Marine Mills Folk School

Discover the Joy of Creating Together From a Folk School Tradition

Marine Mills Folk School is an experiential learning center located in the St. Croix Valley. We partner with skilled artisan-instructors to offer courses in woodworking, fiber arts, visual arts, culinary arts, outdoor skills, and other traditional arts & crafts. Our approach is hands-on learning for all ages in a supportive environment that is fun, collaborative, and restorative.

Marine Mills Folk School opened its doors in October 2018 with 11 classes. In 2023, we offered more than 350 in-person classes and community events. Our philosophy places relationships and connections between people at the center of learning and life.

Support our mission by taking a class, attending one of our community events, and making a donation today!

The Folk School movement began in the 1830s in Denmark and was introduced in the United States in the early 1900s. The philosophy of folk schools is a faith in the intrinsic abilities of all individuals, and that learning should be available to everyone throughout their life cycle. “Schools for Life” give people the ability to understand their own strengths and abilities and, through this process, strengthen and empower communities.

Folk schools also emphasize hands-on learning that is at once intergenerational and non-competitive: learning for the sake of learning. They also endeavor to capture and preserve traditional skills before being lost to new ways.