Proximity to the Mississippi River and lush farmlands gave Red Wing its start in the wheat and milling business, until the railroads gave Minneapolis access to southern Minnesota crops. But Red Wing became a favorite place to visit, especially for day-trippers from the Twin Cities, due to its spectacular surrounding river-bluff views and the shopping available from local manufacturers of Red Wing Shoes and Red Wing Pottery.
To See and Do
Goodhue County Historical Society (651-388-6024; good huecountyhistory.org), 1166 Oak Street. Open Tues.–Sun. during the summer. Adults $5; ages 13–18 $2; 12 and under and historical society members free. This sizable regional museum has extensive collections on numerous aspects of the area’s history, including archaeology, business, geology, immigration, and agriculture. A clothing exhibit has samples for kids to try out, and there’s a tepee to play in. Note: The historical society is in the process of placing signage throughout the county, noting the prior existence of what are now known as ghost towns.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Red Wing Shoe Museum (651-385-1811), 315 Main Street. Open daily. Admission is free. Red Wing Shoes are indeed manufactured in Red Wing, and this small but lively museum in the Riverfront Centre has hands-on and historical exhibits showing how the shoes are made and sold, including the opportunity to try to build your own shoe as well as view the world’s largest boot.
Pottery Museum of Red Wing (potterymuseumredwing.org), Historic Pottery Place Mall, 240 Harrison Street. Open Tues.–Sun. Admission is free. Just like Red Wing Shoes, Red Wing Pottery is made in Red Wing, and it has a museum. Located within a former pottery factory (see Selective Shopping), this museum has displays illustrating the pottery process and history, and has an impressive collection of finished objects and historical pieces.
Green Space and Outdoor Activities
BIKING Cannon Valley Trail (507-263-0508; cannonvalleytrail.com). A 20-mile paved trail that runs on an old railroad track from Red Wing to Cannon Falls along the Cannon River. A Wheel Pass (adults $5 per day, or $25 for the season) is required. Cannon Falls Canoe and Bike Rental (507-407-4111; cannonfallscanoeandbike.com) in Cannon Falls offers kayak, canoe, and bike rentals as well as shuttle services. Bike offerings include tandem and regular bikes.
PARKS AND PARKWAYS Great River Road National Scenic Byway (651-341-4196), US 61. This section of the scenic byway that runs from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico departs Red Wing and travels to La Crescent, running along the Mississippi River. The 107-mile byway encompasses river views, forests, small and historic river towns and villages, and countless opportunities for natural and wildlife exploration.
Frontenac State Park (651-345-3401; dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/frontenac/index.html), 29223 County Route 28 Boulevard, Frontenac. $7 day pass ($35 for an annual pass). This state park is especially valuable for birdwatchers, with more than 250 species of birds recorded here. Camping, hiking, and a winter sliding hill are among the amenities spread across the park’s prairie, forest, and river bluff settings.
SKIING Welch Village (651-258-4567; welchvillage.com), 26685 County Route 7 Boulevard, Welch. Fifty runs of varying difficulty for skiers and snowboarders, as well as a terrain park. The village also offers slope-side bunkhouses for rental, which are rustic with shared baths but offer the utmost in convenient access for devoted skiers and boarders.
RED WING CITY PARK
FRONTENAC STATE PARK
Lodging
Red Wing is a community full of historic inns and bed-and-breakfasts. As many of these inns are small and Red Wing is a popular destination, be sure to book ahead.
St. James Hotel (651-388-2846 or 1-800-252-1875; st-james-hotel.com), 406 Main Street. Built in 1875, the St. James is the hotel in Red Wing. All rooms are decorated in handsome Victorian style; larger rooms have whirlpools, and two deluxe rooms include spacious seating areas. Two full-service restaurants stand on their own (the Veranda being a popular restaurant that draws many Twin Cities diners; see Where to Eat), and there’s a pub and coffee shop as well. Rates start at $129. Packages are available.
Moondance Inn (651-388-8145 or 1-866-388-8145; moondanceinn.com), 1105 W. 4th Street. This beautiful stone inn has five spacious guest rooms, all with private bath and fireplace, and featuring antique furniture and sumptuous décor. Rates include daily breakfast. Rates start at $125. Packages are available.
Round Barn Farm (651-385-9250 or 1-866-763-2276; roundbarnfarm.com), 28650 Wildwood Lane. Round Barn Farm, built in 1861 just 4 miles outside of Red Wing, offers five spacious suites beautifully decorated in vintage country style, complete with antique furniture, private baths, and fireplaces or Franklin stoves. Breakfast is provided daily in the dining room, which features a massive limestone fireplace. The property is located on 35 acres complete with walking trails and a gazebo. Children 12 and older are welcome. Rates start at $159. Packages are available.
