and try on a uniform frock coat and military equipment worn by Union soldiers. Test your skills in the Crack the Code scavenger hunt and make your own miniature battle flag to take home.

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, Visit Mill City Museum on July 4th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., then head outside for family fun and entertainment with the Minneapolis Riverfront 2013 Red White and Boom celebration. A limited number of tickets will be available to view the fireworks display from the museums Observation Deck. Tickets cost $35/$30 for MHS members and include museum admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance to the Observation Deck begins at 9:30 p.m. fireworks begin at 10 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, Come out for a salute to the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the fall of Vicksburg. Celebrate July 4th with an afternoon of activities: meet General Ulysses S. Grant, dance to the music of the New Pearl Buttons, make a Union photo case to take home, muster with the First Minnesota, plus watch an 1860s fashion showcase and hear about the legacy of Gettysburg/Vicksburg with a talk by MHS curator Adam Scher. Enjoy an ice cream social, bring your own picnic or purchase food at Caf Minnesotas terrace grill.

Historic Forestville, Preston, Experience Independence Day as it was celebrated in Historic Forestville in 1899. Take part in a grand ceremony, listen to local Glee Club and political speeches including a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 1 p.m. and watch an old-time 1860s baseball game. Guests can also enjoy pie and watermelon eating contests and sack and three-legged races for the kids.

Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site, Comfrey, The atlatl is an ancient hunting device used by people of the area before the bow and arrow. Considered a symbol of power, it was used for thousands of years. There are many atlatl petroglyphs carved into the Sioux Quartzite at the site. During this program learn how to use an atlatl while trying to hunt a life-size buffalo target. While at the site, view the rock carvings and learn more about the people who created them on guided tours at 10:30 a.m., 1 or 3 p.m. Offered daily at 2 p.m. Adventures in Nature is a hands-on series that provides opportunities to learn about American Indian culture, prairies and archaeology. A new theme will be explored each week.

Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Discover the role Minnesota had in the Civil War and why the Capitol is decorated and memorialized with Civil War artifacts, paintings and memorials. The July tour will commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. In each tour, a visitor will be dressed and outfitted as a new recruit with reproduction accoutrements typically worn by Union soldiers. The group will learn about the current efforts to conserve Civil War battle flags in the Minnesota Historical Society's collections and see statues of famous officers from the state. A reproduction cavalry shell jacket worn by Gov. Knute Nelson as a young soldier will be on display. Nelson was one of six state governors who saw action in the Civil War.

Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul, Celebrate our nations independence at Historic Fort Snelling with lots of activities that showcase what life was like in the early 1800s. At every turn, guests will encounter costumed interpreters, performances, exhibits and hands-on learning fun. Hear the roar of cannon salutes, listen to rousing patriotic speeches, watch a play by the forts soldiers, witness a military dress parade, hear patriotic and military fife and drum music, and try your hand at historic games.

Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River, Celebrate the Farmer's Fourth of July at the Kelley Farm. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the lawn, watch the spring lambs prance about and take a horse-drawn trolley ride along the nature trail. Visitors can also join in 19th-century games and contests including townball, the precursor to modern baseball. Enjoy the company of family and friends along with the farm's costumed staff and celebrate the most important holiday in America in the 19th century.

James J. Hill House, St. Paul, Commemorate the battle of Gettysburg and take a closer look at the decisions, luck and leadership of soldiers who survived the Civil War. Enjoy a rousing welcome from the Manitou Regimental Brass Band and mingle with fashionably dressed members of the Living History Society of Minnesota. Attend brief lectures by John Lundstrom, author of One Drop in a Sea of Blue; Brian Pease, Minnesota State Capitol site manager, who will speak about General John B. Sanborn; and Al Zdon from the Minnesota American Legion, who will talk about William Colvill, captain of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Join informal tours of the Hill House and converse over picnic fare courtesy of NateDogs. A cash bar will be available.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, 9 Nights of Music is back with free outdoor concerts every Tuesday in July and August. This year, the popular series kicks off with Century Brass Band who will perform music from the Civil War era as part of a special tribute to the fallen Minnesota soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg. Concertgoers are encouraged to visit the exhibit Minnesota and the Civil War before or after (History Center admission is free Tuesdays, 5 to 8 p.m.) Also before the show, guests can explore outdoor displays of Civil War artifacts, play popular games of the 1860s led by members of the St. Paul Soldiers Aid Society, and learn dance steps courtesy of Tapestry Folkdance Center. After the concert, join a fife and drum processional across Kellogg Boulevard to the Josias King Monument for a brief memorial ceremony.Bring a lawn chair and pack a picnic or purchase food from the Caf Minnesota terrace grill. In case of rain, performances head indoors.9 Nights of Music is presented by Xcel Energy. Additional support is provided by 99.5 Classical MPR and Tapestry Folkdance Center.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Minnesota History Center marks the service of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment with a special lecture by Richard Moe, former president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and author of "Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers." Moe will recall how these otherwise ordinary young men formed the first regiment offered to President Lincoln after the fall of Fort Sumter, served in virtually every major battle fought in the eastern theater during the first three years of the Civil War and helped the Union defeat Confederate forces at Gettysburg, turning the tide of the war.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, Come out for a four-day salute to the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the fall of Vicksburg. Activities will take place at the History Center, Minnesota State Capitol and the James J. Hill House. Programs include costumed re-enactors, a tribute to fallen soldiers, lectures, tours, music, games, fashion and an ice cream social on July 4.

