Celebrate the opening of the new Scott County Historical Society’s exhibit, “Cabinet of Curiosities” on Thursday, Oct. 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Scott County Historical Society, 235 S. Fuller St., Shakopee.

At the opening, visitors can try their hand at creating their own “curiosity creature,” learn how to make a curio cabinet and press leaves. The event is free for SCHS members, or the non-member rate of $4 per adult and $2 per students.

Traditionally, Cabinets of Curiosities & Oddities were rooms that held collections consisting of various types of objects. These included natural history specimens (think beetles stuck by a pin to a board), religious relics, and works of art. Stories surrounding these objects enthralled hundreds of curious viewers.

In some sense, Cabinets of Curiosities & Oddities could be considered among the first museums.Described by many historians as “wonder rooms,” these rooms developed in 16th century Northern Europe. Many early cabinets were filled with preserved animals, horns, tusks, skeletons, minerals, and other natural curiosities. Often random pieces were combined to make mythical creatures, blurring the lines between myth and reality. Other intriguing objects included paintings, jewelry, and relics owned by various cultural groups and famous families.  The unique use of a wide range of objects further introduced the fields of natural science, religion, philosophy, and art to the greater community.