Historically interesting places
Glensheen Historic Estate in Duluth
The Glensheen Historic Estate in the city of Duluth is a historic “manor house” from 1905. It was built from 1905 to 1908 in the style of Jacobean architecture, an Anglo-Saxon version of Renaissance architecture as the family seat of the Congdons. The Glensheen Historic Estate has been owned by the University of Minnesota since 1968 and has been open to the public since 1979. The Glensheen Historic Estate has been on the list of Historic Places since 1991.
| Contact | 3300 London Road Duluth, Minnesota 55804 |
Indian Mounds Park in Saint Paul
The Indian Mounds Park in the city of Saint Paul is a public park, but not an ordinary one. There are a total of 6 Indian burial mounds from prehistoric times on an area of approximately 320,000 m². The oldest burial mounds are estimated to be over 2,000 years old and are attributed to the Hopewell culture.
| Contact | 10 Mounds Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55106 |
Fort Snelling
The historic Fort Snelling dates from 1819 and was initially known as Fort Saint Anthony. Fort Snelling is located in southeastern Minnesota at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi River. In earlier times, Fort Snelling was used to monitor shipping traffic on the rivers. Fort Snelling’s last major use was during the Second World War as a training camp. Fort Snelling is now a museum village. The historic fort is surrounded by Fort Snelling State Park, which covers an area of approximately 11.86 km² and includes numerous hiking trails. Fort Snelling has also been a National Historic Landmark since 1960.
| Contact | 200 Tower Avenue Saint Paul, Minnesota 551 |
Special buildings and structures
Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul
The Minnesota State Capitol in the capital, Saint Paul, dates from 1905 and is already the third state capitol. The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The governor and the attorney general also have offices here. Since this is the third state capitol, the history of the previous should also be mentioned. The first State Capitol was destroyed by fire in 1881 and the second State Capitol turned out to be too small shortly after the inauguration, so that the construction of the current Capitol began in 1896.
Construction was completed in 1905. The State Capitol’s architectural style is a mix of Renaissance and Beaux-Arts styles. It is therefore located in the classic style of the US capitol, but was a model for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This also explains a peculiarity of the Minnesota State Capitol, its marble dome.
The dome has a diameter of 27 m and is self-supporting, making it the second largest in the world after the dome of St. Peter’s. The rotunda is illuminated at night and is also a beautiful sight. The interior is also richly decorated and there are several statues in the rotunda.
There is a gilded quadriga above the south entrance. The four horses symbolize the four elements and the two women represent industry and agriculture. The Minnesota State Capitol has been on the list of Historic Places since 1972.
| Contact | 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 |
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the airport of the metropolitan region of the Twin Cities. The history of the airport is changeable. At first there was a race track here, which was converted into an airport in 1921. Today it is the largest airport in the Midwest and handles over 30 million passengers annually. The airport terminals are located near the Mall of America.
| Contact | 4300 Glumack Drive Minneapolis, Minnesota 55111 www.mspairport.com |
Enger Tower in Duluth
The Enger Tower in the city of Duluth is approx. 24 m high observation tower on the Enger Hill. The Enger Tower is located 137 m above Lake Superior and offers very good views. The Enger Tower, dedicated to the Norwegian immigrant Bert Enger, was inaugurated in 1939 by Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway.
| Contact | Hank Jensen Drive Duluth, Minnesota 55806 |
Mall of America in Bloomington
The Mall of America (MoA) is located in Bloomington, in the south of Minneapolis, near the airport and is a shopping center of superlatives. The Mall of America was opened in 1992 and is now the most visited mall in the world with over 42 million visitors annually. On an area of 390,000 m² there are over 520 shops, an amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe) with roller coaster and white water rink, the aquarium SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, a dinosaur museum and a cinema with 14 screens. To make all of this possible, over 12,000 people work in the Mall of America.
| Contact | 60 E Broadway Bloomington, Minnesota 55425 www.mallofamerica.com |
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
The Mayo Clinic doesn’t really exist, because nowadays there are Mayo clinics all over the USA. However, the headquarters, the first Mayo Clinic, is in Rochester. The history of the Mayo Clinic goes back to 1889. After a devastating tornado, the Mayo Clinic established itself and quickly gained an excellent reputation with its modern treatment methods. Today the May Clinic employs over 50,000 people and has built on its excellent reputation. The best known patients include John F. Kennedy, George Harrison, Art Garfunkel, Bono, Ernest Hemingway and Oliver Kahn. The Mayo Clinic offers guided tours that deal with the history of the clinic, but also with the art collection of the clinic.
| Contact | www.mayoclinic.org/becomingpat-rst/tours.html |
Washburn A Mill in Minneapolis
The Washburn A Mill in the city of Minneapolis is a historic flour mill from 1874. The Washburn A Mill was the second largest flour mill in the city and was able to provide enough flour for 12 million loaves of bread every day. Already four years after the opening, in 1878, the entire building was destroyed by a massive flour dust explosion, which also killed 18 people. However, the Washburn A Mill was rebuilt and operated until 1965. In 1983 the historic building was added to the list of Historic Places and since 2002 the Mill City Museum has been located here.
| Contact | 704 South Second Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 |
Historic Central High School in Duluth
The Historic Central High School is a historic building from 1892. The former high school was built from local sandstone in the style of the Neo-Romanesque style. The approx. 70 m high clock tower, which is very reminiscent of Big Ben in London, isparticularly impressive. Historic Central High School has been on the list of Historic Places since 1972.
| Contact | 215 N 1st Avenue East Duluth, Minnesota 55802 |
Skyways in Minneapolis
The Skyways in Minneapolis are a system of covered, closed bridges that connect many of the city’s buildings. With a total length of approx. 18 km, it is the world’s largest system of above-ground, closed pedestrian overpass. The air-conditioned paths are recommended in summer and winter.
Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth
The Aerial Lift Bridge in the city of Duluth is one of the landmarks of the city. This steel lift bridge dates from 1930. It is interesting that the construction was first used in 1905 as a transporter bridge and was later converted into a bridge. The bridge, which is now well over 100 years old, manages the stroke of approx. 40 m in less than a minute. The bridge has been on the list of Historic Places since 1973.
| Contact | 601 South Lake Avenue Duluth, Minnesota 55802 |
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Minnesota
Browse a collection of state, city, national park, monument, and historical maps of this US state. Check out the maps of Minneapolis city and Voyageurs National Park.
Website: http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/minnesota.html
Minnesota – All About Minnesota Map Section
View maps that provide various illustrations of the state, including its highways, bodies of water and Indian reservations.
Website: http://www.state.mn.us/aam/maps/
Minnesota – National Geographic Map Machine
Find out what dominates the state’s economy and get a look at the shaded-relief map. Includes a list of agricultural products.
Website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/atlas/usstates/sminne
Minnesota – University of Texas Library
Become familiarized with the state through an outline map, a city map of St. Paul, and location, park and area maps of Voyageurs National Park.
Website: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/minnesota.
Minnesota – US Census Bureau Map
Presents data such as economic profiles, population estimates, and population, demographic and housing information.
Website: http://www.census.gov/datamap/www/27.html
