This is a great arena. Two sheets of ice. Large parking lot. Lots of room inside to watch, wait or…read moremingle. The main rink is the best part of the arena. It's classic curved roof, wood structure with ample seating on both sides including back rests on many seats! The second rink is perfectly functional. It's a rectangle second rink, locker rooms, stands opposite the player benches. A fine place to watch hockey. Like I said, the main arena here is the feature, this arenas best asset. There are TVs in the main lobby (between both rinks and heated) for those time you are waiting for someone. They have skate rentals. There is a concession stand but it was not open, so can't confirm what they sell. Want more. More at this link: https://history.vintagemnhockey.com/page/show/1254576-albert-lea-city-arena

wonderful campground. only downfall was our trailer site didn't have gravel. causes ruts in the…read moregrass when rainy, as it was when we were there. lots of wildlife. I about got ran over by two young deer. they hang out in the park. there ws a giant turtle and a little turtle. lots of deer throughout the park. the bathrooms were awesome. shower rooms with doors. the water is comfortable temperature and stays on for a decent amount of time. the ca.pgrpund host Pam is phenomenal.!!! very helpful and takes pride in the park. I saw her out and about constantly. We will definitely be back.

A Peaceful park with an observation tower and fishing pond. Saw a rafter of turkeys crossing the…read moreroad.

Incredibly Disappointed…read more Our family made reservations well in advance for this past weekend in celebration of my Grandmother turning 101. So many family members came together (from multiple states away) for this momentous occasion (around 65 adults/young children). Approximately around 45 minutes after arrival, a male staff member came over seemly very displeased to advise that they only had one waitress on staff for the entire bar + restaurant (as the rest of the staff was on vacation due to Weddings). It was decided that we would all immediately sit so orders could be taken. Some family members even attempting to be helpful and writing the entire tables orders down for the waitress. A couple of family members attempted to assist the waitress and helped to bring waters to the tables. While it was somewhat understandable that food would take some time for a large party like ours, we had several having to ask about their orders after a couple hours, with 8 leaving having never received their food. We started around 430pm and leaving around 9pm. I truly felt for our waitress (Judy R?) as we understand this is not a reflection upon her but a very HUGE issue with management. As we were wrapping up there was yet another dinner party arriving - sad to have to forewarn for disappointment. "People don't leave bad jobs; they leave because of bad bosses, poor management and a lack of appreciation for their worth."

We love dining here! There aren't a lot of choices for nicer restaurants in Albert Lea. We like…read moresitting in the bar and watching golfers come in. They usually always have great specials too. We had the bangers and mash and oriental chicken salad. Delish!

Great public golf course in a scenic city in southern Minnesota. The grounds are immaculate and the…read moregolf staff are very accommodating. This is no "easy track". Bring your "A" game and enjoy the experience.

Excellent public 18 hole course. It is a pretty challenging course with something for everyone…read more There is a grill and full bar in the clubhouse. The only drawback is that there is no driving range. Family owned and operated and they care about their customers having a good experience. It can be busy and has a bunch of special events, so calling ahead for a tee time is a very good idea.

Spent a weekend camping & hiking here and it's lovely! This state park occupies a large swath of…read morethe coastline of Lake Albert Lea, and is very convenient to the city of Albert Lea and 35-W. As such, this is a very easy park to get to. I camped in one of the two large drive-in campgrounds, both of which are very well-appointed with amenities. There are drinking water faucets distributed liberally throughout the campgrounds, and there are large restroom facilities at each, which are kept clean and have plenty of toilets, sinks, and showers. They even have little stations to plug in devices to charge them. Probably my biggest gripe with this park is that the restroom facilities are so brightly lit, right next to where the campsites are, that it strongly impacts the outdoorsy ambience. Many campers might not mind that & might even prefer it. But between that and the audible proximity to the Interstate, I prefer to feel a little more isolated. I saw lots of big trailers plugged into outlets, and there are also group camps, rentable cabins, and backpacking sites. I definitely want to return here to try one of those backpacking sites along the east side of the lake. Speaking of the lake, I did spot a number of fishing and canoeing options being taken advantage of. With all the beautiful lakefront area here, this is a really cool place for that kind of activity. I was surprised that the office wasn't staffed when i arrived mid-afternoon on a Saturday in June (2022) to check in; I wasn't able to get my hands on a physical map, and I had to put cash in an envelope to get some firewood. But other than that, it felt like a well-staffed park. All things considered, I will defintely return from the Twin Cities, and if it's more convenient to where you live, you can consider that a good thing! EDIT: I did indeed return two weeks later and try out a packpacking site. Loved it! It's way more remote over there. Really beautiful and lots of cool, well-posted trails. There was a big stash of firewood they'd prepared for free; do they do that for everyone? It's great! You can get to all the backpacking sites via canoe. Bumping my rating from 4 stars to 5!

Beautiful, large park with trails for walking and bike trails. Wetland areas, big trees, and well…read moremaintained public areas

Outside the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, you will find over 500 acres of prairie, forest, and…read morewetlands. Inside, offers hands-on learning. You can learn about owls, hawks, snakes, turtles, and more. You can find each of these live animals inside. Most have a write-up near their exhibits to teach you more about them. If you are lucky you can visit the center when the snake is taken out of its cage and have the opportunity to hold it or see it up close. There are plenty of interactive displays inside and several places where little ones can play. Whether outdoors or indoors this is the perfect way to spend a day.

The Hormel Nature Center brings back warm fuzzy memories from my childhood when my Dad used to work…read morehere. They have educational events, tours, nature walks, a visitor center, etc. And of course you can always explore on your own as well. The park features native prairie, hardwood forest, wetlands and streams. I rememer climbing the big rock out in the front of the visitor center and feeling like it was SO TALL (when you're 5, everything's giant). Not sure if everyone would or could enjoy it as much as I do, but it's still a great little retreat.

Our family have gone to this pool for our children's swim meets(regionals MRC) many times…read more This is a decent pool right next to it's downtown area. Parking can be tough. It is a beautiful area. Lots of shops near by as well as a beautiful park... It is also next door to its local library.