Founded in 2011, the Somali Museum opened the doors of its public gallery in 2013 as North America's first and only museum devoted to Somali culture. As one of the few spaces dedicated to preserving Somali culture, today it is home to 1500+ artifacts and the work of Somali artists, both traditional and contemporary.

In 2009, Osman Ali began collecting artifacts of Somalia's traditional nomadic culture. Ali traveled between Somalia and Minnesota, and offered presentations of his collection at schools and community centers. A small collection grew into a gallery, and that gallery is now a museum.

The collection on display is based on the prominent lifestyles of Somalia, pastoralist and nomadic cultures. They include examples of everyday craftworks, paintings, and sculptures created by Somali artists. Artifacts are mostly collected and owned by the museum’s founder, Osman Ali, with notable donations by families and artists from Somalia and abroad.

With a vision to establish an all-embracing Somali Museum, Osman Ali and the large net of supportive community members are bringing together cultural historians, contemporary Somali artists, and keepers of community history to tell the Somali story in Minnesota.