They show a video and talk about how the fire was several miles high more like a tornado. Lots of recovered items from the fire and a great Painted Mural on a back wall. Very sad that so many people, animals and livestock lost their lives but very heroic what some people did to save others.
Not to be missed -- 5 minutes off the freeway. Learn about the great fire that killed more than 400 people in 1896 after the logging companies stripped the land of its ancient pines. The family artifacts are touching, and the heroism of the train drivers is inspiring.
Can you imagine trying to find an escape from flames that not only are surrounding you but are shooting up higher than you can see? The displays, video, and commentary got me thinking if I would have been able to cope with this horrific firestorm. Be sure to stop and put yourself into the four hours of terror that Hinckley and the surrounding areas endured, and resurrecting their lives from the ashes. Made my life seem truly blessed.
This museum is staffed by volunteers who proudly provide so much information about this catastrophic event. She informed us that the loss of life was closer to the 1000 mark due to bodies never recovered, reported lost, etc. The stories of those saved from this unbelievably horrible cyclonic fire storm is heartwarming. The video shown before touring the rest of the museum is excellent. The $5.00 adult ($4 seniors) makes this an unbelievable great bargain.
lots of information about a little known disaster, you'll find out how fortunate we are to have warnings in place
Amazing story of the great fire of 1894 and how it the firestorm could be seen as far south as Iowa. The museum is in the train depot and includes the men's and women's waiting rooms, beanery, freight room and depot agent's apartment. A short video is shown to tell details of the tragic day when so many people lost their lives and how they attempted to leave Hinckley as the fire raged across the land. Many educational items have been collected and donated for this authentic museum which makes it one of the most interesting places to visit. When traveling between through Hinckley it is well worth the stop! (it's closed on Mondays)
Once upon a time, Hinckley, MN was a lumber town, it didn't rain the summer of 1894, and the slag was left in the woods. It caught fire, and the fire storm rose to 23,000 feet. The 400 sqare miles burned in 4 hours, >400 people died, those who didn't make it out on the train, hid in streams and ponds. Most of those who died were buried in mass graves east of town. The museum, via film and displays, is in the rebuilt train station. It documents the tragedy. It's a sobering visit.
I took my 8 and 10 year olds to the museum. We enjoyed it. They are good about museum hopping with me. They learned many things about the fire from the movie and the displays. We were only there for about an hour. The place was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday afternoon. Everyone enjoyed looking at the burned artifacts and the mini replication of the town before it burned. If you are already in Hinckley, it is a nice little side trip. I would not make a special trip for this museum.
An interesting piece of history, definitely worth the stop. After visiting the museum, take a trip to the cemetery to visit the burial sie and monument to victims.
If you're going through Hinckley, this a a must. It's give a brief history of the area and about the great fire.