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Minnesota Bonsai Society

Clubs Saint Paul, MN

Also called: MBS; Minnesota Bonsai Society (MBS)

Website
https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/
Location
Saint Paul, MN
Last checked
2026-09-17
meetings
https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/monthly_meeting_program/
membership
https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/2026/01/30/get-started/
event
https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/event/monthly-meeting-program/

What it is

The Minnesota Bonsai Society (MBS) is an all-volunteer Twin Cities club founded in 1971. The official home page: promotes and delivers bonsai education, outreach, and programming for all skill levels, from novice to expert. Primary club identity is the monthly meeting and program — first Tuesday of every month except January — plus annual dues that unlock MBS functions and activities. Club programming (cited here only as club offerings, not a Learning reclassification) includes public beginner workshops, free member Bonsai Concepts classes (Feb–Nov), mentorship, member workshops with visiting artists, a spring nursery tour, and a two-year Fundamentals track (next session 2027). Public outreach includes Mother’s Day and State Fair shows and spring/fall auctions. It is not a commercial nursery and not a museum tuition class series.

Who it’s for

Minnesota / Twin Cities bonsai enthusiasts — beginners through advanced — who want club fellowship, free monthly meetings (visitors welcome), household membership access, and club-run workshops, shows, and auctions. Home page: meetings open to members, their guests, and visitors. Membership page: regardless of knowledge level, members are welcome at MBS meetings, classes, and workshops. Guests should confirm each date and any venue notes on the live calendar.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party club site with a printed Wilder Center / Wilder Foundation meeting street address, published first-Tuesday meeting cadence (doors 5:30 p.m.; program 7:00–9:00 p.m.), $50/year dues for up to two same-household members, free visitor attendance at monthly meetings, and dated club programming — not a Facebook-only club and not a scraped directory card.

  • Meeting place / schedule (Monthly Meeting & Program page + dated event cards — checked 2026-09-17): typically first Tuesday of each month except January (unless holiday/election; check calendar). Doors open 5:30 p.m. for social time and sales (bring a tree); program 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Venue listed as Wilder Center – Main Auditorium / Wilder Foundation. Printed street address on official event venue blocks and club materials: 451 N Lexington Pkwy (also styled 451 Lexington Pkwy N), Saint Paul, MN 55104 (Amherst H. Wilder Auditorium A / Main Auditorium). Wheelchair accessible; no signup needed for regular meetings (December banquet is members-only and needs signup). Free to attend for visitors.
  • Membership / dues (home — checked today): one-year membership $50 for up to two members of the same household; includes access to all MBS functions and activities.
  • Club programming samples (home / Membership “Getting Started” — checked today; club offerings, not this directory’s Learning category): Beginner / Novice Workshops — $95.00, includes tree, pot, supplies, and classroom instruction; open to the public. Bonsai Concepts — free entry-level classes for members, monthly February through November (seasonal basics from wiring to wintering). Mentorship program; member workshops with visiting masters; spring nursery tour; Fundamentals 2-year program (next session starts 2027; past instructors include Matt Reel, Peter Tea, Julian Tsai).
  • Shows / auctions (home — checked today): Mother’s Day show at Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, Como Park (next printed weekend on home: May 8 & 9, 2027); Minnesota State Fair exhibit Friday–Saturday of Labor Day weekend, Agricultural Horticulture Building; spring and fall auctions open to the public (members only may consign).

Dues, meeting times, workshop fees, and calendar dates above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live Membership, Monthly Meeting & Program, and Events pages before joining or traveling.

Official URL

https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/

Location

Meeting place: Wilder Center – Main Auditorium (Amherst H. Wilder Auditorium A), 451 N Lexington Pkwy / 451 Lexington Pkwy N, Saint Paul, MN 55104. Regular meetings: first Tuesday except January; doors 5:30 p.m.; program 7:00–9:00 p.m. Confirm each month’s topic and any alternate venue on the live calendar (occasional off-site meetings have been noted historically on club materials).

This is a club meeting / workshop / auction / show address, not a retail nursery showroom and not a museum or botanic-garden tuition desk.

Notes

  • Category is Clubs. First-party club with printed meeting place, schedule, dues, and club programming. Not a nursery. Beginner workshops, Bonsai Concepts, and Fundamentals do not reclassify this card as Learning (Learning is curriculum/schedule-first class series such as Chicago Botanic Garden or Pacific Bonsai Museum Bonsai Basics).
  • $50 household dues (up to two), first-Tuesday 7–9 p.m. / doors 5:30 p.m., free visitor meetings, $95 beginner workshop including tree, and Bonsai Concepts free for members Feb–Nov are transcribed from official pages checked on 2026-09-17 and may change.
  • Listing image: official site logo at /images/minnesota-bonsai-society.png (first-party asset from minnesotabonsaisociety.org).
  • Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza.
  • No Bonsai Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: When and where does MBS meet? A: Monthly Meeting & Program / event cards (checked 2026-09-17): first Tuesday of each month except January; doors 5:30 p.m.; program 7:00–9:00 p.m.; Wilder Center Main Auditorium, 451 N Lexington Pkwy (Lexington Pkwy N), Saint Paul, MN 55104. Free for visitors; no signup for regular meetings. Confirm topic and venue on https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/monthly_meeting_program/

Q: What are the dues? A: Home page (checked 2026-09-17): one-year membership $50 for up to two members of the same household, with access to all MBS functions and activities. Confirm live rates on the Membership / Getting Started page.

Q: I’m new — where do I start, and is this a Learning listing? A: Visit a free monthly meeting as a guest, then consider $50 household membership. Public beginner workshops are $95 including tree/pot/supplies; members also get free Bonsai Concepts (Feb–Nov). Club workshops do not make this a Learning listing — MBS stays Clubs.