4 Great Historic Places to Visit in Rochester, Minnesota

The third largest city in Minnesota, Rochester is one of the best places to live in the United States. Whether you’ve been living here for years or recently moved to the city, it’s well worth your time to visit these four historic locations.

This center is a treasure trove of the area's history. From the Mayo Clinic to rural history, there are many interesting exhibits to see, as well as historical buildings to visit on the grounds. One of these is the George Stoppel Farmhouse, a national register historic site commemorating early pioneers and the agricultural history of the area, which dates back to 1856. Tours of the Mayowood Mansion are also available from the center.

The Plummer Building is an iconic symbol of Mayo Clinic and is a National Historic Landmark.  Named for Henry S. Plummer, M.D., who designed the building and created many Mayo Clinic systems and procedures, such as the medical record and registration system.On the third floor, the original offices of Drs. William J. and Charles H. Mayo are still in existence and are open for self-guided tours. Some of the interesting architectural features include the Bas relief caricatures on the lower levels, and 16-foot-high bronze doors that weigh more than 4,000 pounds each.

This home was built for Timothy and Eliza Whiting in 1875, and now functions as a museum full of antiques and facts that capture what Rochester life was like in the 1800s. The museum is open during the summer only and is a short walk from downtown Rochester.

The Plummer House is a 49-room Tudor Mansion built by Dr. Henry S. Plummer in 1924. It was a very advanced home for its time with interesting innovations like a heated pool, central vacuum system, automatic garage doors and many more you can discover when you visit. The impressive home is five stories tall, has 10 bathrooms, 9 bedrooms, and a ballroom.

If you’ve visited any of these historic sites or have more to add to the list, we’d love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below!