Around Rochester Minnesota

Spam® Museum - Austin Minnesota  The Hormel Foods SPAM museum, one of downtown Austin, Minnesota's best-kept secrets, just 45 minutes southwest of Rochester. If you're looking for a fun and educational day trip for your family, this museum is a perfect getaway. The museum is now open, and visitors can check the website for COVID guidelines. The Hormel museum spans over 14,000 square feet and features numerous interactive installations and hands-on exhibits chronicling the company's humble beginnings to their current status as a global market leader. You and your family can explore the World War II-themed exhibit and learn about the fascinating history of the company. One of the museum's highlights is its dedicated Kid Zone, which is perfect for children aged two and above. The Kid Zone offers interactive exhibits, games, videos, and hands-on activities that will keep your little ones engaged and entertained. The best part is that admission to the museum is free, making

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