This music venue called the Barn, not to be confused with the Purple Barn, was located on Highway 18 (now 169) and 42nd Ave. North/Rockford Road.  This is now a major cloverleaf.

According to the ad below, it opened on October 7, 1957, by Gene and Jerry Schmidt.  I was just lucky to run across these ads – there’s no way you can search for a phrase called “The Barn!”

After asking for any information about this Barn, I was contacted by a relative of the Schmidts, Bradley Breitzman, who spoke to one of the six Schmidt siblings.  Thoughts of the Barn brought tears to the old man’s eyes – he did not remember seeing these ads!  He said that it was an actual barn – the family lived upstairs, and the bar and cafe were downstairs.  There was another house on the lot.  They still have the cash register!  Bradley is looking for photos of this wonderful place, so stay tuned!

North Hennepin Post, October 1957

North Hennepin Post, November 14, 1957

North Hennepin Post, May 1958

September 1, 1960.

Minneapolis Star, December 29, 1960