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.
