The Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato was a perfect venue for the 2024 Minnesota…read moreRecreation and Park Association annual state conference. It has a warm feeling when you enter the facility. It has a myriad of different size rooms for educational sessions with the latest technology. The larger hall was a good place for the exhibitors and vendors.

The two times I have gone to a concert here it has been HORRIBLE to get into the building. Lines…read morearound the block!!!! You wait for an hour in a very slow moving line. It takes soooooo long to get into the venue, there is not time to get food, merch, or drinks. Then, if you are lucky enough to get in--you can't find your seat because the signage is so bad. The section and seat markings are not clear. How can this be?...1XX and 2XX are not marked. Complete mess!!!! The mismanagement at the entry and poor signage ruin what should be a fun night.

Mankato Riverfront Park/Vetter Stone Amphitheater…read more Well me and my Gal took a drive to Mankato for another of our Kid un-friendly events. We got tickets for a concert at the Vetter Stone Amphitheater at the Mankato Riverfront Park. We found some street parking close by and had a short walk into the park. Grabbed our 21+ wrist bands and headed to the beer tent. The line moved fast enough but as the night progressed we found out they really needed a few more tents. They had a full bar but cheap crappy beer. $4.50 for a Tall Boy Grain Belt wasn't bad. At least it wasn't expensive crappy beer. Standing in beer line ended up being some of the best entertainment at the event. So the lineup was Lita Ford, then Dokken, next Sebastian Bach and closing out the Show Ratt. We would have preferred to have just seen Lita and Sebastian as neither one of us were big fans of Ratt and Dokken back in the day. Lita Ford... Still hot at 54. Great show, Old stuff new stuff and even Cherry Bomb from the Runaways. 4 Stars. Dokken... We were pleasantly surprise we ended up enjoying them more than I thought we would. 3 Stars. Sebastian Bach... Kicked Butt! Still has the voice and puts on a great show. It was great when he stopped the show a few times to "encourage" the fans to get pumped up. Plus he has an awesome bass player. (I have all ways liked a great bass player better then an average lead guitar) 5 Stars. Ratt... I could take a pass. They were boring compared to the other 3 bands. We left the concert before they were done with their set. It was phoned in music in the 80's and hasn't improved with age. 2 Stars. The Park and Amphitheater... Good acoustics, great sight lines, they had plenty of Biffs, (however as I mentioned not enough beer tents) You can bring a chair or blanket if you want. (we had a blanket along but rock n rollers don't sit much during concerts ) 4 Stars.

Just attended our first event here - overall, it's a nice local venue and I'm hoping they can get…read moresome more great entertainment here. I understand it has been renovated, but had never been here prior. Seating - was all assigned and chairs were provided. The seating and rows were very tight. Bars - good, food trucks were also available which was fun/unique- but we had ate prior to the event, so we didn't try them. Restrooms - were just portapotty's - was often a line, could use some more. No lights, so hard to use once it got dark. Security - to get into the event went fine- checked ID's, bags, and metal detector.

Small and compact children's museum and I think it's great for little kids. We have 3 & 1 year old…read moreand they are enjoying themselves for hours. They spent the most time in the sandbox. The museum is full of sitting spots for the parents (whos lack of energy like me) to sit. The museum also has a cafe and very reasonable priced drinks. We holds other children museum memberships and the tickets are 50% discounts.

Went there when my 11 year old was 8 and it was a great day we had so much fun between this spot…read moreand Sibley park.

Literary tourism is a wonderful hobby. It gives you an excuse to travel to far-flung and…read morelittle-visited spots, not to mention buying unusual souvenirs. In the past, it's motivated me to visit Cambridge, England and Savannah, Georgia. (If you can guess the authors that motivated those trips, you will win a free subscription to my Yelp reviews.) So, when my daughter suggested touring the home of the writer of the Betsy-Tacy books, which we both read and re-read avidly in our girlhoods, of course the answer was yes. Anyone who's read these books knows the story of a life-long friendship between two girls and the realistic depictions of their life growing up in the early 1900's in a small Midwestern town (Deep Valley in the books, Mankato irl.) Not only does the author accurately depict life at that time, she also describes the emotional dynamics and situations of childhood and adolescence in a timeless way. Mankato is about 1 1/2 hours by car from Minneapolis where I was staying. The drive is lovely, especially in fall: maples and sumac in red and orange, cattails waving in the wind. And when you get to your destination, Betsy's house right across the street from Tacy's house, you are rewarded with the sensation that "It's just like in the books!". Aside from the sheer pleasure of visiting an actual early-20th century home which has been beautifully restored, if you are a fan of Maud Hart Lovelace's books, you will have the unique opportunity of seeing many of the familiar settings and items described in her books. As with many authors of fiction, Ms. Lovelace was heavily inspired by her own life but adapted details as needed. However, she had a strong devotion to depicting her hometown as authentically as possible and it shows. You will find many familiar landmarks on the map provided by the museum. If you are a Betsy-Tacy fan, and even if you're not, it's worth a trip to Mankato if only to see a lovely Midwestern small town and a beautifully restored home. Am I over-enthused because I'm a Betsy-Tacy fan? If so, let's just say it's like "Betsy In Spite of Herself." If you want to know why, find out more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy-Tacy and here http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org.

The childhood home of author Maud Hart Lovelace is the fabulous Betsy-Tacy Museum. A wonderful…read moreliterary pilgrimage!

Great new place in town. Drink specials are very low-priced, the service at the bar is friendly and…read morefast. Great atmosphere in the gaming area, very spacious and can accommodate large groups. If you haven't checked it out, it's a must. Make sure you bring a pocket full of quarters, you'll need them!!

Arcade games are fun, but the only draw for me. everything else about this place sucks. the…read morerestrooms are filthy and constantly covered in puddles of water. music is miserably loud at all hours, even on weeknights. the new outdoor speakers on the patio are a nuisance.

This is a hidden gem! Located in a river valley, Javen's Winery offers a beautiful place to gather…read morefor great wine selections while sitting on a patio overlooking the vineyard. On the weekends, it's not uncommon to find live music playing as well. The staff are amazing, which is family owned and operated. We love this place and highly recommend this as a must visit!

Have been going to this winery once a year since 2016. Always good wine- always great staff! We…read morepurchased our favorites to take home - 2015 Marquette and 2017 Patio Prints.

Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is adorable. From Bob Dylan to Prince to St. Olaf Choir to the…read moreMinneapolis Police Marching Band if they hail from Minnesota they can be found here with a tribute. For a $5 entry fee you get a hand held automated speaker system. Each artist has a number you punch in and it plays information on them. While it might be small, it's interesting and worth a visit.