29 Epic Reasons To Love Rochester, Minnesota

29 Epic Reasons To Love Rochester, Minnesota

 

Start packing now and get ready to explore the Midwest destination that big cities can’t overshadow anymore. Rochester, Minnesota has become a popular city to visit with an abundance of arts, artists, shops with local artists’ handmade works, and locally owned small businesses to love. In addition, we show you how to easily experience Rochester from the past, present, and future. Although Rochester is known worldwide for the Mayo Clinic, here are things to do that will keep you busy from dawn to midnight. Come experience Rochester for yourself and bookmark these places for your visit. 

 

Where To Find Handcrafted Items By Local Artists In Rochester

When shopping at stores that support local artists you never know what you’ll find. The suspense of what you can find creates an excitement that compares to the days leading up to vacation. Along with supporting the local artist community, these shops offer storefronts where artists can bring their high-quality handmade works to sell. Keep in mind that these are only a handful of places in Rochester to experience local artisan’s work. You’ll easily discover more.

 

“When you support handmade, you are not just supporting small business, family, our economy; you are purchasing a small part of an artist’s heart.”

 

Threshold Arts

Over fifty artists have their work on display inside Threshold Arts. The storefront supports local artists by offering them a place to sell their handcrafted items without having an overhead from their own space. Pottery, jewelry, visual arts, note cards, prints, crochet, wood arts, photography, mosaics, and so much more fills the store. Artists hold workshops and classes too.

Tip: Learn more about each artist by reading their placard and how to connect with them.

 

Knotty Woodpecker

Sean Archer builds high-quality hardwood furniture, kitchen products, miscellaneous woodcrafts, and jewelry using only vintage hand tools. His workshop is inside his studio, where he also sells other local artisan items. 

By taking a close look at his furniture you’ll see how each piece is carefully crafted without the use of power tools or unnatural products. Sean likes to choose his wood from straight grain, knot-free hardwood lumber to create high-quality pieces. Equally important is his belief in using sustainable, renewable resources.

He encourages anyone to watch him make his handcrafted pieces in his workshop. There’s a comfortable couch to experience how vintage hand tools magically bring his products to life.

In his Knotty Woodpecker shop, you’ll find products for sale like custom tables (cherry creates beautiful pieces), stools, shelves, tool chests, kitchen utensils, dough scrapers, dumpling dough rollers, cutting boards, bowls, chopsticks, soap dishes, chai cup succulents, earrings, along with black walnut and poplar yoga blocks derived from Taiwanese Aboriginal patterns.

 A sample of items from other artists include loose leaf tea grown in Taiwan by CHOOCHOO-ca-Chew’s uncle, Jeb Taylor Knives from Rochester, and Keep Moving Clay.

Tip: Sean has lived in Taiwan twice so his store has many items influenced by his time there.

 

CHOOCHOO-ca-CHEW

Where do we start? Tiffany Alexandria’s artistic talents are immense. She was born and raised in Taiwan and we first heard about her business CHOOCHOO-ca-CHEW while visiting the Knotty Woodpecker. First, hearing that her uncle is a master tea maker in Taiwan intrigued us. After hearing his story, we want to visit Taiwan to see him work the tea firsthand. We’ve learned that tea growing and making is a delicate process. Tea is usually grown high in the mountains and then picked by hand. In fact, tea is immensely popular in Taiwan so it needs to be picked and processed perfectly to satisfy the Taiwanese with their high standards. You can get her uncle’s tea now at the Knotty Woodpecker but look for it in the future at the People’s Food Co-op and Fiddlehead Coffee.

We regret not buying some when we had the chance. You can bet our next trip to Rochester we’re getting some.

Tiffany is also an artist. At Threshold Arts, look for postcard sets, popular Rochester landmark paintings, greeting card sets, and various other projects. In downtown Rochester look for her butterflies on a painted transformer box, named the Wanderer, located at 17 Broadway Avenue North. In addition, go to ramp 6 at the Hilton Hotel parking garage to see her artwork displayed on seven backlit panels.  

 

Art Heads Emporium

 

Shop for art from local artists along with taking classes at Art Heads Emporium. Local art, crystals, jewelry, and other miscellaneous items from local artisans can be found here. Furthermore, take some open art studio sessions like Van Gogh sunflowers painting, floral classes, clay sculptures, and acrylic pour.

 

Our mission is to get people creating. It’s essential to keeping a happy brain.”

Leah Joy Bee – Art Heads Emporium co-owner

 

Rochester Stained Glass

Rest assured, with over forty years in Rochester and four initially studying in Italy and Holland, you can get a unique stained glass project created here. They design, build and install projects as big as the 9/11 Memorial (33 x 8 feet) in the Mayo Civic Center down to dragonflies for your home. On top of that, they also sell glass and supplies to hobbyists. If you have a special project you can pick out your glass and help design it. Their shop is located at 1109 West Center Street in an old neighborhood grocery store.

