3D History Trek

05/27/2026

How do you like to “do” a history museum? Do you stop at every exhibit and read every word, or focus on the displays that connect with your interests? Those exhibits are only one way that museums generate knowledge, and they hold only a small fraction of the museum’s collection,.

Behind the scenes at a museum are the storerooms where they protect and study the objects in their care. Many objects require special storage to prevent them from degrading over time, and the storeroom of a large museum may contain millions of artifacts, Even a smaller museum, like the Anoka County Historical Society in the image, are responsible for thousands of artifacts.

Museum storerooms are not just spaces where objects are kept, they are also places of discovery. This is where researchers study these old objects with new techniques, new technology, and new questions to find new ways to share the human story.

Each item in a collection needs to be carefully recorded and stored in a database. The picture with this post shows a staff member and two volunteers reviewing the museum records in preparation for moving the entire collection to a new location after the building they had been occupying was sold. which is a major undertaking.

Next time you visit a history museum (or any museum), remember the work happening behind the walls in the storerooms. Better yet, consider volunteering. You might be the next person uncovering amazing stories hidden on the shelves in a museum’s storeroom.

3D History Trek supports museums and historic sites with 360 virtual tours that help them compete in a crowded digital world while sharing their mission with a wider audience.
https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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05/13/2026

When the city of Saint Paul purchased land along Lake Como in 1873, many people were shocked by the $100,000 price tag. After all, there was plenty of green space available for people throughout the small city. A rapidly growing population and the Industrial Revolution saw these natural areas quickly built over. At the same time, the city developed crowded tenements and a gritty urban core. The response was a nostalgia for the countryside, along with a belief that social ills were the result of people being cut off from nature.

The Saint Paul Board of Park Commissioners had originally enlisted the guidance of renowned landscape architect Horace W.S. Cleveland, who was inspired by the Picturesque style, which sought to harmonize human spaces with natural landscapes. He was replaced by Frederick Nussbaumer in 1891, who took a different approach. He added exotic gardens, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, elaborate topiary, and even banana trees in the summer. The park was a major draw for urban residents, and many of these enthusiastic visitors came by streetcar.

These two panoramas picture the historic streetcar station and the footbridge that allowed passengers to safely cross over the tracks. The St. Paul City Railway streetcar reached the edge of the park in 1892. In 1898, they were given permission to extend the line through the park. In exchange they agreed to build several bridges and a new station to replace the old wooden waiting room.

Both the footbridge and the nearby Lexington Avenue bridge use the Melan arch in their construction. In the 19th century, both concrete and steel were becoming more available for bridge construction. Josef Melan, an Austrian engineer, introduced a system in 1892 that used arched steel beams set in concrete. This method resulted in an attractive look along with ease of construction and rapidly became popular across the United States. By 1924, there were over 5,000 bridges built with this method in the country, and it remained popular into the 1930s.

The five steel ribs in the arch of the Como Park Footbridge feature a lattice design, used in Melan bridges with long spans instead of arched I-beams. During the construction of a Melan arch bridge, the curved metal beams support the concrete while it hardens. After the bridge is finished, the concrete arches carry the load.
The rise of the car led to the end of the streetcar service in 1954. The footbridge fell into disrepair. Vandals destroyed the railings, and concrete crumbled. Finally, the site was fenced to protect the public, and it was assumed that the bridge would never be safe for pedestrians again. When funds were made available to stabilize the structure, engineers found that it would be possible to rehabilitate the bridge and reconstruct the decorative railing. In 2015, the bridge opened for pedestrian use and became a landmark in the park.

Como Park is now a 450-acre oasis that draws an estimated 5.1 million visitors a year. There is a golf course, ice rinks, a conservatory, the lake, and even a free zoo, which makes a visit an affordable family outing. The streetcar station has been renovated and is used for events. The station and the footbridge sit in a quiet corner of the park that was once the main entrance. They are a reminder of the human need to be in green space, even if there has been a century and a half of tweaking to nature’s original design.

3D History Trek uses 360 photography to create immersive virtual tours of historic and archaeological sites. Contact us to support sharing the important stories you have to tell.
https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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04/30/2026

3D History Trek in enjoying the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums conference in Mankato, Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums. It is great to chat with the folks from all the amazing historic sites and museums who stop by our exhibitor table. We are glad to share how Google Street View helps museums get found by potential visitors and how virtual tours can draw more visitors including those elusive youngsters attached to their phones.

