Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Minnesota Wrenshall Free Range Film Barn

Free Range Film Barn

This century-old barn is home to a homey, eclectic film festival.

Wrenshall, Minnesota

Added By
Joshua Carlon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Free Range Film Barn.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Musicians in the loft.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
This way to Free Range.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Movies from the hay loft.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Free parking at the barn.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Film Fest interview.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Retired film gear.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Audiences in the barn.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
A young film fan.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
This way.   joshuacarlon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On an idyllic crossroads in rural Minnesota, you'll find a hundred-year-old barn that's home to a homey and eclectic film festival.

The Free Range Film Festival is the barn’s raison d’être (since the farm closed, anyway). The documentary-heavy festival screens films from around the world, with an emphasis on Minnesota filmmakers and unusual subject matter. 

Past films screened have covered topics like competitive jigsaw puzzling, erotic pirate music videos, Japanese pro wrestling, goat testicle implants, puppet violence, celebrity death pools, cereal box lore, modern blacksmithing, Chinese little people, and Ugandan LGBTQ rights.

The three-story barn, built in 1916, was first used for horses, then turned into a dairy farm in the 1960s. It was abandoned for 16 years before its purchase and resurrection by the Free Range organizers. The main loft movie screen and speakers were leftovers of the Cinema 8, a closed theater in nearby Hermantown. The traditional theater seating in the main room was rescued from Duluth’s NorShor Theatre following its ill-conceived (and doomed) foray as a strip club in the mid-’00s. 

The barn also features a camera obscura room, community events, poetry readings, interactive art shows, and concerts, notably kicking off the Barnstormer 4 Tour in 2011, headlined by Sondre Lerche.

Related Tags

Film Festivals Camera Obscura

Know Before You Go

The Free Range Barn is located near the intersection of County Road 1 and County Road 4 just outside of Wrenshall, MN. Visitors take note—the barn is not open to the public outside of events, so check their website for details. The Free Range Film Festival takes place the last weekend of every June.

 Though the festival is not Academy-Award qualifying, participating filmmakers receive a swag bag full of organic produce from the nearby farm.

Community Contributors

Added By

joshuacarlon

Published

July 8, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/4065903-artist-spaces-festival-born-barn
Free Range Film Barn
909 Co Rd 4
Wrenshall, Minnesota, 55797
United States
46.597652, -92.386825
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ely's Peak and DWP Railroad Tunnel

Duluth, Minnesota

miles away

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station

Cloquet, Minnesota

miles away

Grassy Point Railroad Bridge

Minnesota

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Minnesota

Minnesota

United States

Places 184
Stories 25

Nearby Places

Ely's Peak and DWP Railroad Tunnel

Duluth, Minnesota

miles away

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station

Cloquet, Minnesota

miles away

Grassy Point Railroad Bridge

Minnesota

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Minnesota

Minnesota

United States

Places 184
Stories 25

Related Places

  • Drvengrad.

    Mokra Gora, Serbia

    Drvengrad

    An idyllic traditional timber village on a picturesque hill was built for a film.

  • Corner of Arkhivna Street.

    Lviv, Ukraine

    Arkhivna Street

    This street has over a half-dozen names, all at once.

  • The project trailer, 1941.

    Schoharie, New York

    Site of the First Known Free Open-Air Motion Picture Presentation

    A tiny village in Upstate New York ushered in the precursor to drive-in movies.

  • Walking Box Ranch front view

    Searchlight, Nevada

    Walking Box Ranch

    Formerly frequented by Hollywood stars and now open for tours.

  • The miniature theatre’s 200-seat capacity is slowly being filled with tiny figurines of beloved film characters, from classic movie stars to Muppets. Statler and Waldorf are perched in their usual spot at the front-right balcony. There’s even an ongoing call for visitors and locals to add their own favorite characters to the growing crowd.

    Vancouver, British Columbia

    East Van Vodville Cinema

    A small part of the local arts scene, this “little free cinema” is part homage to the past, part interactive experience.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Hibiya Godzilla Square

    Japan’s tallest Godzilla statue contains a piece of the original 1954 film within its base.

  • The mermaid on the rocks

    San Cibrao, Spain

    Estatua de Maruxaina

    This mermaid sculpture commemorates a Galician legend and an annual trial.

  • Display of masks made from various materials

    Bragança, Portugal

    O Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje (Iberian Museum of Masks and Costumes)

    A collection of unique, and sometimes terrifying, handmade masks and costumes used for local festivals.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.