Recreation Information

• Education:: * 2 mile(s) from St. Cloud State University * 10 mile(s) from College of St. Benedict
• Local Attractions:: * 1.3 mile(s) from Munsinger Gardens and Stearns City Heritage Center * 1.5 mile(s) from downtown * 2 mile(s) from St. Cloud State University * 2 mile(s) from Stearns County Courthouse and Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame * 5 mile(s) from Natural History Museum and Atwood Gallery * 10 mile(s) from College of St. Benedict * 15 mile(s) from St. John's University, Abbey/Nature Trail, Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Benedicta Arts Center and Alice R. Rogers Gallery * 60 mile(s) from Mall of America
• Local Attractions:: * 1.3 mile(s) from Munsinger Gardens and Stearns City Heritage Center * 1.5 mile(s) from downtown * 2 mile(s) from St. Cloud State University * 2 mile(s) from Stearns County Courthouse and Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame * 5 mile(s) from Natural History Museum and Atwood Gallery * 10 mile(s) from College of St. Benedict * 15 mile(s) from St. John's University, Abbey/Nature Trail, Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Benedicta Arts Center and Alice R. Rogers Gallery * 60 mile(s) from Mall of America
• Local Attractions:: * 1.3 mile(s) from Munsinger Gardens and Stearns City Heritage Center * 1.5 mile(s) from downtown * 2 mile(s) from St. Cloud State University * 2 mile(s) from Stearns County Courthouse and Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame * 5 mile(s) from Natural History Museum and Atwood Gallery * 10 mile(s) from College of St. Benedict * 15 mile(s) from St. John's University, Abbey/Nature Trail, Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Benedicta Arts Center and Alice R. Rogers Gallery * 60 mile(s) from Mall of America
• Local Attractions:: * 1.3 mile(s) from Munsinger Gardens and Stearns City Heritage Center * 1.5 mile(s) from downtown * 2 mile(s) from St. Cloud State University * 2 mile(s) from Stearns County Courthouse and Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame * 5 mile(s) from Natural History Museum and Atwood Gallery * 10 mile(s) from College of St. Benedict * 15 mile(s) from St. John's University, Abbey/Nature Trail, Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Benedicta Arts Center and Alice R. Rogers Gallery * 60 mile(s) from Mall of America
• Area Attractions:: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Area Attractions:: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Area Attractions:: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Area Attractions:: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Transportation:: * 1 mile(s) from Amtrak * 2 mile(s) from bus depot * 4 mile(s) from Saint Cloud Municipal Airport
• Transportation:: * 1 mile(s) from Amtrak * 2 mile(s) from bus depot * 4 mile(s) from Saint Cloud Municipal Airport
• Transportation:: * 1 mile(s) from Amtrak * 2 mile(s) from bus depot * 4 mile(s) from Saint Cloud Municipal Airport
• Transportation:: * 1 mile(s) from Amtrak * 2 mile(s) from bus depot * 4 mile(s) from Saint Cloud Municipal Airport
• Local Attractions:: * 1.3 mile(s) from Munsinger Gardens and Stearns City Heritage Center * 1.5 mile(s) from downtown * 2 mile(s) from Stearns County Courthouse and Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame * 5 mile(s) from Natural History Museum and Atwood Gallery * 15 mile(s) from St. John's University, Abbey/Nature Trail, Kiehle Visual Arts Center, Benedicta Arts Center and Alice R. Rogers Gallery
• Shopping:: * 60 mile(s) from Mall of America
• Area Attractions:: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Area Attractions: * Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens: Riverside Drive S. & Michigan Avenue and Killian Boulevard & 13th Street. Phone: 320-255-7238. If you visit nothing else during your stay at the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center, don't miss these gardens! Located three minutes away, these dramatic gardens are gaining a national reputation, and, in fact, are attracting visitors from all over the world! Relax in the gazebo. These gardens draw 3,000 people a day during the summer months. Sits near the Mississippi River. You will find more than 200,000 flowers and roses in these beautiful gardens. * Hill Monastic Manuscript Library: Located at St. John's University, Collegeville. Phone: 320-363-3514. Largest collection of microfilmed medieval manuscripts in the world are located here. * Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame Museum: St. Cloud Civic Center, 10 Fourth Ave. S., second floor. 