Bookcase of Wayzata, Wayzata, Please join Judith Koll Healey for a talk and signing of her new book Frederick Weyerhaeuser and the American West. The Weyerhaeuser name looms large in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and Arkansas, attached to paper mills, cabinet factories, and vast tracts of land, both forested and cut over. Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the man who started the lumber empire, significantly shaped the American economy and landscape from Wisconsin westward in the nineteenth century. The author narrates the life of the extraordinary man through newly available resources: his extensive correspondence and journal entries as well as the letters and diaries of family members, friends, and business associates from around the country. She frames Weyerhaeusers many commercial opportunities and business decisions within both the familys internal dynamics and world events. She offers a thoughtful perspective on his achievements as well as the limitations of his vision for the expansion of the American West. Judith Koll Healey has been a philanthropic professional for thirty years and has lectured internationally on the topic of art and the unconscious. She is the author of two novels.For more information call 952-473-8341.

Harkin Store, New Ulm, Celebrate Independence Day at the Harkin Store, where a piece of 19th century remains preserved. Visit the general store, play checkers and relax on the front porch. The New Ulm Battery will fire their 1862 cannon every half hour.

James J. Hill House, St. Paul, With a mission to document the history of Minnesota and its people, each year the Society acquires hundreds of items for its permanent collection. This exhibition presents a sample of the books, letters, objects and works of art acquired over the last couple of years--ranging from a 4,000 year-old tool and civil war letters to a children's Tonka toy and a contemporary painting by an Ojibwe artist. On view through June 30, 2013

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, Walk the Minneapolis riverfront and learn about its dramatic past and bright future. Participants will visit the historic district at St. Anthony Falls, which was once the milling center of the world and is now a growing cultural, recreational and residential neighborhood. A guide from Mill City Museum will lead visitors onto the Stone Arch Bridge for a spectacular view of the falls, the historic buildings surrounding it and downtown Minneapolis and tell stories of the people who have worked and lived in the area and how it has changed over the years. The tour begins and ends at Mill City Museum where participants can visit the museum gallery (included in the price of the tour) and enjoy refreshments at the Mill City Museum Caf.

James J. Hill House, St. Paul, "Enlightened Piano Radio" presents three internationally recognized contemporary pianists for a concert in the Hill House art gallery. Amy Skjei of Minneapolis MN and Matthew Mayer and Donovan Johnson of Omaha NE. "Enlightened Piano Radio" is an online radio station and network of artists that promotes the music of original piano artists to the public. The radio station currently has 50 artists on its roster and "Enlightened Piano Concerts" featuring these artists are sprouting up across the nation. The concert will be fun and interactive with lots of laughter and storytelling. This is a two-hour concert with one intermission.Short tours of the Hill House will be offered following the concert.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, Explore hallmarks of mid-century modern design in Minneapolis and Saint Paul on a guided bus tour. Stops include the University Grove neighborhood, an architectural "time capsule" of houses designed by Minnesota architects including Elizabeth and Winston Close, and Ralph Rapson; the interior of the Saarinen-designed Christ Church Lutheran or the Ralph Rapson-designed Hope Lutheran; and a rare cluster of prefabricated, colorful, all-steel Lustron houses along Nicollet Avenue. The tour also includes a stop at Forage ModernWorkshop, a retail store which focuses on modern interior dcor. Trolley departs from the Minnesota History Center at 9 a.m. Please arrive by 8:45 a.m.

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, Try out questing with a family-focused tour of the Minneapolis riverfront outside Mill City Museum. A Quest is a community treasure hunt that guides people through, and teaches them to see, a unique part of their community. This quest includes solving rhyming riddles and searching for hidden boxes with pictures to place in a quest journal that participants can make before the tour. Journal materials and admission to Mill City Museum are included in the tour cost. The tour is designed for ages 611, but can be enjoyed by all ages. Adults and seniors must be accompanying a child.

Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul, Individuals who have participated in the Blacksmith For a Day I program are encouraged to join the skilled tradespeople the fort and further sharpen their blacksmithing skills. In this newly retooled program, a class limit of four students allows for a more intimate experience and greater hands-on opportunities with the instructors. Students will work on an advanced smithing project to make a real working knife. Children ages 13-17 must be accompanied by an adult.