The poster sessions are in the Ellerbe Building, which has been preserved by incorporating it into the construction of the Civic Center. The building was the site of Mankato's first private banking institution in 1865. The First National Bank operated here from 1868 - 1974. and the building in the panorama was built in 1913 by architects Ellerbe and Round in the Prairie style.

3D History Trek would be happy to set up a free consultation with other historic sites and museums to discover how virtual tours can elevate the reach of your site. If you are simply a fellow history nerd you loved to explore old buildings, enjoy the view of this wonderful, old bank.

Visit the 3D History Trek website to learn how we can boost the visibility of your historic site.

https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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04/20/2026

We are glad to be a sponsor for next week's conference and look forward to meeting with fellow history nerds. 3D History Trek will have an exhibitor table set up so stop by and see what our tours can do for your historic site.

A huge thank you to our 2026 conference sponsors! 👏 We couldn't make it happen without their support.

Visit them (in addition to other exhibitors) in this year's exhibit hall!

04/13/2026

I must admit that I was distracted looking at the landscape and missed my turn on a drive from Red Wing, MN to St. Paul. I was looking for a place to turn around when I saw a steeple on a hilltop and couldn’t resist exploring.

The steeple belongs to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New Trier, MN. As the name of the town indicates, the first non-Native settlers were mostly Germans along with immigrants from Luxembourg. They brought with them their Catholic faith and in 1856 built a small log cabin to serve as the first church.

The parish grew rapidly and within a few years a bigger frame church was built, but even that became too small and in 1864 a large stone church was built. This, in turn, was replaced in 1909 by the existing Beaux-Arts church designed by George J. Ries of St. Paul. The cornerstone from the old church is installed in the vestibule, and an 1862 statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands watch over the door of the main entrance.

Several things stand out about this church. The Beaux-Arts architecture is unusual for a small, rural town. The prominent setting on the hilltop overlooking New Trier creates a powerful landmark and reflects the church’s central role for the early settlers. By capturing these images in 360° panoramas I hope that I have conveyed a sense of the setting of the church and its accompanying cemetery.

The church building stands as a symbol of how immigrant communities shaped the cultural and physical landscape of rural Minnesota. Many residents in the modern town can trace their families back to those early settlers who came to a land rich with the archaeology of thousands of years of previous human occupation.

At 3D History Trek we firmly believe that you should regularly miss your turn, get lost, or otherwise be willing to ignore your plans and simply explore. You never know what gems of history you might find.

Visit the 3D History Trek website for more information on our work with museums and historical societies and contact us for a free consultation for reaching a wider audience with your site.

https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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04/01/2026

3D History Trek is currently booking virtual tour shoots of museums and historic sites. Find our information below.

The area around the Mississippi River town of Red Wing, MN, had the perfect mix of resources for developing a successful pottery industry. The bluffs along the river held rich deposits of clay, perfect for creating the storage containers that people relied on in the days before refrigeration. There was wood to fuel the kilns, labor to run the shops, and the location along the river made it convenient to ship finished pottery.

For the settlers moving into the area in the 19th century, stoneware pottery was essential for everyday storage. Some of these early settlers brought pottery-making skills with them from their homelands such as Germany. A few also brought the entrepreneurial spirit to recognize opportunity and launch businesses founded on these resources.

The Pottery Museum of Red Wing preserves and shares this history. This is reflected in a locally focused collection of over 6,000 pieces that range from bulky sewer pipes to graceful Art Deco figures. It is one of those museums that some people might drive past, thinking it is not for them because they are not pottery collectors, but specialty museums like this are gems of information on all sorts of subjects. In addition to local history, visitors will learn about subjects such as technology, industry, labor, and the changes in art and design over time. The objects are connected to the people who produced them—the workers, designers, and owners. This is all presented in an area of the city where many of the historic structures associated with pottery production still exist.

I love historic sites and museums, so my opinion may be a little biased, but when I was shooting my 360° panoramas, a couple came in with a girl about 10 years old. As the girl moved from exhibit to exhibit, I overheard her call out to her parents in an excited voice, “This is so cool!”—a spontaneous positive review that warmed my history nerd’s heart.

3D History Trek is here to share our love of history and collaborate with museums and historic sites to help them broaden their reach and win the attention of a digitally-focused audience. Do you have a site you want to promote? Explore our website and book a free consultation. http://3dhistorytrek.com/

Pottery Museum of Red Wing, ,

03/24/2026

Yep. Minnesotans stand in long lines at the state fair to see the crop art. Always worth it.