320-255-7272 * Stearns County Heritage Center: 235 33rd Avenue South., St. Cloud, Minnesota. Phone: 320-253-8424. Out-state Minnesota's only nationally accredited history museum. Discover Central Minnesota history by exploring exhibits on immigration, natural history, granite, sports and automobile legend Samuel Pandolfo. The Center also houses an extensive research library and archives. Over 400,000 photographic images, it is one of the largest collections in the Midwest. * Grasshopper Chapel: Highway 23 west to Cold Spring. Phone: 320-685-3280. Watch for the sign that makes a left-hand turn. Once there, you will enter literally a piece of history. More than 120 years ago, Minnesotans faced an impending natural disaster. A grasshopper plague, which would destroy the state's crops. News of the dilemma spread throught the United States that winter, causing grave concern nationally. Minnesota farmers turned to God. Minnesota's Governor, John Pillsbury set aside April 26, 1877 as a day of fasting and prayer to ask God for deliverance from the plague. April 26 arrived and all businesses, theaters, stores and bars were closed. Churches were filled. Midnight approached, the sky clouded over, and a cold rain began. The wind shifted from the south to the north and the rain turned to heavy snow. The storm raged throughout the following day. The next day, farmers hurried to their fields and found that the vast majority of grasshoppers had been frozen just as they were hatching. The people of Cold Spring, near St. Cloud erected a small but beautiful chapel on the top of a high hill. Assumption Chapel, better known as the Grasshopper Chapel has become a pilgrimage. * Stearns County Courthouse: 725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud. Phone: 320-656-3600. This historic landmark, with its illuminated clock, was built in 1922. The distinctive dome soars 109 feet above the street. Inside, don't miss the unique ceremonial courtroom on the third floor, which also was the site of the courtroom scenes in the film The Mighty Ducks. * Downtown and Courthouse Square: A vibrant energy has returned to downtown St. Cloud. A confusing tangle of one-way streets has been untangled. Fifth Avenue has developed the feel of an urban warehouse district with unique shops, espresso and bagel bars and a thriving nightlife scene that blend with major hotels in the area. The new Courthouse Square, which opened this past summer, offers open-air events during the summer and brings added character to the feel of the area. Even St. Cloud's agricultural neighbors are getting in on the act by offering a weekly Saturday morning farmer's market at Bremer Bank's parking lot, during the proper seasons, of course. * Quarry Park and Nature Preserve: 1802 County Road 137, Waite Park, Minnesota. Phone 320-255-6172. Explore the 25 historic quarries through this 580-acre park. Hiking, swimming, trout fishing, scenic overlooks, cross-country skiing and biking trails provide the public with an up close enjoyable experience with Quarry Park and it's wildlife. * Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area: Located along Highway 10, three miles south of St. Cloud. Phone: 320-255-4279. Visit Sand Prairie and you'll find more than 150 species of prairie and wetland plants, and many species of birds and mammals, all on 700 acres of marsh prairie and woodland. Sand Prairie features trails, a marsh board walk and elevatied deck with a striking view of a large restored wetland. Bring your binoculars and camera and hike, snowshoe or ski the area and rediscover your sense of wonder. This is located one mile south of the Best Western Americanna Inn and Conference Center on Highway 10. * Lake George Eastman Park: 9th Avenue and Division Street. Phone: 320-255-7262. Overlooking downtown Saint Cloud, this park offers a warming house, paddle boating, fishing and picnicking. Next door is an Olympic-size, outdoor city pool. * Summerland: Highway 23, Sauk Rapids. Phone: 320-251-0940. Enjoy the giant water slide, Indy carts, go-carts, bumper boats and batting cages. * Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Highway 95 east to Mille Lacs, County 7 south to County 9 east 2 ½ miles to headquarters. Phone: 612-389-3323. A diverse mixture of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands creates a unique and valuable area for wildlife. Activities include hiking trails, a 12-mile self guided automobile tour, environmental education, fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
• Transportation:: * 1 mile(s) from Amtrak * 2 mile(s) from bus depot * 4 mile(s) from Saint Cloud Municipal Airport
• Area Map: