“Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” Whips Up Excitement at the Minnesota History Center

ST. PAUL, Minn (September 9, 2025) – From a groundbreaking television show to bestselling cookbooks, Julia Child changed the way America cooks. Starting September 27, 2025, the Minnesota History Center will host Julia Child: A Recipe for Life, a traveling exhibition produced by Flying Fish in collaboration with Napa Valley Museum that celebrates the spirited journey of a woman who brought joy, curiosity, and fearless flavor to American kitchens.

With immersive displays, personal objects, and engaging multimedia, visitors will take a multi-sensory journey through the life of this culinary icon. They will experience interactive spaces like The French Chef WGBH television studio, where they can operate a vintage video camera and try their hand at cooking on camera. Visitors will also get a look inside Julia’s creative process with handwritten recipe drafts, letters, and photographs. 

The exhibition features an exclusive section called “Minnesota Cooks: Small Bites from the Collections”, showcasing vintage cookbooks from the Minnesota Historical Society’s collection. These pages offer more than just recipes—they reflect the traditions, values, and personalities that are a part of Minnesota’s culinary past.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, guests are invited to attend a free conversation featuring Paula Johnson, one of the original collectors and keepers of Julia Child's home kitchen. The Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacies of an Iconic Space event will run from 11 am–12:30 pm on Saturday, September 27. 

With warmth, wit, and just the right touch of butter, Julia Child: A Recipe for Life celebrates a woman who made the kitchen a place of joy, experimentation, and endless creativity. For additional information, visit our website.

Julia Child: A Recipe for Life is a traveling exhibition produced and toured internationally by Flying Fish, in collaboration with the Napa Valley Museum, under rights granted by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts and The Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, and generously sponsored by Oceania Cruises.

Funding provided by the State of Minnesota's Legacy Amendment, through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008, and our generous donors and members.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.

About Flying Fish
At Flying Fish, we believe exhibitions can do more. As a leading producer of traveling exhibitions for over a decade, we partner with world-class museums and science centers to create extraordinary, impactful experiences. Our exhibitions have attracted nearly ten million visitors, showcasing the wonders of science, history, culture, and more. We are dedicated to making exceptional, authentic content accessible to all while generating sustainable revenue for our clients. By empowering institutions to share their stories on a global scale, we amplify their missions and expand their influence. Whether creating a new exhibition or adapting existing content for international tours, Flying Fish is more than just a service provider—we are a trusted partner in elevating our client’s reach and impact. For Museums. By Museums. 

MNHS Presenting Sponsors: