Rochester lies on the south fork of the Zumbro River and is Minnesota's third-largest city. The centerpiece of Rochester's economy is the Mayo Clinic, which annually draws more than two million visitors. Popular attractions include the Quarry Hill Nature Center, Rochester Art Center, Mayowood Mansion, and the History Center of Olmsted County.
The Plummer Building
The Plummer Building, opened in 1928, is now an iconic symbol of the Mayo Clinic and National Historic Landmark. The building is named after Henry S. Plummer, M.D., who designed it and created systems and procedures still in use at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Plummer wished for the facility to be efficient as well as pleasing to the eye.
The building's historic third floor has the offices of Dr. Charlie and Dr. Will Mayo. While patient care is handled in the Gondo and Mayo buildings, among others, the Plummer Building houses academic, administrative, and support functions.
Plummer Building, Rochester, MN, Phone: 507-284-2585
Plummer House of the Arts
Dr. Mayo asked Dr. Plummer to join the Mayo Clinic staff in 1901 - a remarkable relationship that lasted 35 years. Dr. Plummer is credited with several innovative ideas generated during his tenure, including his invention of the pneumatic tube. In 1924, the Plummer house consisted of 65 acres.
Eleven acres remain and are maintained by the Rochester Park and Recreation Department, which uses it as a tourist attraction and for receptions, weddings, meetings, and classes. Guests renting the home are entitled to use the grounds, such as formal gardens, bird trail, quarry, and water tower.
Plummer House of the Arts, 1091 Plummer Ln SW, Rochester, MN 55902, Phone: 507-328-2525
Quarry Hill Nature Center
Quarry Hill Nature Center offers visitors a place to observe many live animals, birds, and fish, plus a taxidermy collection. It's home to 35 species of live animals native to Minnesota, plus exotic species, a huge aquarium with seven varieties of fish, and two raptors. Keen eyesight, highly sensitive hearing, speed, silent flight, and crushing talons distinguish these birds.
For at least 20 years, the Nature Center's indoor hive has offered visitors a close up view of the internal goings-on of a honeybee colony. The Bird Study Room features Minnesota-native birds - either mounted or living just outside the windows. The Nature Center is free and open all but four days of the year.
701 Silver Creek Road NE, Rochester, MN 55906, Phone: 507-328-3950
Rochester Art Cente
The Rochester Art Cente is a non-collecting institution that focuses on presenting temporary exhibitions that feature established international, national, and local artists, plus up-and-coming artists whose work represents a variety of media. One of its programs is the Emerging Artist Series, which develops, commissions, and produces new work by Minnesota's emerging artists. The program has worked directly with 50+ artists. Artists in this program are nurtured, supported, and challenged to take risks.
40 Civic Center Dr. SE, Rochester, MN, Phone: 507-282-8629
Mayowood Mansion
Co-founder of the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Charles H. Mayo, built Mayowood in 1911. The estate contains gardens and the doctor's decorative arts collection. More than 40 rooms are furnished in antiques of English, German, French, Spanish, and American heritage. The Mayo family, in 1965, donated the home and ten acres to the Olmsted County Historical Society.
Two years later, Mayowood Mansion was declared a Minnesota Historic Site by a legislative act, and in 1970 the mansion and landscape were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In July 2013, the Mayowood Mansion building and grounds title was transferred to the Mayo Clinic, as voted on and agreed to by the membership of the Olmsted County Historical Society. Tours are offered for visitors' enjoyment.
3720 Mayowood Road SW, Rochester, MN 55902
Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial
The Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial honors American veterans across generations. The Wall of Remembrance pays tribute to more than 3,000 women and men from southeast Minnesota who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Bluffscape Amish Tours
What can visitors expect on a Bluffscape Amish Tour? During a three-hour guided tour, visitors will sojourn at Amish farms and shops and get a glimpse of Minnesota's Amish community. There is travel to the Amish farms between Preston, Lanesboro, Harmony, and Canton. Listen to the fascinating history of the Amish from knowledgeable guides.
History Center of Olmsted County
The vision of the History Center of Olmsted County is to encourage the exploration of history. In 1926, it was established by Burton Eaton to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Olmsted County.
Charles E. Gagnon Museum and Sculpture Garden
Charles Gagnon became a professional sculptor in 1960, dedicating his life to producing beautiful sculptures that were designed to uplift the spirits and create an atmosphere of peace and serenity. When you visit the Charles E. Gagnon Museum and Sculpture Garden today you will be taken on a guided tour of the artist’s home, where you will learn about his life as an artist. Your guide will be his wife – the best person to tell his fascinating story. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday by appointment. The outdoor sculpture garden is only open from May through October. Exhibitions are held twice a year and various Music in the Garden events are hosted in summer.
Charles E. Gagnon Museum and Sculpture Garden, 2500 4th Street SW, Rochester, MN 55902, 507 282 5202
The Machine Shed
Located in Downtown Broadway, The Machine Shed is a popular meeting place for arcade gaming enthusiasts. Especially for those who love vintage video games. At the Machine Shed you don’t need to worry about coins or tokens – a single $10 fee gives you access to all the games, all day long. The adjacent Gaming Bazaar buys and trades vintage video games that you will recall from your youth; they also repair faulty gaming consoles and have enough games to keep everyone playing for hours on end. They also offer weekly rentals and host parties of all kinds, offering great food, great gaming and a party room.
