Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
Bemidji, Minnesota
Paul Bunyan was installed in 1937 and Babe the Blue Ox followed in 1939. These famous roadside statues stand beside Lake Bemidji.
Address:
300 Bemidji Avenue N
Bemidji, MN 56601
MINNESOTA HISTORY · MONUMENTS · OLD TOWNS · HERITAGE TRAVEL
Discover Minnesota's
Discover Minnesota's
Historic Statues, Monuments & Old Towns.
Explore surviving landmarks from Minnesota's territorial era, railroad expansion, lumber industry, agricultural communities, Native American history, early settlement, and 20th-century roadside culture.
Find historic statues, old courthouses, preserved downtown buildings, historic homes, military sites, museums, rail depots, waterfront landmarks, and small towns where visitors can still experience Minnesota history.
Minnesota History Is Still Visible Across the State
Minnesota became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. Its history extends far beyond statehood, including thousands of years of Dakota and Ojibwe history, trade networks, landscapes, and cultural traditions.
Minnesota's cities and small towns contain surviving landmarks from multiple historical periods. Some are preserved as museums, others remain active buildings, and many are visible from streets, parks, and public sidewalks.
This directory focuses on places a traveler can locate and research today. A historic property's appearance in a government register does not necessarily mean the interior is open to the public.
1858
Minnesota Statehood
87
Counties Across Minnesota
1,750+
National Register Listings in Minnesota
A Living Statewide Heritage Directory
Minnesota's State Historic Preservation Office maintains a much larger inventory of historic places than can reasonably fit into one visitor guide. This page highlights significant surviving destinations and links to the official registers for further research.
Historic Statues and Monuments Still Standing
Some Minnesota monuments date to the nineteenth century, while others reflect the roadside tourism and community identity of the twentieth century. Their historical age, purpose, and public access vary.
Hermann the German Monument
New Ulm, Minnesota
Erected in 1897, this historic monument reflects New Ulm's German-American heritage. The statue stands above the city at Hermann Heights Park.
Location:
Hermann Heights Park
Monument Street, New Ulm, MN
Hiawatha and Minnehaha Statue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Installed in 1912, this sculpture depicts characters from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem. It is located within Minnehaha Regional Park.
Location:
Minnehaha Regional Park
4801 S. Minnehaha Park Drive
Minneapolis, MN
John H. Stevens Statue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The statue honors an early Minneapolis settler. The monument was moved to Minnehaha Park during the 1930s.
Location:
Minnehaha Regional Park
4801 S. Minnehaha Park Drive
Minneapolis, MN
Gunnar Wennerberg Statue
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Added to Minnehaha Park in 1915, the monument recognizes Swedish poet, scholar, and composer Gunnar Wennerberg.
Location:
Minnehaha Regional Park
Minneapolis, MN
Jolly Green Giant Statue
Blue Earth, Minnesota
This 55-foot roadside landmark is part of Blue Earth's agricultural and commercial tourism history. It is a later twentieth-century attraction rather than a nineteenth-century monument.
Location:
Giant Park
Blue Earth, MN
Minnesota Historic Places by City
Search historic statues, old town centers, mills, courthouses, homes, railroads, monuments, museums, and preserved architectural landmarks throughout Minnesota.
Every featured entry includes a visitor address or street-level location. Where a historic district covers several blocks, the address identifies a practical starting point rather than the full district boundary.
How to Visit Historic Buildings
Some listings refer to privately owned historic buildings or properties whose interiors are not open for tours. Visitors should remain on public sidewalks unless access is expressly permitted.
Historical designations, restoration work, temporary closures, and building use can change. Confirm access before traveling.
Old Minnesota Towns Where History Remains Visible
Historic Minnesota Main Streets can contain original nineteenth-century commercial buildings, brick storefronts, old banks, courthouses, railroad infrastructure, churches, and preserved residential districts.
Stillwater
Lumber-era commercial architecture, the St. Croix waterfront, historic Lift Bridge, and surviving buildings along Main Street.
Historic walking tour start:
Main Street & Chestnut Street
Stillwater, MN 55082
Red Wing
Historic commercial buildings, preserved downtown architecture, and riverfront industrial history.
Historic district:
Broadway and East/West Avenues
Red Wing, MN 55066
Northfield
Preserved downtown commercial buildings associated with nineteenth-century banking, railroads, and commerce.
Historic downtown:
Bridge Square & Division Street
Northfield, MN 55057
Henderson
A preserved small-town commercial district known for historic brick storefronts and Minnesota River Valley history.
Historic Main Street:
Main Street
Henderson, MN 56044
Taylors Falls
Early St. Croix Valley settlement, preserved nineteenth-century buildings, historic homes, and river tourism.
