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commercials you’ll see the brand’s first spokescharacter,
Sir Can-A-Lot, as he crusades to “rescue the world from
routine meals.”
Manufactured in Austin since 1937, SPAM consists of pork
shoulder, ham trimmings and spices, all cooked and neatly
packaged in that familiar blue-and-yellow pull-tab can. In 1989
SPAM discontinued the attached key for twisting off the lid, one
of many facts a museum visitor learns from a self-guided tour
or a “SPAMbassador” guide (often a retired Hormel employee).
And did you know that Hawaii residents are the most ardent
SPAM fans, annually consuming 11 cans per capita
The SPAM Museum is a wonderland of memorabilia, from
radio jingles and TV commercials to a Monty Python tribute
and a letter from General Dwight Eisenhower recognizing the
importance of SPAM to his troops during World War II. On a
make-believe production line, you can don a white butcher coat
and race against the clock. A 15-minute video chronicles the
history of SPAM.
The gift shop sells all SPAM varieties, including ones that
might not be in your local store, plus cookbooks, oven mitts, T-
shirts, mouse pads and other SPAM logo items. The Wall of
SPAM at the museum entrance, a great photo backdrop, contains
3,390 empty cans. (spam.com)
Minnesota History Center at 20. This great repository of
all things Minnesota had its grand opening in 1992, the same
year as Mall of America. An impressive building located near
the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, the museum captures
the essence of the state in interactive displays and videos.
Popular permanent exhibits include Minnesota’s Greatest
Generation, a look at those who grew up during the Depression,
came of age during World War II and participated in the post-war
boom. Visitors view classic film clips in a 1930s-style movie theater,
get behind the counter of a soda fountain from the era,
watch a re-creation of a WWII combat flight and join a Rosie the
Riveter-style assembly line packing ammunition shells.
A temporary exhibit on Depression-era art that adorned
public buildings showcases 56 paintings produced under the
auspices of the federal government’s Public Works of Art Project
for unemployed artists. Organized by the Smithsonian’s
American Art Museum, 1934: A New Deal for Artists runs from
June 2 to Sept. 30.
Don’t miss the museum’s Weather Permitting exhibit, which
covers ice fishing, snow shoveling, skiing and dog sledding; a
six-minute show, complete with howling winds, sounds of
breaking glass and recollections of victims, recreates living
through a tornado. (minnesotahistorycenter.org)
Mall of America at 20. After 20 years, the nation’s largest
retail and entertainment complex under one roof still reigns
supreme as one of the Midwest’s blockbuster attractions. Last
year was a record-setter for the Bloomington mall, which reported
a sales increase of 10 percent and welcomed 26 new
tenants; traffic rose by 3.5 percent. Renovations in the area
being vacated by long-time anchor Bloomingdale’s and more
new stores are on tap for 2012, not to mention a full slate of
20th anniversary events.
The mall’s Nickelodeon Universe, America’s largest indoor
amusement park, welcomes two new rides that will up the
scream quotient. On Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell
Shock, guests are able to control their seat, which can rotate
wildly like a plane propeller or a gentle teeter-totter, making
no two ride experiences the same. The ride is based on the
new animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
which will premier later this year on Nickelodeon. Other MOA
fun options include SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, Moose
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