Pleasantly surprised! This self-guided tour made our pit stop well worth the trip! The amount of…read moreartifacts and historical items blew my mind. They literally created a village which was able to take us back in time. The $6 for adults was well worth the price. The volunteers were friendly and informative. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop by.

What a delightful Village, showing life on the prairie. So many events there on 4th of July…read more Wonderful! I will go back.

It's hard for me to use the word "monument" here... When I think monument...I consider a monument…read moreto be something man made. To me this is more of just a gorgeous cutout of well kept and preserved natural landscape... A park. A vibrant scene. With over 400 native plant species, including big bluestem, little bluestem, and buffalo grass, the area teems with natural beauty. Stunning red stone bluffs and cliffs of Sioux Quartzite, a hard rock formed between 1.6 and 1.7 billion years ago.. A highlight of the area is Winnewissa Falls, a beautiful waterfall that cascades into Pipestone creek. Two main trails allow you to navigate this park. The Circle trail is a paved, 3/4-mile loop trail guides visitors to the key natural highlights including the quarries, historical markers, Old Stone Face, Winnewissa Falls, and the tallgrass prairie. The South Quarry trail is about 1/2 mile roundtrip, out and back on the same path, and it provides a look into the active quarrying pits where Indigenous people have been extracting pipestone for thousands of years. Both trails are easy to navigate and I'd consider them to be a very easy hike... And I'm not exactly athletic. Lol The paths are both paved and are considered wheelchair accessible. Parking is free, the lot is nice sized, and near the visitor center and restrooms. As you leave the lot heading towards the park you are basically at the starting point of the Circle trail. If you like a nice little walk... This is a great place to get out to and witness the enduring natural beauty of it's prairies, cliffs, and waterfalls, and explore remarkable geological formations... I'm willing to bet parts of the park are spectacular at sunset! And as long as you are in the area... Visit nearby Fort Pipestone and it's gift shop along with Keepers Gift Shop & Gallery!

We are enroute to Brookings, SD for football game and left a day early. Due to government shutdown,…read morethe visitor center is closed. I guess I missed a video and other displays. IDK. Stopped at a store in Pipestone and worker talked some about it. Today was a nice day in October and the place was very sparce with other visitors. The walking trail was short at .75 mile, so my spouse could handle it. It was very scenic and pretty. I read more about the monument from the brochure at the store downtown. It is also free to attend at all times.

This is a must stop if you have the time. This museum has some incredible history of not only the…read moreTracy area, but surrounding communities as well. If you enjoy railroad history their display offers a great viewing with a depot, locomotive, box car, caboose etc. The grounds are very well kept and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. There is an admittance fee of $6 for those 12 and up and $2 for those under 12, but well worth it for what you get to see. It is a self guided tour but staff is available for questions and will give you a lot of background history on the buildings and displays. They offer a very unique small scale train that runs each day offering rides to all kids and all adults who are still a "Child at heart." We were also very impressed with their memorial to the military that is located on the grounds as well. We were so glad we took the time to stop and take the tour. Kudos to a small town being willing to invest the time, money and effort to keep this location operating and open to the public. Our family was very impressed. They are open daily from 1 to 5 pm May 24th - Labor Day.

From the owner: Explore the rich history of Tracy MN at Wheels Across the Prairie Museum. Our exhibits showcase the…read moreheritage of the region from agriculture to transportation. Visit us today to immerse yourself in the past and discover the stories of our community.

Summary: Excellent interactive day at this gem of a center. The staff were were very helpful &…read moresuper excited to drive awareness of the important & interesting Native American history in the area. Go on the interactive short hike to walk amongst the petroglyphs. Best time of day is just when sun is setting to get the right angle when the petroglyphs pop into sight. Fun for kids to try and find as many petroglyph treasures as they can. Fair amount of families visiting at the time! Be prepared to remove shoes so you don't impact the ancient carvings. The staff will spray water to help highlight them for you. Ask lots of questions about the historians removed the lichens from the rock to reveal the petroglyphs!

Three of the sweetest people work there. Very enthusiastic. It's a small gift shop/museum, but very…read morecool with things the kids can touch. You will not be impressed without a guide. And for a group of 7, without us asking used golf carts to ferry us out to the site on an 85° day. You are not allowed to walk out in the rocks except for the areas they designated, so your guide will walk barefoot with the spray bottle and spray the carvings and explain what they are. There are also signs showing you where the carvings are, but you won't be able to see them depending on the time of day or how wet the rock is. My 12-year-old son said "it was kind of cool and kind of boring." I think that sums it up. You won't be able to stay long, but if you use your Minnesota history pass, it will be free! Plenty of parking, bathrooms, drinking water, wide open spaces.

