News

Kathleen Baxter – children’s librarian extraordinaire and tireless promoter of our beloved books – died on May 19, 2025. A celebration of her life is scheduled for June 10, 2–2:45 p.m., at the Washburn-McReavy Edina Chapel (5000 W. 50th St., Edina).

The service will also be livestreamed. To register to attend virtually, click here ... and then click on the video. This will take you to OneRoom - Viewer, where you can register to watch.

You may also share a memory of Kathy on this page or send some comforting words to her family and other loved ones.

She leaves a huge hole in this world.

Grounds and Gardens Day Is June 22

Please join us!

When: Sunday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Betsy-Tacy Houses, 333 and 332 Center Street, Mankato
Goal: Beautify the grounds and gardens at our historic Houses!

Specifically:

  • Plant new plants (in the gardens, in bowls for the porch steps, in planter boxes, etc.)

  • Remove or transplant some existing plants

  • Spread compost and mulch

  • Assist Tim, our wonderful landscape designer, with other tasks as needed

Sound like fun? You can spend the whole day or drop in for a brief time – we will be thrilled to see you and so grateful for any help you can offer!
Please bring any gardening tools you have. We'll have a few on hand as well. We'll also provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks throughout the day! If you’d like to come, please RSVP so we know how many to plan for.
Thank you! We can't wait to see you – and to see our Houses BLOOM.

The Betsy-Tacy Houses Are Open for Public Tours

Come visit us!

Donation Drive 2025!

We raised $36,877!
Thank you!!

On April 26, we wrapped up our yearly donation drive – to enable us to keep the Betsy-Tacy Houses open and continue the good work we've been doing and also to beautify the grounds and gardens at each House, so the exteriors are as lovely and inviting as the interiors we've worked so hard to restore and maintain. See the 2025 Donor List here.

Everyone who donated $200 or more is listed on our website as a Friend of the Betsy and Tacy Gardens and had the chance to weigh in on what we will plant there. You can see their gorgeous choices here.

Thank you for your support!

Do You Remember Your First Time?

The Betsy-Tacy Houses opened for our regular Saturday business hours on May 3, and we would love to add a few more volunteers to our roster. There is simply nothing like seeing someone enter Betsy’s House for the first time – and YOU could be the person who opens the door for them and witnesses this magical moment!

Whether you’re available for a weekly or monthly shift or can volunteer only occasionally, we will gratefully accept the gift of your time.

  • Tour guides: Saturday shifts are from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m., May–October (three total tours). We also need guides for private tours throughout the year. No experience required! Training is provided, we’ll give you a script, and you may shadow an experienced guide until you feel comfortable going solo. 

  • Shop staff: Saturday shifts are from 12:45 to 3:45 p.m., May–October (the Shop is open 1–3:30). Training is provided – and again, you may shadow an experienced worker till you’re comfortable handling things on your own.

To learn more, please call (507) 345-9777 or email us. You can also download our Volunteer Application here.

Our Amazon Wish List

Want to be part of the Betsy-Tacy Houses and support our work in a very concrete and tangible way? Check out our Wish List on Amazon.com and see the various items we’d love to receive. (Many years ago, a member donated a new vacuum to Tacy’s House, and every time she visits she checks to see how “her” vacuum is doing! 🤣) We update this list regularly. Thank you for your support!


—> Looking for older News stories? They can be found here.

Events

The next Betsy-Tacy Convention will be October 10–12, 2025. Find the latest Convention news here:
Website: https://betsy-tacy-convention.square.site/
Facebook: facebook.com/BetsyTacyCon

Have an item to donate to our Silent Auction? Inquire here. Thank you!

Note: “Deep Valley Time” (i.e., Central Time) is our default when listing an event. To be sure that you’ve correctly calculated the time difference for your location, we suggest using an online world clock such as this one.