Today I visited the Runestone Museum in Alexandria, Minnesota. I’ve been a runestone enthusiast for years, and I’ve wanted to stop and see the fabled Kensington Runestone for a long time. This morning, I finally managed to fit it into my schedule.

The runestone itself is shrouded in mystery. Some say it’s real, but others say it’s an elaborate hoax. I haven’t read everything on the subject, but I tend to think it’s genuine. The immigrant farmer who discovered it had just six weeks of formal education. He was derided by skeptics, his teenage daughter ran away from home, and one of his sons even committed suicide because of the shame and embarrassment they all suffered as a result. If the old man was joking, I think he would have put an end to their misery long before his family fell apart.

Whether or not the stone is authentic, though, the museum was definitely worth a visit. I aged the photos for you, so you could get a sense of the history at the site — and you can click on the thumbnails to see a larger version of each image.