 

Semva

 

Semva (Southeastern Minnesota Visual Artists) is an art gallery cooperative in support of over 70 local artists. Artwork for sale at the gallery consists of paintings, pottery, photography, woodworking, folk art, sculptures, jewelry, glass, and much more.

 

Clover and Rose

 

From middle school art teacher to winning the Rochester Mayor’s Medal of Honor for Artistic/Cultural Achievement, Cassandra Buck has become a leader in the local art community. She decided to open her shop/studio to showcase her creations along with vintage items and unique gifts. She refers to her shop as having a feminine style with a modern minimalist twist. Check her Instagram account, cloverrosemn, for hours.

 

John Kruesel’s General Merchandise

 

Plan on spending some time sifting through this store for unique American antiques, early lighting pieces, historical documents, fine jewelry, and one-of-a-kind items from estate auctions. We believe some people could get lost inside for days.

 

Silver Lake Books

 

What makes Silver lake Books unique? Possibly, an inventory that consists of over 125,000 vintage, antique, used, and new books. Maybe, aquariums that hold rescued fish. Perhaps, it’s the second floor of the old warehouse they recently moved into. In short, it still has cool industrial elements still in place like old bricks walls and wood beams that seem like what the 40s would look like.  

 

Pet Friendly Local Shops In Rochester

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a small business is pet-friendly. Some shops have signs while others leave a large bowl of water and a treat container at the entrance. More often than not you need to ask before you enter. Nonetheless, our fur kids usually can’t go, resulting in sad eyes for them and you. Besides, they are part of your family and today family-friendly also means pet friendly.

We’ve done some research for you and these local shops warmly welcome your pet in Rochester, enabling you to be a happy pawrent.  

 

Scrub Your Butt Soap Company

Unique and eclectic, visiting Scrub Your Butt Soap Company promises to throw a party for all of your senses. As soon as you walk into this fun shop, upbeat music, and soap scents calmly awaken your brain, then your eyes delight in handcrafted artisan gifts from the floor to the ceiling. Here, shoppers can touch and feel handcrafted items to understand the quality they’re made with, in reality, this doesn’t happen when shopping online. Touching items is encouraged, along with smelling fragrant soaps and body products. Finally, pick up some candy made in the Twin Cities for a special treat later.

Because the store is packed with so many locally made artisan items, we doubt you’ll see everything the first time. 

In short, these are a handful of items you’ll find. 

• Handmade soap, bath and body products (scents like lavender and patchouli, lavender, juniper berry, and peppermint) 
• Scented oils 
• Jewelry 
• Candles
• Beads 
• Crochet hats, scarves, and mittens 
• Magnets
• Tea Towels 
• Candy 
• Quilts 
• Original handmade greeting cards and art 
• Hand-crafted gifts from Europe 

Altogether, You can find something for everyone on your shopping list in this fun store. Plus, they are also a full-line florist.

 

Treedome

Want to visit a cool vintage record shop and find many other vintage items? You’ll have fun browsing through records, cassette tapes, t-shirts, and other clothing from the past here. On the other hand, Treedome carries new items like skateboards, sneakers, prints, and plenty of other merchandise throughout the store.

Treedome’s vibrant personality immediately shines as soon as stepping foot inside. The first item to catch our attention was the Moldy Peaches record in the front. Next, a pastel green refrigerator and then a long, beautifully restored bar. As we worked our way back to the front of the store a large chalkboard caught our eye. How can someone not stop to read it when they notice the dumb discounts? 

Treedome supports many types of local artists and its purpose is to unify traditional street and skate culture in the community’s music scene. Their store, with its studio in the back, serves as the nucleus for their innovative work which supports the local artistic community. They accomplish this through graphic design, photography, videography, and event programming.

 

Rochester Pet & Country Store

You’ll realize this isn’t an ordinary pet store as soon as you pull into the parking lot and see fun murals covering two sides of the building. Even people who don’t own pets can be tempted to go inside. Once inside, you’ll immediately notice the friendly staff. In fact, it’s one of the friendliest stores we visited while in Rochester.  

Good-natured cats waiting for adoption freely walk around the store adding to its warm atmosphere. The store takes in all kinds of animals that need a forever home. Pets one would expect like dogs and cats but also rabbits, guinea pigs, and even chinchillas, to name a few.

There are plenty of pet items for sale at Rochester Pet and Country Store that you would expect, along with unique items like huge bags of peanuts in the food section. I’m not sure what type of pet eats 50 pounds of peanuts though. I liked the shirt that had a silhouette of a dog wearing a cone that said “It’s all fun and games until someone ends up in a cone.”

