(KNSI) – A new exhibit is opening at the Stearns History Museum, featuring an interesting nod to the country’s 250th anniversary.
The Cabinet of Curiosities exhibit will feature a collection of items from around the world, but with a fresh perspective, according to Museum Executive Director Amy Degerstrom. The exhibit, she said, will pay homage to the country’s first public museums, helping visitors understand why and how museums began collecting items for display.
The concept, Degerstrom said, is meant to be viewed from the perspective of a wealthy traveler who could afford to gather objects from around the world and display them. “You would display them in fancy cabinets, call them Cabinets of Curiosities and invite people into your home to see these objects.”
She also highlighted Benjamin Franklin as an inspiration, noting that his involvement in opening the first such museum in Philadelphia in the 1780s made natural history objects accessible to the public.
The Stearns History Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is free to all Stearns County residents.
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