NEW ULM — The Brown County Historical Society seeks public support for a $200,000 project to install a permanent Early Brown County exhibit and a first floor museum renovation.

Improvements include relocating the museum store, creating a new visitor reception area and improving control systems to manage visitor flow. The museum has not been updated since 1985 when it opened to the public.

Project improvements include areas for tour group orientation, meet-n-greet, and designated space for visitor functions. All planned improvements are intended to enhance the museum visitor experience.

Donors will be recognized on a donor panel displayed near the Early Brown County exhibit entrance.

Donor categories include county $25,000 to $49,000; township $10,000 to $24,999; section $5,000 to $9,999; town $1,000 to $4,999; and homestead $999 and under.

The project includes installation of a permanent Early Brown County Exhibit on the museum main floor that addresses the early history and formation of Brown County. Future planned updates with highlight other stories or incorporate new ways to convey history to visitors.

The exhibit will tell Brown County’s story during the periods of prehistory, early human habitation and European settlement.

Topics include geographical formation of the county and how it affected human settlement, Native American cultures before and after European contact, the fur trade, European settlement, formation of Brown County, early towns, industries and businesses, inhabitant ethnicity and culture, and significant events.

The exhibit will include other topics such as transportation, early education, health care and recreational activities. These other sections will be rotated out and replaced with new themes to keep the exhibit fresh.

The Brown County Historical Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the extend allowed by law.

To donate, visit givemn.org/Borwn-County-Historical Society-2. For more information, visit www.browncountyhistorymn.org/

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.