Tip: Cats inside roam freely while waiting to meet their forever family. Watch the door closely when you enter or exit.

Flowers By Jerry

Jerry started this long-established family business in 1967. Their fashionable boutique, along with the floral shop, sits across from Silver Lake. Beautiful floral arrangements enhance the gift shop before you walk into the greenhouse. Shop for roses, succulents, and everything in between. You’ll enjoy shopping at Flowers By Jerry.

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Arts and Entertainment In Rochester

 

Peace Plaza

 

The newly renovated Peace Plaza, in the heart of downtown, is a place you shouldn’t miss. These are some of our highlights.

 

Historic Chateau Theatre

 

The historic Chateau Theatre instantly draws attention with its retro bright red and yellow flashing sunburst marquee sign. The theatre originally started as a Vaudeville house when built in 1927. Still, in use today, check into $5 Tuesday specials.

 

Peace Fountain

Sitting prominently in front of the Chateau Theatre, take a closer look at the Peace Fountain. The sculpture by Rochester native Charles Eugene Gagnon consists of sixty doves. Fifty represent each U.S. state while seven for each continent, along with three for the past, present, and future.

 

Red Downtown Rochester Sign

Of course, take a photo with the red Downtown Rochester sign, Rochester’s number one place for a selfie!

 

See Poetry In Pavers At Peace Plaza

Even though you’ll find yourself looking up in Peace Plaza, make a point to look down in between the sculptures of Peace Fountain and A Not So Private Sky. 250 feet of poetry on pavers, A Song For Water by Dr. Gwen Westerman, lies in between the sculptures. Artist Ann Hamilton created the work of Dr. Westerman, Minnesota’s first indigenous state poet laureate. 

 

A Not So Private Sky

 

As mentioned above, A Not So Private Sky, a new sculpture in Peace Plaza by artist Inigo Manglano-Ovalle sits on one side of A Song For Water. At 26 feet tall it’s the newest addition in Rochester’s Peace Plaza makeover to improve accessibility, sustainability, and pedestrian welfare.

 

Rochester Art Center

We saw magnificent art displayed inside Rochester Art Center. One of our favorites was Counterspaces, an exhibit centered around origami by Rochester residents who have been affected by racial injustice against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), along with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Without question, the most extravagant exhibit was Homecoming Queen. Ethan Mundt (Utica Queen) starred in Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, an Emmy-winning pop-culture hit show. 

Utica Queen earned a degree in costume design and created astounding garments for the show. These original design sketches, garments, and accessories were on display when we visited.  

Granted, these are just a few exhibits, we enjoyed the entire museum. The Rochester Art Center is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible. Service animals are welcome.

 

The Rochester Civic Theatre Company

Productions, comedy, live music, and dance performances are just a handful of events that regularly happen at the Rochester Civic Theatre. Look for a good mix of local and traveling productions on their schedule. In the warmer months catch a performance on the outdoor stage. Before or after your event take a stroll next to the river in Mayo Park.

 

Mayo Civic Center

To begin with, Mayo Civic Center’s contemporary architecture catches your attention with its curvy white lines. After that a 30′ long and 15′ high shining stainless steel tapered sculpture enhances the front corner of the civic center. Many refer to this big sculpture as Minnesota’s “Chicago Bean.” Notice how the tapered sculpture invites visitors to come inside Riverfront Plaza and then draws them into the civic center. This is exactly what the artist had in mind when he designed it.

Tip: Take a photo of your distorted image in the sculpture.  

Also, plan for extra time to look around at Med City’s distinguished history exhibits inside the civic center.

 

How To See Rochester: Past, Present, and Future

 

Med City Mover

Take an escapade on the future of Rochester’s public transportation. The Med City Mover is a free experimental project between MDOT and the city of Rochester until August 2022. Two fully electric driverless vehicles transport passengers on a loop between the People’s Food Co-op and the Mayo Clinic on W. Center St.  

Each shuttle seats six people and uses an electric ramp for accessibility and assisting passengers on and off. Once moving, it reaches a maximum speed of 15 mph. A human driver supervises the entire operation and can manually control and brake if needed. The attendant oversees the safe operation and helps passengers as needed.  

Its purpose is to test technology, gather research information, and gain exposure for residents and visitors alike for future operations. It uses GPS and LiDAR technology and if it ventures a few feet off of its route it automatically stops allowing the attendant to position it back on the route.  

We wanted to ride the Med City Mover first so as soon as we arrived in Rochester we parked by the People’s Co-op and hopped on. It moves at a relaxing pace and is an excellent way to see downtown Rochester. We haven’t heard an update yet as to when Rochester will start using the shuttle permanently.

