What if our fate were determined by a handful of 27-sided dice. If that was so, my life was heavily shaped when one of those die landing on me winning a trip to Washington, D.C., when I was 8. It’s not that the prize was all that life-changing. Rather, the experience of leaving our family’s Iron Range junkyard for our nation’s capital opened my eyes in a way that few experience at that age.
Today’s column (gift link) shares how seeing the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum affected me. The visit created a lifelong love of museums and history.
That’s relevant because representatives of the Smithsonian visited the Iron Range last week. Their goal is to expand the reach of the nation’s top museum across the country, especially to rural areas like where I grew up.
More kids from more places learning more. It’s a good thing.
Read “Our national museum takes a welcome road trip to rural America” in the Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