03/20/2026

In 1910, the owner of the Meighen General Store in Forestville, Minnesota, closed its doors for the last time, leaving everything on the shelves in an inadvertent time capsule. When 3D History Trek captured this panorama in the summer of 2025, we didn’t know that the doors would soon be closing again, or that we were creating a digital time capsule.

The town of Forestville was established along the banks of the Root River in the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota by friends Robert Foster and Felix Meighen. Felix quickly recognized the need for a general store in the area and completed a log building to serve as both store and residence in 1853.

In a story repeated by many new non-Native towns in the Midwest, Forestville soon attracted new residents and quickly grew to 150 inhabitants, with two hotels, two sawmills, a gristmill, a school, and more. In 1857, the general store was upgraded when it was moved to a new brick building attached to the Meighen family home.

In a story repeated by many small non-Native towns in the Midwest, Forestville began to decline when it was bypassed by the railroad. By 1880, the hotels had closed and the population had dropped to 55. Felix Meighen’s son, Thomas, had much bigger ambitions than being a storekeeper in a fading town and became active in banking and politics elsewhere. By the time the store closed in 1910, the other businesses in Forestville had already been shuttered, and the town had effectively ceased to exist.

In a story repeated by many irreplaceable historic sites, it was local people who fought to have the remains of the historic town and the surrounding land protected. In 1941, the area became part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is now Forestville State Park. The remains of the historic town were acquired by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1949, and the store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In a story repeated by too many historic sites today, tight budgets and declining visitor numbers meant that, in the fall of 2025, the Minnesota Historical Society converted three of its sites, including Forestville, to self-guided “outdoor interpretive experiences.” In other words, the doors were closed, but visitors could still walk around outside.

In the summer of 2025, 3D History Trek captured a full walkthrough of the store and the Meighen house. We had not been hired by the Historical Society; we were simply enjoying a weekend in the Driftless Area, visiting historic sites and taking photographs. The staff was knowledgeable and welcoming. We didn’t know what changes were coming.

3D History Trek supports museums and historic sites in becoming accessible beyond physical walls and limited summer seasons. Do you work with a site facing limitations to in-person visits? Contact us to start a conversation about how we can expand the reach of your site and share its unique stories.

[email protected]
https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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03/12/2026

Tuesday was a rather cold, gray day for a river walk after meeting with the folks from Carver on the Minnesota, Inc about building their online presence with virtual tours. The historic district of Carver sits along the Minnesota river, and in this shot, you can see the well-cared for historic home lining the streets of the town. In a few weeks this view will be green grass, flowers blooming, birds singing, and mosquitos the size of small aircraft rising from the riverside.

One reason I started 3D History Trek was to help small history organizations like Carver on the Minnesota, Inc. Through local knowledge and personal connections, these groups collect and preserve history that larger organizations miss.

Whether you are in the American Midwest, Europe, or anywhere else, keep your eyes open for the small, volunteer run museums and local guidebooks put out by these organizations. They are not doing this work for money, they are doing for the love of history and deserve our appreciation.

http://3dhistorytrek.com/
Carver on the Minnesota

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03/03/2026

The Pioneer Building in St. Paul, at the height of 12 stories, was the tallest building west of Chicago when it was completed in 1889. The Romanesque Revival style building was designed by Chicago architect Solon Berman to house the St. Paul Pioneer Press and showcased the sophistication of Minnesota’s capitol city.

The Pioneer Building is the site of numerous firsts including the nation’s first telephone answering service, Northwest Airline’s first ticket office, and the first building to use glass-enclosed elevator shafts. These elevators continued to be human-operated until at least 2004 and are visible in this interior view.

The year after the Pioneer Building was opened the Endicott Building was completed next door. This Italian Renaissance structure was the first major St. Paul commission by local architect, Cass Gilbert. The Endicott wraps around two sides of the Pioneer Building and the two buildings and their histories have remained intertwined.

Berman returned to the Pioneer Building 22 years after its completion to add four more stories by using a new steel frame technique. The newspaper moved out in 1978 and major renovations were completed in 1983. The ground floor is home to the Minnesota Museum of American Art (the “M” for short), which was founded as the St. Paul School of Fine Arts in 1894. Much of the rest of the building is apartments, but on the second floor one can find the Legacy Chocolate shop. This means a visitor can enjoy beautiful art, wonderful chocolate, and a historic building all in one place. That sounds like a perfect afternoon to me.

Exterior shots in comments.

3D History Trek uses 360 photography and virtual tours to help historic and archaeological sites remain competitive and reelevating in today’s digital world. Contact us for a presentation.

https://3dhistorytrek.com/

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