Photos: Minnesota’s old school buildings stir memories of a small-town past

In every corner of Minnesota, there are good stories waiting to be told of places that make our state great and people who, in Walt Whitman’s words, “contribute a verse” each day. That's the theme of our series, “Wander & Wonder: Exploring Minnesota’s unexpected places.”

The arrival of August in Minnesota means attention starts to turn toward the State Fair, the upcoming football season — and classes resuming at hundreds of schools across the state.

In some communities, the kids are long gone but the old school buildings still stand, holding on as local landmarks and links to the past.

Picking up from an initial collection of “old school” photos posted last summer, here’s another batch of images of former school buildings still standing — in some cases just barely — in communities across Minnesota.

If you have any stories or more photos to share about any of these schools, send an email to akrueger@mpr.org.

And remember: if you go out wandering and wondering on your own to any old schools or other buildings around the region, keep in mind that most are on private property and many may not be safe to enter.

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