ELK RIVER - The historic Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River is getting ready to show off their multimillion dollar renovation. Farm Site Manager Bob Quist says a new visitor center is ready to welcome guests.

Size wise it's larger. It's also more energy efficient. It gives us the spaces also to really explore and discuss agriculture in Minnesota today.

The visitor center has a new learning kitchen, classrooms, indoor exhibits, and a museum store. Quist says the new visitor center is just one of the new features.

We built a couple new buildings, in addition to our visitor center. We have a new animal display barn where we can meet the animals that are a part of Minnesota today.  We added some gardening features. We added some new cropland that we'll also be exploring.

The 1860s farmstead is owned by the Minnesota Historical Society.

The $10 1/2 million renovation project was paid-for mostly with state bonding money.

The Oliver Kelley Farm is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and "the birthplace of organized agriculture in America". Oliver Kelley and his family began farming on the banks of the Mississippi in 1850.

The Oliver Kelley Farm will open on the weekends starting on Saturday, April 1st.

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