Historic landmark:
Taylors Falls Public Library
417 Bench Street
Taylors Falls, MN 55084
Pipestone
Downtown historic architecture and a nationally significant cultural landscape connected to Indigenous quarrying traditions.
Historic building:
Calumet Hotel
104 W. Main Street
Pipestone, MN 56164
New Ulm
German-American architecture, the Hermann Monument, historic churches, and buildings associated with the city's development.
Visit:
Hermann Heights Park
Monument Street
New Ulm, MN 56073
Winona
Mississippi River commercial history, historic banking buildings, industrial properties, and nineteenth-century architecture.
Historic building:
Former Winona Savings Bank
204 Main Street
Winona, MN 55987
Excelsior
Historic Lake Minnetonka commercial district with surviving storefronts and a traditional small-town streetscape.
Historic district:
Water Street & Lake Street
Excelsior, MN 55331
Minnesota History Road Trips
These themed itineraries connect historic cities and towns with monuments, old buildings, and preserved sites. Each route is a suggested sequence of places, not a guaranteed driving-time estimate.
St. Croix Valley Lumber History
Stillwater → Marine on St. Croix → Taylors Falls
Explore historic commercial buildings, the lumber era, old milling sites, and nineteenth-century settlement.
Stillwater Historic Walking TourMinnesota River Valley History
Henderson → New Ulm → Morton → Montevideo
Visit historic downtowns, preserved buildings, monuments, and sites interpreting the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.
Historic Scenic BywayMississippi River Heritage
Red Wing → Winona → Historic River Communities
Discover river commerce, historic architecture, early industrial buildings, and surviving downtown landmarks.
Historic Property DirectoryNorth Shore Lighthouse and Industry
Duluth → Two Harbors → Split Rock Lighthouse
Explore historic shipping infrastructure, preserved industrial landmarks, and Lake Superior navigation history.
Split Rock LighthouseNorthern Minnesota Roadside Landmarks
Brainerd → Bemidji → Grand Rapids
Explore historic lumberjack imagery, roadside attractions, logging history, and museums.
Paul Bunyan Landmark GuideTwin Cities Architecture and State History
Saint Paul → Minneapolis → Historic Fort Snelling
Explore state government architecture, historic homes, river industry, military history, and preserved structures.
Minnesota Historical Society SitesOfficial Minnesota Historical Records
Government and nonprofit historic-preservation organizations maintain more extensive records than a visitor directory.
Minnesota National Register Listings
Search officially registered historic properties by city, county, and property name.
National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
Nationally significant historic places identified through federal preservation programs.
Minnesota Historical Society
Statewide historic sites, museums, interpretive programs, and visitor information.
Minnesota Official State Monuments
State law identifying designated historical monuments dating back to the nineteenth century.
State Historic Preservation Office
Historic resource research, preservation records, and documentation guidance.
Explore Minnesota
Official Minnesota visitor information covering heritage attractions, cultural sites, and historic communities.
Transportation to Historic Minnesota Destinations
Minnesota's historic monuments, old town districts, and preserved attractions are spread across cities, rural highways, and smaller communities.
Some destinations have nearby public transportation, while others require advance travel arrangements.
Taxi Minnesota offers prearranged passenger transportation from eligible Minnesota pickup communities, including long-distance trips and rural destinations.
Customers may also request continuous hourly waiting for approved history tours, sightseeing, museum visits, and return transportation.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul are drop-off-only areas for new standalone trips. An accepted continuous hourly reservation originating outside those cities may include waiting and return travel for the original passengers.
Planning a Historic Site Visit
Before scheduling transportation, verify the property's exact entrance, public access, museum hours, admission requirements, and any scheduled tours.
Historic neighborhoods may contain narrow roads, pedestrian-only routes, limited parking, or properties that are not open to the public.
Historic Property and Visitor Disclaimer
Taxi Minnesota provides this history directory for general public information.
Listings do not imply ownership, operational control, partnership, or endorsement by historic site operators.
Some historic locations are private property. A National Register designation does not automatically establish public access.
Historic landmarks may be undergoing preservation, repair, relocation, or restoration. Visitor access can change without notice.
Street addresses and intersections identify known locations or reasonable starting points for historic districts. Verify directions with the site operator.
This page is a curated guide and does not claim to include every historic statue, memorial, or surviving historic building in Minnesota.
Planning a Minnesota History Tour?
Taxi Minnesota provides prearranged rural, regional, airport, and long-distance transportation from eligible Minnesota pickup locations.
Service is available 24 hours, subject to driver availability, reservation acceptance, and advance payment requirements.
Request Transportation →