Did you know that Minnesota is considered the second most bike-friendly state in the United States? Residents ride bikes as a pastime, a mode of transport, a physical activity and a sport. To celebrate the amazing and varied history of the bicycles and to highlight the vast network of trails and paths in Washington County (including the history of rails to trails), the Washington County Historic Courthouse is hosting Spokes & Folks: The Evolution of Bikes and Trails in Washington County, which will open June 1 and run through 2019.

Exhibit sections include Wheels of Time, highlighting historic bikes; Pathway Pioneers highlighting local innovators and leaders in the bike clubs of the turn of the century; Parks, Paths and People highlighting access to biking trails in the county, as well as celebrating the new St. Croix Crossing bike and pedestrian bridge that opens summer 2019; and the Bikes and Bloomers section examining the role that bicycles played in changing social patterns for women. 

From basic transportation to recreation, from the high-wheel Penny Farthing to the modern fat-tire bike, the exhibit will highlight how bicycles have impacted the lives of area residents over the past 160 years.