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Curious Minnesota

by Minnesota Star Tribune

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Latest episodes

  • Why does Minnesota seem to have so many water towers?

    October 13, 2026 · 14 min

    Once you start noticing Minnesota’s water towers, they seem to be everywhere — and some are impossible to miss. There’s one shaped like a giant ear of corn, another painted like a fishing bobber and an old tower transformed into an…

  • The secret creek flowing beneath downtown Minneapolis

    September 29, 2026 · 16 min

    There’s a creek flowing beneath the streets of downtown Minneapolis — and most people walking above it have no idea it’s there. Bassett Creek begins near Medicine Lake, winds through parks and neighborhoods, then disappears underground…

  • What are the stories behind the two harbors of Two Harbors?

    September 15, 2026 · 16 min

    Today, Two Harbors is known for its lighthouse, ore docks and scenic Lake Superior shoreline. But in the 1880s, part of its waterfront was home to a notoriously wild strip of saloons and brothels known as Whiskey Row.So how did this…

  • When Christo and Jeanne-Claude tried to fly a giant artwork over Minneapolis

    September 1, 2026 · 12 min

    Before Christo and Jeanne-Claude became world famous for transforming landmarks and landscapes, they staged one of their strangest early projects in Minneapolis. In 1966, the artists and a group of students built an enormous translucent…

  • The incredible story of a 40-ton grain elevator that crossed a Minnesota river

    August 18, 2026 · 17 min

    In 1949, about 2,000 people gathered near the Rapidan Dam to watch something extraordinary: a 40-ton, six-story grain elevator creep across a narrow bridge over the Blue Earth River. Decades later, one witness still remembered the…

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  • Why do loons sometimes charge swimmers?

    August 4, 2026 · 14 min

    Minnesotans love loons for their haunting calls, striking beauty and adorable chicks that ride on their parents’ backs. But what happens when one of these iconic birds suddenly charges a swimmer? After a young Curious Minnesota listener…

  • The forgotten quarry history behind Sandstone, MN's bluffs and climbing cliffs

    July 21, 2026 · 14 min

    Sandstone, Minn., is known today for rock climbing, ice climbing and whitewater rafting. But before it became an outdoor recreation destination, it was one of the Midwest's most important sandstone-producing communities. When a Curious…

  • How did meat raffles become a Minnesota tradition?

    July 7, 2026 · 12 min

    Meat raffles are a beloved Minnesota bar tradition: Buy a ticket, watch the wheel spin, and maybe go home with steaks, brats or ground beef for dinner. But where did this unusual game of chance come from? In this episode of Curious…

  • Why Wisconsin (wrongly) claims to have more lakes than Minnesota

    June 23, 2026 · 14 min

    Minnesota’s license plates proudly proclaim the state as the land of “10,000 lakes.” But some Wisconsinites insist their state has even more. So who’s right? In this Curious Minnesota episode, Erica Pearson dives into lake science, state…

  • This mysterious tiny building in Minneapolis has a heartwarming backstory

    June 9, 2026 · 11 min

    A small white shack near the entrance to Interstate 94 has puzzled Minneapolis commuters for years. It's boarded up, rarely noticed, and easy to dismiss as an abandoned shed. But behind it lies a heartwarming city story. After a Curious…

  • Can you eat the weeds in Minnesota lakes?

    May 26, 2026 · 11 min

    What happens when a fishing trip turns into a foraging question? Recording live at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Strib Unbound Festival, Curious Minnesota investigates whether the weeds growing in Minnesota lakes are actually edible…

  • Will MN ever get a new state park?

    May 12, 2026 · 13 min

    In this episode, Curious Minnesota goes live, recording from the Strib Unbound festival at Theodore Wirth Park. Reporter Bob Timmons joins host Erica Pearson to explain why the number of Minnesota’s state parks dropped from 66 to 64 in…

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About the show

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.