Rockford Area Historical Society, 8131 Bridge St, Rockford, MN 55373, US

Located a block down from Main Street, Hopkins Historical Society offers a vast directory of Hopkins. The large room that holds most of Hopkins' treasured memorabilia looks a bit like the inside of a time capsule. There are antique farming tools, yearbooks from 1940 to present, a full directory on Minneapolis Moline (the first major industry that brought people to Hopkins), diaries from as far back as 1872, service uniforms and panoramic photos of Hopkins through the years. The crammed room also houses paintings and replicas created by Hopkins residents. Other townships also are represented, including Minnetonka, West Minneapolis and Edina. The mission of the Historical Society is to "document, preserve and classify historical records, interpret material unique to our local history, gather artifacts and materials to exhibit the story of Hopkins and serve as community historians to children and adults." A calm and quiet place to research or reminisce, the Hopkins Historical Society is open Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment.