Museums and Local History in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley

Arts, Entertainment, and Museums

Museums across St. Louis Park and Golden Valley invite visitors of every age to discover art, history, and culture. At the Pavek, the story of electronic communication shows how the past informs the future through one of the world's most significant collections of vintage radio, television and broadcast equipment. Visitors can also investigate the beginnings of Golden Valley and St. Louis Park.

Pavek Museum of Electronic Communication

The Pavek Museum houses the ultimate collection of electronic communication.

Since opening in 1988, the Pavek has protected the history and technology of electronic communication while teaching visitors about electromagnetism and sound. More than 12,000 sq. ft. contains antique radios, televisions and broadcast equipment, forming one of the largest and finest collections of its kind in the world.

Joe Pavek, one of the museum’s founders and namesake, contributed much of the original collection. Additional gifts from radio and TV stations in the area have helped the museum grow its holdings into a historically significant, permanent and living repository. The site also houses the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Families, school groups, and other group tours frequently visit the Pavek.

Golden Valley Historical Society

Founded in 1974, the Golden Valley Historical Society works to preserve and celebrate the history of the City of Golden Valley, Minnesota. The Society operates the Golden Valley History Museum as well as The Little Church in the Valley, an historic church available to rent for weddings.

The museum’s current exhibit, Golden Valley: No Place Like Home, traces Golden Valley’s story from pre-European contact through today. More than twenty displays explore subjects such as natural history, Native American life, and early pioneer families. Exhibits focused on the twentieth century cover Golden Valley High School, the first Byerly’s Foods, Golden Valley Garden Club, Ewald Bros. Dairy, Golden Valley Fire Department, civil rights and human rights, and game-changing inclusiveness in city leadership.

In 2020, the Museum received an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History for the exhibit. Museum hours are Saturdays from 11 am – 3 pm.

St. Louis Park Historical Society

Marie Hartmann, a lifelong citizen of the Park, founded the St. Louis Park Historical Society in April 1971. Its purpose was to find, protect, and share knowledge about St. Louis Park’s history.

The Society’s current office holds much of its collection, including bound volumes of the Dispatch newspaper. It is located at 3546 Dakota Ave S, Suite C, and is typically open Saturdays from 1 – 4 pm.

The Society also owns and operates the Historic Milwaukee Road Depot. Constructed in 1877, the Depot belonged to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and originally stood south of the railroad tracks at 36th Street and Alabama.

After the railroad ended service in 1968, Marie organized a campaign to preserve the Depot. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. In 1970, the Depot was relocated to its present site in Jorvig Park at 6210 W 37th St.

Today, the Depot still contains railroad-related items. It is occasionally open to the public and is available to rent for special events.