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Little Known Minnesota Hidden Gems
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Though we have lived in Saint Paul for more than 20 years, my husband and I have fond memories of life in small town Minnesota. My grandparents lived on a farm near Carlton, MN and I was born in nearby Cloquet. Our family lived for a while in Wrenshall, MN before moving to Minneapolis for my father to attend seminary. My father pastored churches in Cass Lake, Osage, Ponsford and Detroit Lakes. My husband grew up on a farm near Audubon, MN and, for ten years we raised our children on a hobby farm near Audubon. Explore more of
Minnesota 's small towns and villages.
The Hjemkomst Center and Museum
While we were raising our children near Audubon, Robert Asp, in 1973, began building a replica of a Viking ship in nearby Hawley, MN. The Hjemkomst was modeled after a Norwegian ship found south of Oslo that dated from about 950 A.D. called the “Gokstad.”
My husband loved to find a reason to go to the lumberyard in Hawley and just "have to" stop by and watch the progress of this amazing project. He spent so much time with Robert Asp that he was invited to go along on the ship's voyage. Because of family obligations, my husband declined the adventure and was not aboard when Robert and his family and friends set sail on the voyage that began on Lake Superior and ended 6100 miles from Duluth, MN in Bergen, Norway on July 19,1982. The ship is now on display at the
Hjemkomst Center and Museum
in Moorhead, Minnesota.
The Museum of Questionable Medical DevicesThe Museum of Questionable Medical Devices is located at the Science Museum of Minnesota at 120 West Kellog Blvd. in St. Paul.Their website trumpets: Devious Displays of Quackery, Fraud, Deceit and Deception -- the largest collection of medical chicanery and mayhem ever assembled under one roof !!! This museum houses the world's largest display of quack medical devices on loan from the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Association, and other sources. Theu offer hands-on demonstrations with devices dating back to 1790. Learn more about
this Museum of Medical Quackery.
Minnesota Transportation MuseumThe Roundhouse, tucked away a mere two blocks from I-35E on Pennsylvania Avenue, St. Paul, is home to The Minnesota Transportation Musuem The roundhouse was part of the historic Jackson Street shop complex which was founded just after the civil war. On the site of the first railroad maintenance shops in Minnesota, the Minnesota Transportation Museum is bringing railroad history to life! Learn about the industry that once dominated commerce, employed tens of thousands, and is today experiencing a revival. Entrance costs $10 for adults, $8 for children or $35 for a family (two adults and two to four children). For more details, call (651) 228-0263 Twin City Model Railroad MuseumThe musuem is located in Bandana Square, a historic Twin Cities railroad building at 1021 Bandana Boulevard East, Suite 222 in Saint Paul.See detailed model panoramas of railroads in the Twin Cities during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. This is great family entertainment for young and old alike...an impressive sight and well worth your visit. The building that houses the museum was constructed in 1885 and once housed a Northern Pacific Railway repair shop. More information about the
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Amish CountryHarmony, Minnesota, and the surrounding area, is rich in history, culture and heritage of the Amish Community. Harmony's Amish community is the largest in Minnesota and is strictly "Old Order" Amish, meaning that the people are very private and have strong Christian convictions that bind their community together, enabling them to resist the ways of modern society. They began their move to the Harmony area in 1974 and have grown to about 100 families with three church "districts" and seven one-room schools. As you travel through this beautiful rolling countryside, Amish farmers may be seen working in the fields with horses and horse-drawn equipment, and their buggies may be seen tied to hitching posts in town. Many Amish families sell their crafts and baked goods to visitors to the area. The Spam MuseumSpam is more popular in two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, than it is in Minnesota.However, it is only in Austin, Minnesota that you can find a shrine dedicated to SPAM, the world-famous canned meat produced by the Hormel Food Corporation. A must for Spam lovers who can learn exactly what goes into it, the role it played in winning WW II, and how it became a pop culture icon. The Runestone MuseumDid Vikings from Scandinavia make it all the way to Minnesota in the mid 14th century? That question has boggled the minds of scholars for decades.At the center of the debate is the Kensington Runestone, a slab of rock discovered in 1898 on the Olaf Ohman farm near Kensington, Minnesota. The rock is inscribed with a runic message that supposedly proves a Viking existence in the area. It can be viewed at the Runestone Museum in nearby Alexandria where visitors can determine for themselves whether or not it is a hoax. Twine Ball Museum
The Twine Ball Museum
in Darwin, MN is a favorite stop of the offbeat tourist. It has one exhibit: the largest ball of twine ever built by one person. Francis A. Johnson began his project in 1950 and wrapped four hours every day for 29 years. The result is a ball eleven feet in diameter that weighs 17,400 pounds! It is currently housed in a plexi-glass gazebo that offers views from all sides.
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