We highly recommend riding this and we had a blast!

 

Ear Of Corn Water Tower

 

Other than the Mayo Clinic, the Ear of Corn Water Tower might be the most popular landmark in Rochester. It served as a water tower first for Libby Foods in 1948 then Seneca Foods when they purchased the factory in 1982. It had been in use until recently when the city of Rochester bought the property a few years ago. The city recently finished an update and added a fresh coat of paint. Imagine seeing a huge ear of corn lit up at night when your plane is landing.

The Ear of Corn Water Tower won the Tnemec People’s Choice award in 2021. It competed with almost 300 other water tanks from the U.S. and Canada.

 

History Center of Olmsted County

No doubt, Rochester and Olmsted County have distinctive personalities. Without question, the Mayo family has had a heavy influence. Would you believe The Mayo Clinic employs 40,000 people and Rochester’s population has 120,000? So, of course, part of the History Center of Olmsted County has items from the Mayo family.

But that’s not why we wanted to visit. The main reason was to see the 1937 Post Office mural painted in 1937 by David Granahan, who was commissioned under the New Deal during the Great Depression. He named it “The Founding of Rochester.” It’s proudly displayed on the back wall. You’ll see it in the back as soon as you start your tour.

Other important exhibits include: 

• The Onward March of Suffrage is about Olmsted county women who fought for their rights.
• Community Connections, Where you’ll discover how Rochester’s African American community developed in the 60s and 70s. 
• Rochester’s Pride, An early history of Pridefest.
• Winter Necessities, a display of Winter essentials needed at the time of W.W. Mayo.

Make sure to visit the entire History Center of Olmsted County because it contains many interesting exhibits and artifacts. Also, don’t miss a visit during warmer months when the farm and outside buildings are open.

 

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Quintessential Rochester Eats

 

Sweet House Bakery

Take our word, DO NOT miss a chance to try Sweet House Bakery. Do we need to repeat this? It’s amazing. We like finding old-fashioned bakeries, and it seems like they’re quickly disappearing. We noticed pastries not normally found in a bakery like biscotti, chocolate hazelnut croissants, vegan elderberry croissants, cherry almond crunch, raspberry white scones, and kouign amanns. We’ve never tried kouign amanns before so we went with the flavor of the day, cinnamon cream cheese. Let’s just say that if we ever find ourselves close to Rochester we’ll take a big detour for these again. We also tried a light and flaky blueberry cream cheese danish. This is an incredible bakery, but more importantly, a small business that’s creating exceptional products.

Tip: Check out their daily specials.

• Monday: 50% off any pastry with coffee purchase

• Tuesday: $1 donut day

• Wednesday: $1 off any hot lunch

• Thursday: Buy two pastries and get the third for free

• Friday: Free pastry with hot lunch purchase

• Saturday: Get 6 pastries for the price of 5

 

Carroll’s Corn

Carroll’s Corn comes to mind to many when asked about a favorite local business. Pat Carroll started making popcorn in 1993 and now the gourmet popcorn store has a huge following. Visit the store in the Rochester Subway (no trains, just 65 boutiques and shops below the Kahler In & Suites) where the popcorn on the shelf was made early that morning. If you can’t make it downtown then you can buy three popular flavors at Scheel’s or Hy-Vee.  

 

Flapdoodles

We’re always on the lookout for ice cream stops so when we saw Flapdoodles we had to check it out. They make all of their ice cream in-store and rotate fun flavors. They have two locations in Rochester, north, and south.

I (Tom) like just about anything chocolate but when you mention brownies I stop what I’m doing. When you are there, look at the flavors closely because they let other people give them another name. For instance, Chocolate Brownie aka Achocolypse, submitted by Caleb Bowron. Another one, Chocolate Mint aka Springtime Soccer Fields by Alison Sadowy.  

If you want to have your name in lights, lights in the ice cream cooler, then join in on the fun and help name some flavors. When we were there, these interesting flavors needed someone like you to join in on the naming rights: Orange and Clove, White Chocolate Mocha, Captain Jacked’s Delight, and Dark and Twisted.

 

Thai Pop

Annie Balow gets tremendous satisfaction from cooking because of how it connects people and makes them happy. She realized this from watching her mother cook for others and groups in Thailand. When Annie came to this country in 2012 she decided to do the same because of her passion for food. So, she opened a pop-up restaurant with the same hopes of connecting food and community. Her success later turned into a permanent location named Thai Pop, which the name comes from how Thai cuisine pops in your mouth.

 

Final Thoughts

 

It’s been a very long time since we’ve been to Rochester. We had no idea that Rochester is full of the arts! We had a nice time exploring a small portion of their art, but we didn’t even get close to discovering everything. Hopefully, we’ll find our way back soon.