The Machine Shed, 11 2nd Street NE, Rochester, MN 55906, 507 258 6501
Silver Lake Park
Southeastern Minnesota boasts a lovely, freshwater reservoir called Silver Lake on the South Fork of the Zumbro River, located approximately one mile north of downtown Rochester. Most of this body of water is surrounded by public park. The Rochester Rowing Club calls Silver Lake home. Silver Lake Park visitors may engage in biking, jogging, rollerblading, observing the Giant Canada geese, or just enjoying a leisurely walk around the lake.
Amish Tours of Harmony
Visitors are encouraged to travel through the countryside to observe Amish farmers in their fields with horses and horse-drawn equipment and buggies tied to hitching posts. Guests are particularly drawn to these scenes of Amish life.
Get comfortable with an experienced tour guide who will ride along with you in your car to provide insights into the array of Amish shops, farms, and stops. Or, you can choose to ride in a van, listening to a guide discuss Amish heritage. Large group tours are also available, and these include making meals. Expect to stop at Amish shops and farms where you can make purchases.
Amish Tours of Harmony, 94 2nd St NW, Harmony, MN 55939, Phone: 507-886-2303 | 1-800-752-6474
Rochester Civic Theatre
This non-profit group is committed to educating and enriching the lives of young adults and adults in southeastern Minnesota and Rochester through the presentation and production of music, dance, and live theater.
It is southeastern Minnesota's leading presenter and producer of community and professional theater, dance, and live music. Established in 1951, the Rochester Civic Theatre is now a multidisciplinary award-winning organization. Its performances feature international, national, and local artists. In addition, the group's education department offers advanced training, classes, and performance opportunities for actors of any age.
Rochester Civic Theatre, 30 Civic Center Dr SE Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55904, Phone: 507-282-8481
Heritage House Victorian Museum
Just two blocks from downtown Rochester is the Heritage House Victorian Museum. The home was built for Eliza and Timothy Whiting in 1875. In 1883, the home was spared when it survived a tornado. One hundred years later, it came under threat - again.
At that time, the home was empty and about to be demolished, save for Louise Hill, a citizen of Rochester who happened to be passionate about rescuing old houses. It was relocated in 1972 to Central Park. It has been decorated with Victorian antiques and restored. Trained docents lead tours from June through August. The home is air-conditioned.
225 First Street NW Rochester, MN, Phone: 507-286-9208
Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science Center
The mission of the Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science Center is to educate people about the environment - specifically: water, energy, and wetlands. It seeks to encourage sustainable living through organizational and personal change and career choices.
The core program at Cascade Meadow provides resources to increase energy and water "literacy" among southeastern Minnesota's citizens. The facility's physical features, exhibits, and educational programming help citizens focus on the science of energy and water. The center also helps visitors think about the ways that people interact and use these resources and how changes in behavior and technology can lead to these resources' sustainable use.
2900 19th Street Northwest in Rochester, MN, Phone: 507-252-8133
Rochester Trolley & Tour Company
The Rochester Trolley & Tour Company was founded in 2006 to provide private and public sightseeing tours, plus coach and trolley charters for any size group. Its signature tours feature a Scenic Mississippi River Valley Tour, an Old Amish Country Tour, a Rochester City Tour, and a Twin Cities Tour.
Others include the Haunted Rochester Trolley Tour, Great River Road Wine Trail Trolleys Tours, Rochester City & Mayo Historical Trolley Tour, and the Jolly Trolley Holiday Lights Tours. The Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau named Rochester Trolley & Tour Company in 2014 its Certified Tourism Ambassador "Business of the Year."
972 14th Ave SW, Rochester, MN 55902, Phone: 507-421-0573
Children's Dance Theatre
This theatrical dance production company was founded as an independent incorporated non-profit dance theatre in 1987 to create dance performances. Its dancers boast a variety of experiences and training and are chosen for productions after going through auditions.
Auditions are open to dancers who are at least five years of age through college-aged dancers; all must be enrolled in weekly classes. CDT explores the art of dance and seeks to provide its dancers with an inviting and stimulating learning environment by working with different choreographers. During the year, CDT also offers educational and outreach performance opportunities.
Children's Dance Theatre, PO Box 6655, Rochester, MN 55903
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center
Eagle Bluff is a private, non-profit residential environmental learning center, committed to providing experiences that empower people to care for each other and the earth. It accomplishes its mission through several educational programs for adults and children.
The educational programs are designed to increase environmental and academic literacy, promote positive outdoor experiences, create an appreciation for the natural world, teach skills such as problem solving and teamwork, and foster stewardship, respect, and community. Programs include K-12 Experiential Classes, a live raptor/STARLAB presentation, adult team building, and the professional naturalist fellowship. It offers facility rental and lodging packages.
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Drive, Lanesboro, MN, Phone: 507-467-2437
Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale
The Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale offers a concert season of new and traditional classical music performed in chamber and symphony formats by 70 professional musicians.
Bowlocity Entertainment Center
Bowlocity Entertainment Center is your go-to place for hours of fun and entertainment for the whole family.
Apache Mall
Apache Mall features 87 stores under several categories: department stores; electronics and entertainment, fashion, food, health and beauty, home and housewares, shoes, specialty, and sports and fitness.
Chester's Kitchen and Bar
Chester's Kitchen and Bar is conveniently located on University Square where they offer excellently rated fine American cuisine in a modern and inviting atmosphere.
