This place is one of the best kept secrets of Northern MN. Especially if you have kids that would…read morelove to climb big equipment. But I will honestly say this museum was one of the most interesting I've been in in quite a while even as an adult. It's not just about mining, but walks you through everyday life "back in the day". From the school room, doctor's office, barber shop, washing machines, kitchen, printing press etc etc. So much is here, and so many photos almost all with captions stating where/when. Super interesting. There is SO much stuff here! It really blew me away. And the woman who was working that day was so friendly and knowledgeable (that's you Velma!)... she was an absolute delight. It unfortunately decided to downpour 1/2 way through our first visit which cut it short, but that meant that I was able to go back and meet a friend and her kiddos! Whoever set this up cared a lot and thought it through and the donations of things large and small is incredible. Go here! .... Pull all the way in and drive up to the castle. There are parking spots there and that's where you pay. It's deceptive making you think you park outside the gate but nope.... pull all the way up!

As you may have noticed, my family and I are definitely adventures even in our own backyard. Today…read moremy family and I decided to take a trip to Tower and visit the old Train Museum. Trains have always been a fascinating thing for me because at one point that was our way for transportation, and the history of the tracks forming from the East to the West is a phenomenal tail. This particular train that sits here permanently in Tower, MN was a former passenger train that ran from Duluth to the Iron Range. Looking inside the the old engineering area is a little eerie looking at all the original speedometers, the compartment for the coals, where a piece of rope once was to help ring the bell on top of the engine. You could almost imagine the puffs of smoke roaring overhead, the whistle blowing, a conductor yelling, "All aboard!" It all feels so real. From Wikipedia it states, "Tower station, often called the Tower Passenger Depot, is a former passenger railroad depot in Tower, Minnesota, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1916 by the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, it provided passenger train service until 1951." It's a fun place to bring the whole family. Come check it out, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for reading Schroyer Family Daily! #towermn #tower #trainmuseum #museum #trains #historic #history #explore #minnesota #arrenschroyer #cassieschroyer

After having been to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto thisnpast spring, hubs and I said "hey, we…read moreshould really check out thw US one that's basically in our backyard". While it definitely had a MN focus, it was fun to see a lot of the artifacts and displays here. Being a Minnesota kid who grew up on hockey, I recognized most of players and games being depicted. It was even fun to go take a few slapshots, something I am admittedly not good at, since I was a goalie. Staff were friendly. A couple areas that could be improved were the gift shop being a little lackluster and some of the displays just had printed out computer paper, rather tham a nice plaque or something, so made it look a little cheap.

I'm a Wild fan, not a hockey fan, meaning my knowledge of the sport goes little beyond the last 4…read moreyears of the Wild but I enjoyed perusing the Hall of Fame. There is three floors of art and memorabilia. I especially enjoyed the displays on the Miracle Team, 1980 US gold medal winning Olympic hockey team. I also liked seeing some of the history of hockey, such as old uniforms and skates. I was happy to see some female hockey athletes honored as well. I loved the interactive areas where I could shoot a puck with a real stick to check my accuracy as well as shoot to measure puck speed. If you are in the area, for the $8 entry fee, it's worth a stop. It's looking a bit dated but it's clean and the people working there were so nice.

The Elks club is a fun place, for this particular night we all joined together for the raising of…read morefunds for the Rock Ridge School. We've been here for wrestling award parties, and spaghetti night dinners. This place is well known through the community and is a great place for casual get togethers and important meetings. Definitely a place I wouldn't mind coming back to. They even have a bar on the main floor so why not come down, and have a drink. Thanks for reading #schroyerfamilydaily

This place is the best. Old school bar/lounge and tons of free popcorn. I think my old band teacher…read moreused to bar tend here on Friday nights, but hey, in a town of 3000, what do you expect. VERY stiff pours (Customer satisfaction over diluting drinks to make a profit!) and a good time for one and all. If you are in here when a Bonspiel is going on, its game over. Many a drunk will fly! This is also a great place to be for the clown band on the 4th. It really IS an Elks club, but I've never been asked if I was a Doe, but my dad is a member so I don't think they'd throw me out. Do be careful going down the stairs after a good boozing. Some guy fell few years back and broke his leg quite badly.

The dated facility, built in 1978, features astronomy shows, movies, a gift shop, sun dial, and…read moregarden. For $5 per adult, it's economical entertainment. Be forewarned that the lady narrating the astronomy shows is difficult to understand due to the odd inflection that she adds to her voice.

So incredibly frustrating when a website has listed a place as open -you make the effort to attend…read moreand they are closed for the season. Update your website. Grrrrr.

I'm a conniseur of weird tourist attractions. I loved the Tom Sawyer diorama in Hannibal Missouri…read morethe underground tour of Miles, Montana and the worlds most depressing theme park, "Ironworld" in Chilsholm Minnesota. But the Greyhound bus museum beats em all. Last year, our car broke down in Hibbing and we were stuck there for four days with a toddler. I tell you what, he loved this place. He's heavily into buses and the displays allowed him to really, really get his fill of them. We were the only people in the museum so the staff went out of their way to give us the grand tour. They also had live greyhounds and other fun things for kids. If you like kitsch, then don't miss this. My personal favorite, the Bob Dylan sock sculpture wearing a bus driver's uniform in one of the displays.

I've driven by this place numerous times and I've been wanting to stop by for some time now. Today…read moreI stopped by because I had other errands to do. From first glance you may think this might be some antique or thrift store but it's not quite that at all. It's an art gallery and most of the items are made from separte dealers. There is so much to look at from dishes, to home decorations, pieces of art to hang on the wall, jewlery, magnets, and other great things to fill your home. The service here was wonderful and I managed to find a nature themed picture frame that had bark all around it. Cant wait to ad it to our nature area in our home from all of our hikes and kayaking trips. My only one complaint is that it is an art/ thrift store and they charge for the "fine" art that is there. It's a bit on the spendy side so if your looking for a cheap gift, it's not going to be here, but it sure will make a pretty one. Thanks for reading. #Schroyerfamilydaily #schroyersgarage

The Virginia Area Historical Society is a small community historical organization that maintains a…read morehouse museum building with several well designed exhibits and out buildings next to a community park. Take some time to learn about the fire that took out the downtown or get to know your Finnish Iron miners.