Candlelight Inn (651-388-8034 or 1-800-254-9194; candlelightinn-redwing.com), 818 W. 3rd Street. A striking Victorian home built more than 140 years ago offering five rooms and suites, all with private baths and fireplaces. While all the rooms are beautifully decorated, the Butternut Suite in particular is a lesson in opulence and luxury. Full breakfast and evening appetizers, wine, and sparkling cider provided for guests daily. Children 12 and older are welcome. Rates start at $149. Packages are available.
Golden Lantern Inn (651-388-3315 or 1-888-288-3315; goldenlantern.com), 721 East Avenue. Built in 1923 by the former president of the Red Wing Shoe Company, this English Tudor has five lush rooms and suites, and several public rooms available to guests. Bedrooms all have private baths, and some have fireplaces, sitting rooms, and private balconies. Full breakfast is included daily and is available in the dining room, bedroom, or (during warmer months) on the stone patio. During the summer months, guests have access to the lavish gardens behind the inn. Children 12 and older are welcome. Rates start at $124. Packages are available.
THE ST. JAMES HOTEL
Where to Eat
EATING OUT The Veranda (651-388-2846 or 1-800-252-1875; st-james-hotel.com/the-veranda), 406 Main Street. Open daily for all three meals. A more casual full-service restaurant in the St. James Hotel (see Lodging), the Veranda overlooks the Mississippi and has outdoor dining in season. Traditional breakfast and lunch fare is served, while dinner has flatbreads, a hummus platter, sandwiches, and salmon and pork tenderloin. Moderate.
Staghead Gastropub (651-212-6494; thestaghead.com), 219 Bush Street. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Staghead has a frequently changing menu, but within its menu groupings is a cheese and meat section with a wide variety of charcuterie and cheese plates; burgers, which might include a salmon burger; and entrées such as bouillabaisse or braised beef and pasta. The pub has an impressive list of tap beers, as well as cocktails and wine. Moderate.
Liberty’s (651-388-8877; libertysrestaurant.com), 303 W. 3rd Street. Open daily for all three meals. There can be no complaints about access to this restaurant—not only do they deliver throughout Red Wing, they also provide free shuttle service to and from boats and hotels. The menu aims to please with Italian, Mexican, burgers, and steaks; breakfast includes pancakes, omelets, and steak and eggs. Moderate.
Bev’s Café (651-388-5227; bevscafe.com), 221 Bush Street. Open daily for breakfast and lunch. Classic small-town café menu, with burgers, fries, pie, and ice cream. Inexpensive.
The Smokin’ Oak Rotisserie and Grill (651-388-9866; thesmokinoak.com), 4243 MN 61. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Upon entering this eatery, you’ll immediately see an impressive wood-fired rotisserie with all kinds of meat being roasted. That’s the clear menu theme, and you won’t go wrong with the ribs or roasted chicken. Moderate.
Entertainment
Sheldon Theatre (651-388-8700 or 1-800-899-5759; sheldontheatre.org), 443 W. 3rd Street. This lovely turn-of-the-20th-century gem is a venue for a wide range of performances, including all genres of music, silent films, and stage productions.
Selective Shopping
Pottery Place Red Wing (651-388-7765; facebook.com/potteryplaceredwing), 2000 Old W. Main Street. Open daily. Not all shopping malls are bland boxes. The Pottery Place Mall, in a renovated pottery factory and houses, has the Red Wing Pottery Museum (see To See and Do), antiques shops, art galleries, home furnishings stores, gift shops, and purveyors of fine chocolates.
Red Wing Stoneware & Pottery (651-388-4610 or 1-800-352-4877; redwingstoneware.com), 1920 W. Main Street. Open daily late Apr.–Dec., Mon.–Sat. from Jan.–late Apr. In addition to a huge retail selection of Red Wing Pottery items, the Red Wing Pottery facility has several smaller but no less charming shops, including a Minnesota gift store, a candy shop, and a home and garden gift shop.
Red Wing Shoe Store (651-388-6233; redwingshoe.com), Riverfront Centre, 315 Main Street. Open daily. Not surprisingly, the flagship store of the Red Wing Shoe company sells a wide variety of their high-quality work and athletic shoes.
Uffda Shop (651-388-8436 or 1-800-488-3332; uffdashoponline.com), 202 Bush Street. Open daily. Uffda, which is a Norwegian exclamation, is the tongue-in-cheek name for this deeply Scandinavian store, filled with specialty baking needs (krumkake irons, lefse grills), fine porcelain tableware, and other gift items.
Special Events
October: Red Wing Fall Festival of Arts (redwingarts.org), Red Wing. This event, taking place annually for more than 50 years, offers two days of art exhibitions, sales, and related activities.