162 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Minnesota - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Orfield Labs Quiet Chamber

This lab's maddening silence is good for business but bad for sanity.

Harmony, Minnesota

Niagara Cave

This large midwestern cavern features impressive rock formations and an underground waterfall.

Grand Marais, Minnesota

Devil's Kettle

Half of a waterfall goes into the river while the other half seems to disappear.

Cloquet, Minnesota

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station

The famed architect designed this Minnesota gas station of the future with a lookout tower.

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Museum of Quackery and Medical Frauds

A museum within a museum, devoted to history's most questionable medical devices.

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Wabasha Street Caves

These curious caverns have been home to mushrooms, gangsters, and disco.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

20,000 pieces in a Frank Gehry-designed building.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

City Salvage

An architecturally-focused antique shop.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Herbivorous Butcher

A butcher shop in Minneapolis has all the meats and cheeses you’d expect from any of its kind—except that all the products are vegan.

Austin, Minnesota

Spam Museum

Ever wanted to can Spam?

Jordan, Minnesota

Minnesota's Largest Candy Store

This bright yellow building is packed with sweet treats from all around the world, from chocolate-covered crickets to whoopie pies.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mill City Museum and site of "The Great Mill Disaster"

When flour explodes, it's not a pretty sight.

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

18 Mini Golf Courses You Should Go Out of Your Way to Play

Adventures filled with oversized characters, obstacles, and castles await—all you need to join is a putter and a ball. Yes, we're talking about miniature golf, the Lilliputian game with a big imagination. Since 2012, we—Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman—have been documenting the world of mini golf on our website A Couple of Putts. After putting our way through more than 300 courses, we’ve stumbled into becoming experts who design, build, and consult on all things miniature golf. With our keen eye for elements that make courses distinctive and magical destinations, we’ve created this world tour to showcase some of our personal favorites, as well as a few courses on our “must play” list. In keeping with the theme, here are 18 unique courses that span the globe. This wild assortment of putting places offer unique ways to interact with the past and present. Putt when ready!

The courses may be miniature, but the spectacle is gigantic.

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Stories About Minnesota

Simple and sweet, with a surprising story.

The All-American Appeal of the Bundt Cake

A clever pan made elegant baking possible for everyone.

December 22, 2021

Meet the Woman Who Trekked a 1,200-Mile Ice Age Trail in the Dead of Winter

Emily Ford is the first woman and first person of color to complete the grueling hike.

by Gemma Tarlach

For 56 years, Molter lived a mostly solitary life on Knife Lake.

Minnesota's 'Root Beer Lady' Lived Alone in a Million-Acre Wilderness

The "loneliest woman in America" brewed root beer for thousands of visitors.

by Terri Peterson Smith

September 16, 2020

Love fades.

How a Minnesota Town Fell In and Out of Love With Its Ginormous Geese

Like most human-fowl relationships, it's complicated.

February 13, 2020

John Kelsch poses in the Judy Garland Museum with a replica of Garland's ruby slippers. The originals were stolen in 2005 and recovered in 2018.

How Two Oz-Obsessed Midwesterners Made Judy Garland's Birthplace a Museum

"This is as important to me as any President’s house.”

by Allison Herrera

September 25, 2019

Another lake-based face-off, in Hutchinson, Minnesota.

Wisconsin and Minnesota Are Waging an Extremely Friendly War Over Who Has More Lakes

Wait, what the heck is a lake, anyway?

by Sabrina Imbler

Volunteers preparing Faith Lutheran Church's lutefisk.

Why a Minnesota Pastor Wrote an Obituary for a Lutefisk Dinner

RIP Faith Lutheran Scandinavian Dinner, 1947-2017.

December 6, 2018

Hot dogs are among the pork products mentioned in the suit.

Consumers Are Accusing U.S. Pork Producers of Running a Price-Fixing Cartel

A lawsuit alleges that people have been overpaying since 2009.

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