Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Austin (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: SPAM Museum, East Side Lake, and St. Augustine's Church. Also, be sure to include Hormel Historic Home in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Austin (Minnesota).
Table of Contents
SPAM Museum
Museum. The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota, dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation. The museum tells the history of the Hormel company, the origin of Spam, and its place in world culture.[1]
Address: 101 3rd Ave NE, 55912-3442 Austin
East Side Lake
Reservoir in Minnesota. East Side Lake is a 40 acres reservoir in Austin, Minnesota in western Mower County, which is in the southeast part of the state. It is one of two man-made lakes in Mower County, which is one of only four counties in Minnesota without a natural lake. The majority of the lake is only 5–6 feet deep.[2]
St. Augustine's Church
Church in Austin, Minnesota. St. Augustine's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Austin, Minnesota, United States, located in the Diocese of Winona. Completed in 1896, both the interior and exterior have been well-preserved, showcasing a distinct Gothic Revival architecture style. The large sanctuary can accommodate more than 600 people.[3]
Address: 405 4th St NW, 55912-3065 Austin
Hormel Historic Home
Museum in Austin, Minnesota. The Hormel Historic Home, also known the Cook-Hormel House or simply The Hormel Home, is a historic Italianate style home with Classical Revival facade located in Austin, Minnesota. The home was built in 1871 and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[4]
Address: 208 4th Ave NW, 55912-3036 Austin
Paramount Theater
Theater in Austin, Minnesota. The Paramount Theatre is located at 125 4th Avenue NE, Austin in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The theater was built by Wagner Construction as an atmospheric theatre in 1929 to great fanfare, being the by first movie palace in Austin accommodating 914 seats with a small stage and orchestra pit.
The theatre was designed by Ellerbe & Co. of Minneapolis, and built on the foundations of the Park Theatre which was destroyed by a tornado in 1928. The owner of the Park Theatre, and Paramount's first manager, was Karl Lindstaedt.
Atmospheric design elements depict a Spanish villa under the stars. The lobby ceiling was painted with figures of dogs, winged creatures, and Spanish designs, and the exterior architecture is Spanish Baroque.
The Paramount hosted both movies and live shows in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1929, movie tickets were 10 cents for children and 50 cents for adults.
It served the town as a first-run movie theatre until it closed in 1975, the genre being quashed by television and mall cinemas. The last movie shown was The Godfather Part II. After closing as a theater, the building served as a disco, a nonalcoholic teen bar, and a comedy club.
In 1992, the Austin Area Commission for the Arts was formed to purchase and restore the building to its historic grandeur. Volunteers and donors, with the assistance of the Minnesota Historical Society, repaired plaster and masonry and replaced the seats. A stone spire that had been hit by lightning in the 1940s was also repaired. Precision Signs LLC of Austin, Minnesota recreated the original marquee from historical photos.
Now seating 622, this is one of only four such theaters in the state to be used as a theater. With a full year-long events calendar, the site hosts over 30 performing arts events each year and weekly movies. Key partners are Matchbox Children's Theatre, Northwestern Singers, Austin (MN) Symphony Orchestra, World Music Series and the Minnesota Music Coalition's Carvan du Nord.[5]
Address: 125 4th Ave NE, 55912-3305 Austin
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
Hiking area in the Mower County, Minnesota. The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is a municipal nature preserve on the north-eastern corner of Austin, Minnesota, comprising more than 500 acres of restored and remnant prairie, hardwood forest, wetlands and meandering streams. Purchased with municipal, state, and private donations, the nature center is administered by the Austin municipal government through the Parks and Recreation Department. Named in honor of Jay Catherwood Hormel, the son of Hormel Foods Corporation founder George A. Hormel, his private estate forms the original land of the park.
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center features an Interpretive Center, the Ruby Rupner Auditorium, the "big gneiss rock", a Welcome Circle and over ten miles of hiking trails. Along the trails, visitors will find a number of wooden bridges, covered benches and an observation tower that affords a panoramic view of many acres of prairie and forest.
Depending on the time of year, a great variety of wildlife can be viewed at the nature center, including white-tailed deer, mink, salamanders, turtles and many species of birds and butterflies.[6]
Austin Public Library
Public library in Austin, Minnesota. The Austin Public Library is a public library in Austin, Minnesota. It is a member of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, the SE Minnesota library region.[7]
Address: 323 4th Ave NE, 55912 Austin
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
Nature and wildlife, Trail, Park, Relax in park
Address: 1304 21st St NE, 55912-4104 Austin
The Arc Mower County
Address: 401 2nd Ave NE, Austin