Austin Minnesota is both due south of Minneapolis and a short drive from Rochester. Austin was named after a pioneer settler and in current day important industry in the city is in processing plants that deal with grain, livestock and vegetables. Also know as "Spamtown USA", Austin is home to the famous Spam Museum easily visited from many Austin Minnesota hotels.

Spam is a processed type of meat is said to have aided the Allies in winning WWII. These days Spam is considered a marvel that many younger generations don't have the same affinity for! The Spam Museum started out as a small museum inside an Austin Minnesota mall that was later moved to its own building and is now the biggest of Austin area attractions. Inside the museum there are plenty of things to do and see including interactive exhibits and displays so visitors can get better acquainted with the product!

The Spam Museum game lets visitors take a turn at canning Spam in a faux assembly line. The Spam Museum spans more than 16,000 square feet and includes an auditorium and a gift store for shopping for Spam memorabilia! Upon entering the lobby 3,390 cans of Spam will greet you, towering to the ceiling.

Austin hotels include the regular chains found in most North American cities. Visitors can choose from well-known names such as Days Inn and the Holiday Inn which are both close to Austin area attractions. Room amenities barely differ in both the hotels and offer guests internet connection, TV, queen beds, air conditioning and more. Both these Austin hotels are rated as three diamonds and the Holiday Inn has an indoor pool.

As an alternative to the comfortable yet generic Austin hotels try the Ice Haus. The bed and breakfast is set on the outskirts of Austin on a 22-acre farm less than two hours from the Twin Cities of St Paul and Minneapolis. Transportation to the National Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway and the Shooting Star Scenic Byway is mere minutes and offers terrific scenery and views of the area. Area attractions include the Hormel Nature area where mountain biking and hiking are a favored activity.

Austin area attractions include the J.C. Hormel Nature Center Visitors can also enjoy kayaking and canoeing through rentals offered at the reserve. Bird watching is excellent and there are farms, orchards, gardens and Science and Nature Centers that can be explored. Interactive exhibits of the areas wildlife is displayed inside the nature center's main building which is surrounded by prairie and woodlands. The entire reserve spans 278 acres and includes ten miles of hiking and walking trails. Cross country skiing trails run 13.0 kilometers through the area for fun winter activity. Admission is free and the facility is open year-round except on holidays.

The Greibroks Mini History Farm is a farmhouse comprising forty rooms filled with a collection of an incredible 700 mini trucks, tractors, airplanes, trains and other small toys. If you're an avid golfer Austin Minnesota is home to five 18-hole courses and four 9-hole courses. River Oaks Golf Club and Meadow Greens Golf Course are both conveniently within a few miles of the center of town. All of the 18-hole courses have a span of approximately 6,000 yards with an average par of 70.

With a number of museums and nature centers to visit you can easily spend a few days discovering Austin. If the mood strikes the Mall of America is just over an hour away! If you plan on taking some day trips Rochester is near by. If you're feeling adventurous, take a trip west and drive along the Lake Michigan shoreline for a fun afternoon near the water.