Just a fun little museum and historical exhibit a short bike or car ride from Lake Shetek. We…read morestopped by during a camping trip and the kids had a blast climbing around and then picnicking at the tables. I wouldn't go out of my way unless you're a huge railroad buff, but it's a great little stop to break any journey past Currie. And very inexpensive, totally worth it at $5 per.

End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum is a hidden gem! If you are in the area this is worth the stop…read more It is off the beaten travel path a bit, but worth the effort to drive a short distance to see this location. A lot of history here with many out buildings, but the focal point here is railroad history. The town of Currie marked the end of the line for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. This line was originally supposed to go through to South Dakota but with lines going through Tracy on the north and Slayton on the south, they didn't see a need to continue the tracks past Currie. The turntable was built in 1901 and was used to turn the steam engines around to head back to Bingham Lake. The turntable is on the National Register of Historic Sites and is the only one left in the state of Minnesota, on the original site, still operable, and always turned by man power - it was never hooked up to steam or horses. This is a seasonal museum (Memorial Day - Labor Day) and is open 10 am to 5 pm Wednesday - Saturday and 1 - 5 pm on Sunday's. They do offer off season tours for groups but you need to make prior arrangements. Allow plenty of time when stopping here. There is a lot of history to see and absorb. They also offer picnic grounds, very nice and clean restrooms, a gift shop and playground area for the kids. Our family was so very glad we took the time to tour this museum. It is fun for all ages and very informative. There is an admittance fee of $5 for those 18 and over, students 6 - 17 receive a $3 reduced fee and kids 5 and under are free. Well worth the stop if you are in the Currie area. Beautiful grounds and well kept exhibits. So heart warming to see a small town be able to maintain such a wonderful historic attraction. A must see!

We were traveling from South Dakota back home to Missouri, saw the billboard for this museum…read more Thought we'd get out and stretch our legs. Ken Kruse came out thinking we were his scheduled Harvest Host customer. He invited us in to his museum and gave us a very educational tour. We thoroughly enjoyed this! Would love to stop by again on our next trip through. Todd & Lorri K.

Great place to stop and walk around just off the highway. With families traveling with young…read morechildren it allows them the chance to get out and run around outside on the fields around the museum.

Herman the German Sits alone atop the hill…read moreWith New Ulm below There aren't a ton of tourist attractions in New Ulm. It is a German town about an hour from the Twin Cities. I hear the Octoberfest is a good time, but probably not as crazy as the one in La Crosse. On Sundays, it seems like most of the town is shut down. Herman, however, says to hell with the blue laws and is open to the public. $2.75 gets you past the gate to all there is to offer (which is not much so the price is about right). The first floor of the monument documents the history of the legendary Germanic warrior who defeated the Romans, the building of the monument in New Ulm and how he was almost moved to the Twin Cities. It is quite aways up some winding staircases to the top. Not for the acrophopic or claustrophobic. Spent maybe a couple minutes at the top enjoying the view, before I was off like the Griswolds at the Grand Canyon.

I AM a fan of this place, but let's start with some honesty. It is small. And not really near…read moreanything. You won't stay long. Ok, do we understand each other? Good. Now...I happen to have two girls who are HUGE fans of the Little House on the Prairie books, and I love all things MN Historical Society (we're members, so we didn't pay to enter the Harkin Store) so for my little group who was already somewhat in the area, this was a great pit stop. The volunteers are lovely and knowledgable and the gift shop is fabulous. Do you happen to know who sews the homemade bonnets that are sold for $10? Get that grandma an Etsy shop! (although tell her to keep sending a few to Harkin for the girls who make the journey)

Drive by. This historical marker is NOT worth the $6/person for the less-than-fifteen minutes you…read morewill be there. All that there is to see is the store, and it is only stocked with 40% original goods. The rest have been carted in for effect. There were three historical society reps there. Kudos to them for spending their days there and for dressing the part, but they were not in character at all. The lady in the store was knowledgeable but crabby. When my husband and I walked along side the house to see if there was more to the complex, she followed us suspiciously. Needless to say, the nine mile drive from New Ulm was pretty but not worth it. Save your $ and go to Forestville!