Why Wisconsin (wrongly) claims to have more lakes than Minnesota

Before Christo and Jeanne-Claude became world famous for transforming landmarks and landscapes, they staged one of their strangest early projects in Minneapolis. In 1966, the artists and a group of students built an enormous translucent package stuffed with thousands of colorful balloons — then tried to fly it by helicopter from the Minneapolis Institute of Art to the Walker Art Center. Strong winds turned the ambitious experiment into a dramatic, and ultimately unsuccessful, spectacle.Host Erica Pearson talks with Minnesota Star Tribune visual arts reporter Alicia Eler about the story behind the artwork, the tense attempts to get it airborne and how this largely forgotten Minneapolis moment fits into the career of two artists who would later create some of the world’s most recognizable public art.

In 1949, about 2,000 people gathered near the Rapidan Dam to watch something extraordinary: a 40-ton, six-story grain elevator creep across a narrow bridge over the Blue Earth River. Decades later, one witness still remembered the spectacle — and asked Curious Minnesota: How did they possibly pull it off? Host Erica Pearson talks with reporter Jp Lawrence about the remarkable logistics behind the move, from hauling the towering wooden structure along rural roads to raising it above bridge railings and inching it up a 104-foot riverbank. They also explore what remains of that history today — and how the Rapidan landscape has dramatically changed.

Minnesotans love loons for their haunting calls, striking beauty and adorable chicks that ride on their parents’ backs. But what happens when one of these iconic birds suddenly charges a swimmer? After a young Curious Minnesota listener accidentally swam between a fierce loon and its chicks, he wanted to know: Do loons attack people, and how often does it happen? Reporter Eva Herscowitz spoke with biologists, wildlife rescuers and devoted loon watchers to find out. In this episode, host Erica Pearson and Herscowitz explore the warning signs loons use when they feel threatened, the rare encounters that have left people injured and why humans pose a much greater danger to loons than loons do to us. Plus, Erica’s dad shares the unforgettable story of his own face-to-face encounter with an angry loon in northern Minnesota.

Sandstone, Minn., is known today for rock climbing, ice climbing and whitewater rafting. But before it became an outdoor recreation destination, it was one of the Midwest's most important sandstone-producing communities. When a Curious Minnesota listener asked about the area's towering quarry walls, Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Christa Lawler set out to uncover their history. What she found was a story of railroad tycoons, booming industry, dangerous labor, remarkable engineering—and an entire town that was moved to accommodate the railroad. In this episode, host Erica Pearson and Lawler visit the abandoned quarry sites, hear firsthand accounts from former quarry workers preserved in local archives, and explore how Sandstone transformed from an industrial powerhouse into one of Minnesota's hidden gems for outdoor adventure. If you've ever driven through Sandstone on the way to Duluth, this episode might convince you it's worth making the stop.

Meat raffles are a beloved Minnesota bar tradition: Buy a ticket, watch the wheel spin, and maybe go home with steaks, brats or ground beef for dinner. But where did this unusual game of chance come from? In this episode of Curious Minnesota, host Erica Pearson talks with reporter Eleanor Hildebrandt about the surprisingly rich history of meat raffles, from their earliest roots in Wisconsin to their role in Minnesota’s charitable gambling scene today. Along the way, they uncover tales of banned raffles, “fallen off a truck” beef, packed small-town bars and why this quirky game has become such a social ritual across the Upper Midwest. Plus: how recent law changes could make meat raffles more valuable for nonprofits — and more tempting for players.

Minnesota’s license plates proudly proclaim the state as the land of “10,000 lakes.” But some Wisconsinites insist their state has even more. So who’s right? In this Curious Minnesota episode, Erica Pearson dives into lake science, state pride and a surprisingly fierce border rivalry to explain why Minnesota and Wisconsin count their lakes differently — and what actually makes a lake a lake.

A small white shack near the entrance to Interstate 94 has puzzled Minneapolis commuters for years. It's boarded up, rarely noticed, and easy to dismiss as an abandoned shed. But behind it lies a heartwarming city story. After a Curious Minnesota listener asked about the structure, reporter Alicia Eller discovered it was once a thriving newsstand run by Arne Paulson, a legally blind newspaper vendor whose determination inspired an entire community. Café owners, waitresses, and neighborhood regulars raised money and built the stand for him in 1963, helping him launch a business that served Minneapolis for more than a decade and a half. Host Erica Pearson and reporter Alicia Eler explore Arne's life, his impact on the neighborhood, and why this modest little building remains standing today as a quiet reminder of a different era.

What happens when a fishing trip turns into a foraging question? Recording live at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Strib Unbound Festival, Curious Minnesota investigates whether the weeds growing in Minnesota lakes are actually edible. Inspired by a listener who wondered if the plants tangled on fishing hooks could be eaten like seaweed snacks, host Erica Pearson sits down with food reporter Sharyn Jackson to separate myth from meal. Drawing on interviews with foraging experts, chefs, and ethnobotanists, the episode explores the surprising world of aquatic plants — including eelgrass, algae, wild rice, cattails, lotus roots, and wapato (also known as “rat potato”). Along the way, they discuss food traditions, Indigenous knowledge, toxic lookalikes, water safety, and why the most abundant wild foods are often found where land and water meet. It’s a conversation about curiosity, ecosystems, and the hidden buffet growing around Minnesota lakes.

In this episode, Curious Minnesota goes live, recording from the Strib Unbound festival at Theodore Wirth Park. Reporter Bob Timmons joins host Erica Pearson to explain why the number of Minnesota’s state parks dropped from 66 to 64 in recent years - and what it will take to get a new one.

A pair of Ancient Egyptian mummies once were a main reason for visits to Minneapolis' Central Library. They were on display there from the 1880s to the 1980s. But where did they go when the library got out of the museum business? And why were they in Minnesota in the first place? Eleanor Hildebrandt shares their tale with host Erica Pearson.