North Central and Western Minnesota Tourism

North Central and Western Minnesota Tourism on MinnesotaBeautiful.com North Central and Western Minnesota Tourism - your Minnesota Tourist Guide to Vacations, Attractions and Events

KRA Speedway - Willmar, Minnesota

KRA Speedway - Willmar, Minnesota

This 3/8 mile banked dirt track hosts both modifieds and stock car races every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.  KRA Speedway is located at the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds.

Pit Entry Fee: $20.00
Car Entry Fee: $5.00
Grandstand Admission:
Child (12 and under) Free (w/ paid adult)
Adult (13 and over) $10.00
Season Pass $125.00

Location: 7th St. N, Willmar

Phone: (320) 212-8503 or (320) 796-2950.

Luce Line Trail - Hutchinson, Minnesota

Luce Line Trail - Hutchinson, Minnesota

What a wonderful trail of paved surface to walk, nearly 3 miles of trail to weave through the historic town of Hutchinson.

Hutchinson prides itself in it’s historic preservation activities, great homes and well maintained community so the hike will be just wonderful. Stop and watch the deer, wild turkeys, ducks, and geese at the Gopher Wildlife Sanctuary along the trail near the city park.

Come to Hutchinson in the winter and take advantage of our Minnesota prairie snow. The trail is well groomed and maintained by the Crow River Sno Pro’s, and connects to a system of snowmobile trails, that have you adventuring North, South, East and West. Snowmobile maps are available at the Chamber CVB office

The Luce Line trail from Winsted to Hutchinson is undeveloped. It has a medium gravel base and is suitable for biking. The trail from Hutchinson to Cedar Mills was developed with a base of crushed granite in 1998. This bikeable granite is of a larger size. A final surface of crushed limestone will be added in the future. The Luce Line State Trail is a 63 mile long former railroad grade which is being developed for biking, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. The limestone surfaced trail runs from Plymouth 30 miles West to Winsted, with a parallel tread way for horseback riding. Snowmobiles are allowed on the trail West of Orono.

 

 

Douglas County Fair - Alexandria, Minnesota

Douglas County Fair - Alexandria, Minnesota

This fair has been an annual event since 1888 and is the 10th largest fair in Minnesota.  There is so much to do and see at the county fair from 4H exhibits to the demolition derby, the entertainment on stage (free to those that have paid admission to enter the fairgrounds), lots of good food to choose from, racing at the Viking Speedway and much more.  Maybe you will want to participate or watch the tractor pulls. Read more

Lac Qui Parle Mission - Montevideo, Minnesota

Lac Qui Parle Mission - Montevideo, Minnesota

"Lake that Speaks" is what Lac Qui Parle means. The French name was given to the area by Joseph Renville who was an explorer and fur trader in the area in 1826.  His mother was Dakota and his father a Frenchman so he was familiar with the Dakota lifestyle.  He opened a trading post in the village and then invited missionaries to establish their mission there.

For many of the Dakota tribe, the mission was their first intensive contact with Euro-American culture.  Not everything went smoothly as the missionaries tried to convert the Dakota tribe to Christianity and show them their ways to grow crops and bring them around to the culture of the Euro-Americans.  Although the missionaries left the area in 1854 there are some 40 Indian Congregational and Presbyterian congregations in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota that trace their roots back to the mission in Lac Qui Parle.

There is now a Work Projects Administration building on the site of the original adobe structure.  A walking path and interpretive signs lead visitors through the tiny area where a small group of Protestant missionary families lived.

Inside the chapel, exhibits describe the missionaries and their work, the Dakota people, and Joseph Renville, the man that linked their worlds.  Visitors can ring the church bell, echoing the sound of the original traditionally known as the first church bell in Minnesota.

Location: Northwest of Montevideo, no north on US Hwy 59 for 6 miles then west on Chippewa County HWY 13 for 2.2 miles and turn right at the corner.  The mission will be on your right. 

Hours: 8-8 Daily from the last Sunday in April through Labor Day.  Visitors may tour the site at any time year-round.

Admission: Free

For more information contact the Chippewa County Historical Society, PO Box 303, Montevideo, Minnesota 56265

Phone: 320-269-7636

Knute Nelson House/Douglas County Historical Society - Alexandria, Minnesota

Knute Nelson House/Douglas County Historical Society

This home, owned by Knute Nelson, was built in 1872 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The home now houses the Douglas County Historical Society and the research papers they have for public use. Read more

Chippewa City Historical Park - Montevedeo, Minnesota

Chippewa City Historical Park - Montevedeo, Minnesota

The city of Montevedeo was founded in 1870, with that history the community decided to save as many of the historic buildings of the time as possible.  They established the Historical Park and began moving buildings into it in 1965 when the first school house was moved in.  Now there are over 24 buildings in the park.  This is an ideal place to walk through history. Read more

Fiesta Days - Montevideo, Minnesota

Fiesta Days - Montevideo, Minnesota

Montevideo, Uruguay and Montevideo, Minnesota have a Sister City relationship.  In celebration of this sisterhood the city of Montevideo holds a celebration to honor of the relationship that began in 1905 with the exchange of flags.  Each summer, the city celebrates "Fiesta Days" during Father’s Day weekend in June. The celebration consists of four days of a variety of activities, concluding with a parade on Sunday afternoon. Read more

Hay Days Grass Drags - Forest Lake, Minnesota

Hay Days Grass Drags - Forest Lake, Minnesota

If you come from the snow country you all know about snowmobiling on the frozen white stuff that blesses the area every year, sometimes for months on end and other times the desire for more snow is real!  Well, Hay Days Grass Drags doesn’t wait for the snow, they have the drag races on the grass! Read more

The Rourke Art Gallery - Moorhead, Minnesota

The Rourke Art Gallery - Moorhead, Minnesota

The gallery is housed in the historic Martinson House, built in 1880, are temporary and permanent exhibitions. Read more

Runestone Museum - Alexandria, Minnesota

Runestone Museum - Alexandria, Minnesota

Planning a vacation to Minnesota? Why not schedule a stop at the Runestone Museum, located in the beautiful historic town of Alexandria? The museum’s main attraction centers around the legendary Kensington Runestone which was first discovered in 1898. Read more

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