Curious Minnesota
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.
51
Why didn't Minneapolis and St. Paul ever merge?
It was once considered "manifest destiny" that Minneapolis and St. Paul would become one city.
19 min
52
Why does Minnesota have municipal liquor stores?
Minnesota's law allowing cities to have a monopoly over liquor sales within their boundaries is unlike most other states.
12 min
53
Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs?
Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis, is much smaller than cities elsewhere in the country that it considers peers -- like Seattle and Denver.
18 min
54
Did a famed parks leader import gray squirrels ...
Grey squirrels are so plentiful in cities today that it is difficult to imagine urban life without them.
16 min
55
Why was the utopian plan for Minneapolis' Cedar...
The towers now known as Riverside Plaza are among the most recognizable buildings in Minneapolis.
24 min
56
What happened to Minneapolis' famous Weatherball?
Many Minnesotans today grew up when the Weatherball was one of the most prominent landmarks of Minneapolis' skyline.
15 min
57
How a Twin Cities ammunition factory dominated ...
Billions of bullets flowed from the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills in its heyday during World War II.
15 min
58
Why was the Mall of America built in Minnesota?
The Mall of America is one of Minnesota's most well-known landmarks, three decades after it was built in Bloomington.
13 min
59
Why does Minnesota sometimes get colder than th...
Minnesota's bitter winters are part of the state's national identity. But how cold is it, really?
8 min
60
How did Minnesota become a window manufacturing...
Minnesota's largest window companies, Marvin and Andersen Windows & Doors, are well known across the nation.
13 min
61
Why are there so many stucco homes in the Twin ...
About 45% of single-family homes in Minneapolis have stucco siding, along with nearly a third of the homes in St. Paul.
15 min
62
Minnesota companies once dominated the supercom...
Firms like Univac, Control Data and Cray Research built some of the fastest computers in the world.
16 min
63
Why did Finnish immigrants come to Minnesota? (...
Minnesota has more residents of Finnish ancestry than any other state.
18 min
64
Did a TV debate decide one of Minnesota's most ...
Reporter Randy Furst joins Eric Roper to discuss the 1990 gubernatorial campaign.
20 min
65
Who was Hennepin and why did Minnesota name so ...
Father Louis Hennepin's name is prevalent around the Twin Cities.
14 min
66
Does Minnesota really have the 'World's Oldest ...
A historical marker for Minnesota's most ancient artifact is both intriguing and controversial.
25 min
67
How lumberjacks harnessed an 'ocean of pine' to...
Curious Minnesota podcast host Eric Roper discusses the history of logging in Minnesota with reporter Christa Lawler.
15 min
68
Why has the Park Board allowed the 'birthplace ...
The John H. Stevens House in Minnehaha Park is arguably the most important structure relating to Minneapolis' origin story.
15 min
69
Why did Scandinavian immigrants choose Minnesota?
Minnesota has more residents of Norwegian and Swedish ancestry than any other state.
16 min
70
Was Charles Lindbergh a Nazi sympathizer?
The Minnesota native drew controversy for his remarks and actions preceding America’s intervention in World War II.
16 min
71
Why isn't Minnesota's sacrifice at Gettysburg b...
Kevin Duchschere joins the show to discuss the battle and the First Minnesota's legacy.
12 min
72
What was the first movie filmed in Minnesota?
While "Fargo" is undoubtedly the most famous movie filmed in Minnesota, it was far from the first.
15 min
73
How did Nicollet Island transform from an indus...
Chris and Rushika Hage join host Eric Roper to discuss the island's history and how it came to look the way it does today.
16 min
74
How an inside joke led to St. Cloud getting its...
Reporter Jenny Berg joins host Ash Miller to share the tale behind the naming of St. Cloud.
10 min
75
The hidden electrical system that keeps our lig...
Generating electricity and getting it to houses and businesses across Minnesota is a round-the-clock effort that is easy to take for granted.
11 min