Went during the civil war re-enactment days and it was a lot of fun. The trails are always there…read morebut definitely try to go during one their many special events.

There is a lot of awesome trails to hike here, as well as buildings from our past. Admission of…read more$6/piece is totally worth it. Plus there is even a house you can rent out. Def on my to do list next time I visit the area!

This a quirky stop to be sure. It is well maintained and easy to walk…read more The sculptures are all very different and so unique. The building wasn't open when we were there so we weren't able to learn more. Well worth the stop.

We love quirky places like this and thank goodness for the Kohler Art Museum in Sheboygan that has…read morerescued this and many other "untrained" artists' collections around the state. This is real Americana art. We arrived to a locked museum even though the website claimed it was open. Actually we weren't really sure how much was inside since most of the art was around the yard. It was very interesting and worth a detour.

" Small Local Museum "…read more My wife and I went to the Riverside Museum near Riverside Park to learn a little bit about the local history of La Crosse, WI. The Museum is small and has many exhibits about the Mississippi River, Ships, Farms, Etc. They also have a small theater are where you can watch an historical movie about the La Crosse area. They also use the museum as a Visitor Center for the town. So you can pick up many flyers about the city at the museum.

This was a total hidden gem. We stumbled upon this lovely museum because our roadside app told us…read moreabout some wood carvings of the 3 Stooges on the corner. I spotted "Laura Ingalls Wilder" on the church sign next to Mo and dragged hubby over. This church is now a museum. Almanzo Wilder and his family moved to Spring Valley from New York. Laura and Almanzo lived here in 1890 and attended this church which the Wilder family helped finance. Very interesting collection of photos and momentos from this time. Admission also includes either a one or 2 hour tour. We had only 20 minutes and the young guide did a great job hitting all the key items. We also rushed through the local history section which was also very unique. Don't miss the white wolf, 1950s perm machine or the medical kit from the "Lady Doctor" who was certified to practice medicine in 1838!

This is one of the best historical museums in Minnesota if not the nation and compares favorably…read morewith the best museums I've visited around the world. It covers the history of Spring Valley and its environs from before 5,000 BC to the present, focusing on the Wilder family and the history of this area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Frankly, I could simply not believe depth and breath of the exhibits here when I recently visited for the first time. I learned many interesting, why-did-I-not-know-this facts. The Wilder family, for example, made a sizeable contribution for the construction of the Methodist church in which the museum is located. Almonzo Wilder, who married Laura Ingalls, had a childhood friend named Richard Sears, who went on to found Sears with his partner, Alvah Roebuck. And, it really surprised me to learn that Dr. Henry Plummer, the Mayo brothers' right hand man, graduated from Spring Valley High School. There is much, much more. If you want to learn about Minnesota, visit this place and skip the State Fair this year.

This place is incredible! Every car is owned by the Dahl family and extremely well preserved! If…read moreyou are getting you vehicle serviced at their shop next door, admission is free. Otherwise, admission is only $5, and that is a deal for the cars you'll see! Aside from the cars, they have a very cool hood ornament display case, as well as a timeline that includes the history of cars and includes the price of fuel and milk and U.S. population, etc., along the way. I took many more photos than what I posted because you really have to see the collection in person. They really have some special gems including a Subaru model that only 209 of were manufactured in 2019, so super rare. I consider this a must-visit when in La Crosse whether you are a car enthusiast or not!

The best museum in La Crosse and like best auto museum in Wisconsin…read more The downtown museum is in an optimum location with free and easy parking right on the street in front of the museum. Adults $5 with seniors even less. The cars are packed into the location but visitors can access each car with360 Degree clearance so you can see the from every angle. The age of this collection goes all the way back to 1909 up to 2016 and each car is pristinely restored and maintained. Displays for each vehicles gives year, model, and model specs as well as cultural details relevant to its time. Really interesting! They capture the not only the timeline of the dealership since its founding, but aspects of La Crosse's specific history, the auto industry as a whole, and America's culture. The hood ornament collection and the gas pump illuminated signs really complement the value of this museum. All of this is accomplished by adding great graphics and neon to pull it all together. My only wish is that the building was even bigger to hold them and grow this magnificent collection. I am not knowledgeable about cars, but this museum was a delight even for people like me. I would guess about 40-50 cars and trucks are on display. Many convertibles! I spent about 2 hours here appreciating this beautifully curated collection. Oh, the space can also be rented for corporate functions and small weddings, too! Finally, It is never packed so it is easy to enjoy time here without having to fight your way through a crowd. Don't miss it. It is worth a special trip to the city just for this museum on a rainy day.

