Visit Us
Step inside the former Corcoran Building and discover the museum, gift shop, Karjala Research Genealogy and History Center, and a collection of more than 50,000 artifacts, archives, photographs and library items.
Find Us
201 N Pokegama AveGrand Rapids, MN 55744
Come Inside
Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Talk With Us
One Building. Thousands of Local Stories.
The Itasca County Historical Society is located in what was formerly the Corcoran Building. Today, the building brings the museum, gift shop, Karjala Research Genealogy and History Center, and extensive collection storage together in one destination. Whether you are visiting for an exhibit, tracing family history or simply curious about the community, there is always something to discover.
Explore the Stories of the County
The Itasca Museum introduces visitors to the industries, cultures, communities and people that shaped the region. Exhibits bring together historic objects, photographs and personal stories from throughout Itasca County.
The River Room is an interpretive site on the Great River Road Mississippi River Tour. It explores steamboats, early settlement, the Blandin Paper Company dam, the Charles Smith Chippewa Indian legacy, wild ricing, showboats and the current River Walk.
- Itasca logging
- CCC camps
- Model trains
- Indigenous history
- Itasca County schools
- Mississippi River history
- Judy Garland
- Regional artifacts
History You Can Step Into
Discover exhibits that connect regional history to the people, communities and landscapes visitors recognize today.
The Mississippi River
Explore steamboats, wild ricing, showboats, industry and the river’s lasting role in regional life.
Frances Ethel Gumm
Discover the Grand Rapids story of the young performer who became known around the world as Judy Garland.
Work, School & Community
Experience stories of logging, CCC camps, schools, railroads and communities throughout Itasca County.
Research Your Family & Local History
Ancestry.com is available to the public and members in the Karjala Research Genealogy and History Center. The center supports both amateur and professional researchers looking for family and local history.
The genealogy collection includes a wide range of materials relating to Itasca County, while volunteers continue working to make cemetery photographs and grave-marker records easier to find.
- Obituaries
- Engagement records
- Marriage records
- Birth records
- Military service records
- Telephone directories
- City directories
- Digitized newspapers
- Historic photographs
- Cemetery indexes
Try the Historical Escape Room
Gather your team and experience local history in a completely different way with the museum’s historical escape room, “Doughboy’s Secret Recipe.”
We’d Love to See You
The museum is located in downtown Grand Rapids. Call or email the Historical Society if you have questions about exhibits, group visits, accessibility or research assistance.
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Address
201 N Pokegama Ave
Grand Rapids, MN 55744 - Phone 218-326-6431
- Email ichs@paulbunyan.net
Museum Hours
Support the Stories You Discover
Memberships and donations help preserve the museum, maintain the research collection and keep Itasca County history available to the community.