Minnesota State Fair Grounds

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Minnesota State Fair Grounds
Grandstand, Dan Patch Avenue, 2001
City/locality- State/province	Saint Paul, Minnesota
County- State/province:	Ramsey County, Minnesota
State/province:	Minnesota
Country:	United States
Historic Function:	Fairgrounds
Current Function:	Fairgrounds

For a number of years in the early 20th century, Minneapolis and St. Paul unions paraded to the Fair Grounds on Labor Day, where they met for a joint celebration.

http://www.mnstatefair.org/

Contents 1 Fair History 2 Memories and stories 3 Badges 4 Photo Gallery 5 Related Links 6 Notes 7 Buildings on the Minnesota State Fair Grounds

Fair History

After four years of territorial fairs, the first Minnesota State Fair was held in 1859 near what became downtown Minneapolis, the year after Minnesota was granted statehood.

During the fair's early years, the site of the exposition changed annually with stops in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Red Wing, Winona and Owatonna. In the 1870s and early 1880s, civic groups from both St. Paul and Minneapolis worked relentlessly to provide a permanent home for the fair in their respective cities. The Minnesota State Fair finally found a permanent home at its present location, midway between the Twin Cities when the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners donated their 210-acre poor farm to the State Agricultural Society, the governing body of the State Fair.

Secure in its new surroundings, the Minnesota State Fair began to grow. Physically, the fairgrounds blossomed to 320 acres. Architecturally, it is home for many historically-significant structures including the Arts Center, Progress Center, Grandstand and Coliseum (formerly known as the Hippodrome).

An important change in the State Fair over the years has been in the attractions offered to fair visitors. The character of early fairs was dominated by agricultural exhibits and competitions, reflecting its original purpose of encouraging farming in the state. While agriculture is still the primary focus, the scope of activities has broadened to include large-scale entertainment features, technological and industrial exhibits and scores of education and government institutions.

Since its inception, the fair has been held every year with only five exceptions: in 1861 and 1862 due to the Civil War and Dakota Indian Conflict, in 1893 because of scheduling conflicts with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1945 due to war-time fuel shortages, and in 1946 due to a polio epidemic.

Memories and stories

Badges

This place is part of the Saint Paul Labor History Tour

Photo Gallery

Photos from Mn State Fair Org

Related Links

Minnesota State Fair Website

[1] Grandstand Acts

[2] Food Booths

[3] State Fair

Agriculture Building

[4] Seed Lady

Grandstand
2003 Renovation and history [5]

Grandstanding [6]

Books
[7] Great Minnesota Get Together

[8] Blue Ribbon

[9] Illustrated History

[10]Seed Queen

Videos
Gail Frost [11]

Food on a Stick [12]

Butter Carving [13]

Good Question: How did the State Fair Start? [14]

Architecture at the Minnesota State Fair [15]

Notes

Buildings on the Minnesota State Fair Grounds

	#	Street
Ye Old Mill, 1694 Carnes Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16941,694	Carnes	Avenue
1774 Carnes Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	17741,774	Carnes	Avenue
Horticulture Building, 1263 Cooper Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12631,263	Cooper	Street
Bandshell, 1302 Cooper Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13021,302	Cooper	Street
Lunch Box, 1350 Cooper Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13501,350	Cooper	Street
J.V. Bailey House, 1263 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12631,263	Cosgrove	Street
Officers Quarters, 1264 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12641,264	Cosgrove	Street
Information Booth, 1291 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12911,291	Cosgrove	Street
Administration Building, 1291 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12911,291	Cosgrove	Street
Admin Too/Service Building, 1292 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12921,292	Cosgrove	Street
Police Substation East, 1321 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13211,321	Cosgrove	Street
Creative Activities Building, 1342 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13421,342	Cosgrove	Street
Spaghetti Village, 1367 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13671,367	Cosgrove	Street
Education Building, 1372 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13721,372	Cosgrove	Street
Modern Living Building, 1402 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	14021,402	Cosgrove	Street
4-H Building, 1412 Cosgrove, Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	14121,412	Cosgrove	Street
Fine Arts Center, 1412 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	14121,412	Cosgrove	Street
Kiwanis Club Diner, 1434 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	14341,434	Cosgrove	Street
Water Tower, 1530 Cosgrove Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	15301,530	Cosgrove	Street
Saint Bernard's Dining Hall, 1626 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16261,626	Dan Patch	Avenue
Merchandise Mart Building, 1640 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16401,640	Dan Patch	Avenue
Democratic Farmer Labor Party Booth, 1641 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16411,641	Dan Patch	Avenue
Minnesota AFL-CIO, 1657 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16571,657	Dan Patch	Avenue
Hamline United Methodist Church Dining Hall, 1667 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16671,667	Dan Patch	Avenue
Crossroads Building, 1670 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16701,670	Dan Patch	Avenue
Visitors Plaza, 1677 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16771,677	Dan Patch	Avenue
Butterfly House, 1697 Dan Patch Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16971,697	Dan Patch	Avenue
Haunted House, 1676 Judson Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16761,676	Judson	Avenue
Dairy Building (F.M.A. Empire Commons), 1694 Judson Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16941,694	Judson	Avenue
Sheep and Poultry Barn, 1785 Judson, Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	17851,785	Judson	Avenue
Cattle Barn, 1834 Judson Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	18341,834	Judson	Avenue
Horse Barn, 1835 Judson, Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	18351,835	Judson	Avenue
Salem Luthern Dining Hall, 1615 Randall Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16151,615	Randall	Avenue
Progress Center, 1621 Randell Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	16211,621	Randall	Avenue
Swine Barn, 1227 Stevens Avenue, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	12271,227	Stevens	Avenue
OES Dining Hall, 1315 Underwood Street, Falcon Heights, Minnesota	13151,315	Underwood	Street