Located in southern Minnesota, you’ll find Owatonna. It’s a booming community with a lot going for it! From good food, coffee, chocolate, history, shopping, and more….you’ll find plenty to do. If you’re looking for a fund day trip from North Iowa or central Minnesota, we highly suggest planning to Visit Owatonna, MN!
Planning a Trip to Visit Owatonna
We all follow that social media account that makes us want to explore their community, right?! For some time now, it’s been Owatonna for me. So, when I knew I needed a “brain break” from my full-time job and a girls day with my mom, I decided to plan for us to visit Owatonna! We ended up exploring 6 different stops that we think are a must!
Central Park Coffee Co
What great girls day doesn’t start with great coffee?! We headed to Central Park Coffee Co located in downtown Owatonna for ours! This quaint coffee shop offers a variety of seating so whether you need to work at a table or relax in a casual chair to just visit with friends, you’ll be comfy! They not only offer an expansive coffee and espresso menu, but also breakfast and lunch items! We watched a plate loaded with waffles and fruit go by that looked amazing! I chose the White Lavender and it was delicious, white chocolate & lavender flavor! Central Park is a great way to start your adventures!
Costas Candies
Right across the street from Central Park Coffee, you’ll find Costas Candies. This gourmet chocolate chop has been a part of Owatonna for over 100 years! They specialize in truffles and flavors like Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier, Dark Chocolate Port, Maple Buttercream, and Dark Chocolate Mocha truffles. They also offer a varieties of caramels and delicious toffees. The chocolates are melt-in-your-mouth and the inside of their building is beautiful.
It has been recently renovated and is absolutely stunning. They also have a window where you can watch them make the delicious treats! A stop at Costas is a great way to make your visit to Owatonna extra sweet!
Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum
A major part of Owatonna’s history is the Minnesota State Public School Orphanage and now museum. The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children opened in 1886. For the next 60 years they housed over 10,000 children. From 1945 until 1970, they provided education and vocational training for mentally challenged children.
After the school closed, it sat empty for many years. The City of Owatonna then purchased the grounds and transformed the buildings into their facilities. The museum is housed in the main building along with City Hall. The museum provides a timeline of the school, artifacts from the school and children that stayed there along with personal stories. Admission is free and another must-stop is the Children’s Cemetery. The museum very well done, but the grounds and buildings are beautiful and true testament to it’s history!
Owatonna Public Utilities/Power Plant
Stopping by a power plant or public utility building might not be your typical stop, but its a must when you visit Owatonna! The Owatonna Public Utilities was established over 90 years ago to provide quality utilities to the public. Now you’ll find now a beautiful historical building that also showcases the history of the utility company and the progression of utilities! Make sure to stop by this building and enjoy the display on the first floor along with the beautiful building!
Morehouse Park
Located adjacent to the Public Utility building is Morehouse Park. The Straight River travels through the center of the park with the Dam being the focal point of the park! It also offers playgrounds, a walking trail, shelters, and more! There used to be a sawmill that sat alongside the dam. It also served as a flour mill & grist mill that eventually started producing a cereal named Malt-O-Meal. Back in 2003 the bridge over the river was failing and the community came together to repair/replace it.
Foremost Brewing Company
What makes for a great lunch-time stop?! Good food and good beer, of course! The place in Owatonna to find both is Foremost Brewing Company in the downtown district! Foremost takes up an entire depth of a city block and is accessible from both sides. Check them out for their brews (I loved my sour), but also their delicious lunches or supers! The salads we enjoyed while on our visit were fresh & delicious! The historic building it well renovated and the servers friendly! (They also offer several gluten-free options!)
Lots of Great Options to Enjoy When you Visit Owatonna
Whether you’re looking for history, nature, or even shopping, Owatonna offers lots of great options! From the historic Orphanage Museum, beautiful parks with walking trails, and great downtown shops to enjoy, you won’t be bored. The people are friendly, the coffee is hot, the chocolate is as sweet as ever, and the fun is great! It’s time to plan a weekend or day trip to Owatonna now!