Burr Oak is a very small town tucked between the Minnesota border and the Iowa city of Decorah. We…read morevisited on a quiet Saturday. We paid for our tickets in the gift shop, then crossed the street to the old hotel, where we joined a tour that had just begun. The docent was great, bringing to life the history of the building, Laura's life, and present efforts to restore the property. I've wanted to visit Burr Oak for decades so that I could better understand the portion of Laura's life that she omitted from her fictionalized autobiography. Our tour took a little over an hour. We went throughout the hotel and then outside, where we could also visit the neighboring one-room schoolhouse. We then returned to the gift shop to look around. Visitors should note that the buildings are not readily accessible to handicapped individuals. In particular, the stairs to the attic guest rooms were quite steep and narrow. My very-tall husband had to be very careful when he went up there, too, as the ceiling is low.

Burr Oak, Iowa, is the only location where Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family lived that was not…read moreincluded in the Little House series of books. The volunteer board along with a part-time director, a part-time curator, and part-time summer tour guides have done an amazing job preserving three historic buildings in Burr Oak including the hotel where Laura and her family lived, and worked. The volunteer board has also acquired a fourth historic building, the Mercantile. I can not wait to see their vision for the Mercantile come to fruition. They also maintain a park that adds to the experience. In addition to summer tours, there is also a summer festival at the end of June celebrating life as it was when Laura and her family lived in Burr Oak. It is a fun time to be in Burr Oak.

So, the house, what you can see of it: 5 stars. It's gorgeous and everything is well preserved…read more Why the 2 stars though? Three reasons: 1. I would post pics showing what it looks like but no photography is allowed. I thought the one woman was going to bat my phone out of my hand when I took it out to take a pic. It is 2019; 80 year old grandmothers have smartphones with cameras. If it's about flash photography, say so and let me take pics without the flash. Otherwise, a restriction on photography gets you an immediate downvote in my book. 2. You see three rooms and you can't even go in and look around, it's all roped off. 3. None of the guides knew anything beyond their script. Anytime anyone asked a question they said they didn't know the answer. Why are you working here if you don't know half the questions people are asking? Beautiful house, what you can see of it. I got in free with a tour but based on my time there today would never pay to go inside.

Fantastic tour, house is preserved so well and you can tell the staff/volunteers have a lot of…read morerespect for its history. Well worth the ticket cost. Tour probably an hour or longer and so much detail!!!

What I like best about this place is the cave tours they offer. The Stoppel family dug these caves…read morein the sandstone outcroppings in the 1800s. Some old dates and rather interesting graffiti inside.

My wife and I and a couple of relatives were in Rochester for a wedding and needed something to do…read morefor an afternoon. I lived here for a few years and never knew the history museum was here because I never really made it to this side of town. The museum part is pretty small but informative, but the outside features are cool. You can tour an old farm house and an old school. There is a lot of history about the Mayo Clinic, which I didn't really know about and you can do the whole thing in about an hour. We had a nice place to kill a couple of hours and I am glad we did.

One of Rochesters best kept secrets The Charles Gagnon…read moresculpture museum is amazing Arlyn is a wealth of knowledge and detailed historian with each piece of art. Beautifully displayed and in an inviting and peaceful sanctuary! A must see!

Outstanding experience. This museum is definitely a "hidden gem" in Rochester. Wonderful to see…read morethe art, learn about the creation and history of bronze sculpture, and hear stories about the artist's adventures in Rochester and around the world. There is definitely something for everyone. ADA accessible; beautiful facilities; wonderful tour!