Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Wabasha (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: National Eagle Center, Wabasha–Nelson Bridge, and Grace Memorial Episcopal Church. Also, be sure to include Lucas Kuehn House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Wabasha (Minnesota).
Table of Contents
National Eagle Center
The National Eagle Center is a nonprofit educational, interpretive center located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States, that focuses on education about eagles and the Upper Mississippi River watershed. In addition to opportunities to view wild eagles throughout the year from viewing decks, non-releasable bald eagles and golden eagles are on exhibit at the center as well as interactive exhibits on eagle science and history.[1]
Address: 50 Pembroke Ave S, 55981-1241 Wabasha
Wabasha–Nelson Bridge
Truss bridge in Wabasha, Minnesota. The Wabasha–Nelson Bridge is a truss bridge that connects Wabasha, Minnesota with Nelson, Wisconsin, crossing the Mississippi River. The bridge has a street setup, with one lane for motor vehicles in each direction. It carries Minnesota State Highway 60 and WI 25.
The current bridge replaced a bridge built in 1931 that was only 19 feet wide and had two right angles on the Minnesota side. The bridge was constructed in a unique way: the 470-foot truss span was built on falsework on two barges out of the current and the main river channel. When the truss section was completed, engineers floated the span on its barges down the river. The bridge was positioned higher than the supports so it could be brought into place. Once the span was in place, the barges were flooded to bring the bridge into position vertically. This operation took only eight hours to complete.
Through legislation passed in 2014, the bridge was named "Michael Duane Clickner Memorial Bridge", honoring a Wabasha native killed during the Vietnam War.[2]
Grace Memorial Episcopal Church
Church in Wabasha, Minnesota. The Grace Memorial Episcopal Church is a historic church in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States, built in 1900. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and religion. It was nominated for being "the most distinguished ecclesiastical structure" in Wabasha and "the work of prominent Minnesota architect Cass Gilbert".[3]
Lucas Kuehn House
The Lucas Kuehn House is a historic house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1878 for Lucas Kuehn, the city's leading merchant of the 19th century. The house was the city's first to be designed in the Italianate style. It was also part of a unique trend among Wabasha's merchant class for houses constructed of brick. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and commerce. It was nominated for its associations with Kuehn and for its exemplary Italianate architecture.[4]
Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House
The Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House is a historic house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1882, part of a unique trend among the city's merchant class for brick houses. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for its local significance in the theme of architecture. It was nominated for typifying Italianate architecture in its peak year of popularity in Wabasha, and for inaugurating a second generation of the town's merchants living in brick homes.[5]
Lorenz and Lugerde Ginthner House
The Lorenz and Lugerde Ginthner House is a historic house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. Built in 1882 in high Italianate style on a prominent corner lot, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is particularly notable for its elaborate Italianate architecture, and its status as the most intact, detailed example of the brick houses of Wabasha's early merchant class.[6]
Clara and Julius Schmidt House
The Clara and Julius Schmidt House is a historic house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1888 in the Italianate style and features architectural details rendered in tin. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for having local significance in the theme of architecture. It was nominated for being a prominent example of the brick homes constructed by Wabasha's late-19th-century merchant class, one made particularly distinctive by its tinwork.[7]
Alexander Thoirs House
The Alexander Thoirs House is the oldest surviving brick house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States, and the earliest example of the brick merchant houses that characterized the city's 19th-century streetscape. It was built in two phases in 1868 and 1870 for a successful local shoemaker. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for having local significance in the theme of architecture. It was nominated for its status in the city's early housing stock, its fine Greek Revival architecture, and its embodiment of the success of Wabasha's early merchant class, which helped establish the city's own commercial importance.[8]
William H. and Alma Downer Campbell House
The William H. and Alma Downer Campbell House is a historic house in Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. When it was built in 1874, it overlooked downtown Wabasha. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for having local significance in the theme of architecture. It was nominated for being one of the largest and most prominent houses of its era in Wabasha.[9]
Wabasha Commercial Historic District
The Wabasha Commercial Historic District is a designation applied to the historic downtown of Wabasha, Minnesota, United States. It comprises 52 contributing properties built from 1856 to 1928. It was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the theme of commerce. It was nominated for the integrity of its cohesive design and its continuity of use as a commercial district since the mid-19th century.[10]