Curious Minnesota

How did Mayor Hubert Humphrey change Minneapolis?

Hubert Humphrey was Minneapolis' mayor before he headed to the U.S. Senate and White House. Reporter Eleanor Hildebrandt talks with host Erica Pearson about how his time as mayor shaped the city.

Why do so many spam calls come from Norwood Young America, MN?

Your phone rings. It’s a number you don’t recognize, but it’s a Minnesota area code. The caller ID location reads Norwood Young America. If you’ve gotten these spam calls, you’re not alone. Casey Darnell shares the likely story behind the calls with host Erica Pearson. Plus: Is Norwood Young America really home to Minnesota's oldest summer festival?

Lake Superior’s most famous shipwrecks have dramatic tales to tell

The Edmund Fitzgerald went down 50 years ago on Nov. 10, 1977. The ore carrier simply vanished from the surface of Lake Superior. It was an ominous ending — mysterious and tragic, too. Hundreds of other vessels have sunk in the big lake, and shipwreck hunters still work to find their watery resting places. Guest Christa Lawler shares some of Lake Superior's striking shipwreck stories with host Erica Pearson. Still curious? Read more at the Minnesota Star Tribune. To support Curious Minnesota and the important work of the Minnesota Star Tribune, subscribe today by visiting Startribune.com/WorthItToSubscribe. Stay up to date with the Star Tribune at @startribune on TikTok, Bluesky, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

What happened to Minnesota's original Zombie Pub Crawl?

At its peak, an estimated 35,000 rotting Minnesotans participated in the annual Zombie Pub Crawl, founded 20 years ago. The event grew large enough to set a world record for the largest amount of people dressed as zombies. Then the festival seemed to have its own apocalypse. Our guest is columnist Laura Yuen [https://www.startribune.com/author/laura-yuen/8127999]. Still curious? Read more at the Minnesota Star Tribune [https://www.startribune.com/news-politics/curious-minnesota]. To support Curious Minnesota and the important work of the Minnesota Star Tribune, subscribe today by visiting Startribune.com/WorthItToSubscribe [http://startribune.com/WorthItToSubscribe]. Stay up to date with the Star Tribune at @startribune on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startribune], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/startribune.com], X [https://x.com/StarTribune], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/startribune/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startribune/].

What's the oldest bar in Minnesota?

Curious Minnesota goes on a bit of a bar crawl through history. We look into which of the state’s historic watering holes is really Minnesota’s oldest. The question is trickier than you might think.