Around Rochester Minnesota

Winter things to do in Rochester, Minnesota | Snow Tubing at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch – Stewartville, Minnesota The Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch is located in Stewartville, Minnesota approx. 20 mins. (14mi.) south of Rochester. It is a fun local place for visitors to enjoy activities during the winter months. It is open for snow tubing during January and February (exact dates are listed below).  Calendar/Hours: Hours vary week by week during winter months  Call 507-533-4315 for times date/times. Cost (prices are subject to change):  $12 per person (all ages) $ Discounts for larger groups. $50 deposit required in advance call 507-533-4315 to reserve space Payment: Either cash or check. Payment is collected before tubing. Equipment: Tubes are provided. Visitors have access to the warming house and towrope. Pots of hot water are also available to warm up soups, cocoa, and warm clothes.  Misc:  Ironwood is alcohol and tobacco-free. No pets are allowed. Contact: Ironwood

The Minneapolis Institute of Art   Now that the chilly weather has arrived (of this post, it is 9 degrees outside, burr) there's no better time than to find fun and interesting things to do inside. Especially whens it's FREE! The Minneapolis Institute of Art hosts a plethora of extraordinary exhibitions and one of the largest and wide ranging art collections in the country. Spanning subjects and artists such as: van Gogh, Rembrandt, Matisse and artifacts from every continent; Asian to Africa.  One can easily spend over half a day here. Brief History of the Minneapolis Institute of Art: Founded by 25 Minneapolis residents in 1883 (then name the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts) The museum was designed by New York architectural firm McKim, Mead and White. The museum includes the Target Wing: includes thirty-four galleries, exhibition space, lecture hall, photographs study room, and an art research library. MIA hosts over 800 works of art to more

Franconia Sculpture Park This is a really unique and fun place to visit. The Franconia Sculpture Park is located in Franconia, Minnesota. It is about a 2 hour drive north of Rochester (about 1 hour N.E from the Twin Cities.) two hours can be a long drive, but if you're looking for something unique and adventurous to do, see, and have a full day to enjoy it, with weather permitting why not? Also don't worry, if you decide to use GPS and drive here, the address works perfectly in helping to find the park. The 20-acre Sculpture Park is packed with over 95 sculptures, all of which are rotated from time to time to make room for new artists. Aside from the art, what makes this place even more exciting is the fact that it's free (donations are welcome) and it is open 365 days of the year from dusk till dawn. Here's a map of the park http://www.franconia.org/map.html In the park, you are given free reign to roam as you wish. Most of the sculpture's are hands-on