Home of Hormel Foods, Austin proudly refers to itself as SPAM Town, USA.
To See and Do
SPAM Museum (507-437-5100; spam.com/museum), 101 NE 3rd Avenue. Open daily. Admission is free. Sure beats an art museum—at least, that’s what the SPAM Museum’s website says. This homage to canned meat manages to be both informative and irreverent. (You can’t fault the museum for including showings of the Monty Python SPAM skit.) But besides the kitsch and humor, the museum has lively exhibits detailing the history of the Hormel Foods company, as well as films such as SPAM: A Love Story, that give insight into SPAM’s role in history, especially during World War II.
Hormel Historic Home (507-433-4243; hormelhistorichome.org), 208 NW 4th Avenue. Open Mon.–Fri. Admission $5. The Greek Revival home was built in 1871 for then-mayor John Cook, but it was the residence of the Hormel family in the early 1900s. Self-guided tours showcase this impressive building, and during the warmer months a visit to the Peace Gardens is included.
Where to Eat
EATING OUT Tendermaid Sandwich Shop (507-437-7907; facebook.com/TheTendermaid), 217 4th Avenue NE. Open Mon.–Fri. for lunch and early dinner, Sat. for lunch. This speedy diner serves up classic loose-meat burgers with a variety of seasonings, and generously portioned malts. Inexpensive.