Best Roadside Attractions Near Minnesota
Monuments tell a story about our state and the people who live here.
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Monuments tell a story about our state and the people who live here.
A 59-year-old man died early Monday afternoon after he was found pinned underneath a tree in northwestern Minnesota, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
It's that time of year again! We've examined the map and narrowed down the choices for this year's Goin' To The (Frozen) Lake trip! WCCO-TV will be hitting the frozen lakes again each Thursday and Friday in February and we want your suggestions on where we should go.
New Year's Day offers an opportunity to get out and do new things without the hassle of crowds.
A teenager is in custody after a high speed chase near Alexandria Friday night. Authorities say it started at around 5:20 p.m. when officers pulled the 18-year-old over near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Maple Street in Alexandria.
A man is in custody after an alleged attempted robbery at a Swift County bar Tuesday and a high-speed chase the next day, according to a statement from police.
An Alexandria woman learned Friday she will spend more than seven years in prison for the murder of a man she loved. Jason Nyberg died in September inside the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault after 34-year-old Melissa Guillette smuggled in methamphetamine and passed it to him.
Human remains that were found near Alexandria in October have been confirmed to belong to the missing Starbuck woman Laura Schwendemann. The Medical Examiner confirmed that the remains belonged to the 18-year-old woman.
Choosing the best cookie in Minnesota is no easy feat. With hundreds of bakeries across the state, there are no shortage recipes and favorites. But there can only be one Best of Minnesota, and your votes sent me to Alexandria for some fun at the Sugar Shack.
The state cross country meet was held Saturday at St. Olaf, with the biggest question mark surrounding the girls Double-A race. It was a showdown between two twin sisters from Alexandria, years in the making.
The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Friday that the human remains found Monday in Douglas County belong to a missing Starbuck college student. Laura Ann Schwendemann, 18, was last seen alive on the night of Oct. 14 at an Alexandria gas station.
An autopsy is being done on human remains that were found in a farmer's field Monday afternoon. According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, around 2:31 p.m. a farmer discovered what was believed to be human remains while harvesting a field in Orange Township.
Alexandria native and Oscar nominee John Hawkes is set to appear at the Twin Cities Film Fest. Hawkes will appear Monday night at a screening of his new movie, "Too Late." Hawkes plays a troubled private investigator hired to find a missing woman from his own past.
It's section championship weekend in high school football. Across the state Friday and Saturday, state tournament bids are on the line as teams battle to become one of the eight left battling for a championship among the seven classes in the state.
Officials from Douglas and Pope counties say an 18-year-old woman has been missing since Wednesday night. According to authorities, Laura Ann Schwendemann was last seen at the Holiday Gas Station on 50th Avenue in Alexandria at about 9:30 p.m.
The DNR is reporting that fall colors have begun to pop, mostly up north as of this writing. The gorgeous fall foliage season is all too short. Now is the time to plan a little getaway to enjoy them before winter sets in. Here are a few suggestions for lodgings that are open past the summer tourist season.
An Alexandria woman is accused of smuggling methamphetamine into a Faribault jail, leading to the overdose death of an inmate. Faribault police say an inmate at Minnesota Correctional Facility Faribault was found dead in their cell on Sept. 5. An autopsy found that they had died from a meth overdose.
One of Roadside America's top attractions is going to get some much needed repairs. Big Ole, the very large statue in Alexandria, has some structural problems. The 28-foot-tall Viking was built for the 1964 World's Fair in New York City, but now he has big holes and cracks that need filling.
Minnesota Highway Patrol is warning bicyclists about the dangers of riding where they are not supposed to after a freeway crash took one man's life over the weekend.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to get their annual caravan started across the state as they embark on a new era in the organization. The Timberwolves Caravan, headlined by Minnesota native Tyus Jones, takes off on Tuesday, Aug. 4 as it heads to Alexandria for an event from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
A Saturday fire that started in a garage left an Alexandria home destroyed and a dog dead. According to a report from the Douglas Count Sheriff's Office, the fire began in a garage on East Lake Mary Road while someone was transferring gasoline from one can to another.
A man was hospitalized after allegedly being stabbed by his girlfriend in Alexandria Friday night. Police say they were called to the St. Cloud Hospital's emergency room just after 11:30 p.m. because a stabbing victim wanted to talk to them.
A St. Paul police sergeant has been named Police Officer of the Year by a Minnesota law enforcement association for his work with East and West African immigrant communities.
Alexandria Police are asking for the public's help to find a missing teen. Joshua Adoni Otis, 15, was last seen Thursday after he left his home on foot.
The Alexandria Police Department is looking for two suspects after a man was the victim of an armed robbery on Tuesday. Authorities responded at about 1 p.m. to the area of 7th Avenue and Park Street in Alexandria after a 34-year-old man called police saying he had been the victim of an armed robbery at about 10:30 a.m.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
Kody Clemens had three hits and Kendry Rojas earned his first major league win with a strong outing in relief as the Minnesota Twins held off the Cleveland Guardians 5-4.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
One woman and five men were injured in the June 1, 2025, shooting at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.
According to investigators, a woman driving an SUV was shot by someone in another vehicle while driving northbound on University Avenue Northeast.
Abdirahman Abdullahi was convicted of one count of arson causing injury in federal court for the fire that occurred on May 31, 2024, on the 8000 block of Cardiff Lane in Eden Prairie.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
A man was found dead in a wooded area around 2:30 p.m. Friday, after a short pursuit on an ATV, according to the Becker County Sheriff's Office.
Postal workers across Minnesota and the United States are both delivering mail and receiving donations Saturday.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a driver hit a cyclist early Saturday morning.
Two canoers were rescued after a water emergency at the Island Lake Dam north of Duluth, Minnesota, Saturday morning.
A 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River towns is hosting its annual 100 Mile Garage Sale this weekend, drawing shoppers and sellers from across the region and beyond.
Minnesota animal rescues are stepping up to take in dogs from a Wisconsin research facility accused of animal abuse.
You may have heard of Give to the Max Day, where people donate millions of dollars to hundreds of nonprofits and organizations across Minnesota on a single day. That idea has spread to western Wisconsin, called Give Big Valleys.
Federal prosecutors say a small-town Wisconsin police chief tried to help California gun dealers import illegal armor-piercing rounds from Europe.
Local and federal law enforcement are investigating after nearly 50 firearms and "a large quantity of ammunition" were stolen from a sporting goods store in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Friday.
Somali and Muslim leaders in Minnesota played a threatening voicemail at a public gathering Friday, saying businesses in their community are being targeted with messages warning of death.
The Black homeownership rate in the Twin Cities dropped to 29% in 2024, and the region had the largest gap between Black and White homeownership rates of any comparable metro in the country.
Bobby Rogers once came to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to sketch and study; now he leads its design and editorial work, shaping what visitors see and experience.
Moses Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, met running partner Mark Hulsey through My Team Triumph Minnesota two years ago and the pair qualified for the Boston Marathon at Grandma's Marathon last summer.
Mackenzie Reed, head custodian at Shakopee East Middle School, has painted large-scale murals throughout the building she once attended as a student, creating a more welcoming space for current students.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
Another race getting a lot of attention in Minnesota is for governor. In the DFL race for governor, the presumptive favorite is Sen. Amy Klobuchar. She has a large lead in the very early, limited polling that's been done and she has a huge lead in fundraising over all the other candidates. She joined Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning at 10:30 a.m.
Matt Little won 63% of the delegate vote in the first round, beating out state Rep. Kaela Berg and state Sen. Matt Klein.
In Minnesota's only congressional race without an incumbent in the fight, one of the DFL hopefuls emerged Saturday with the backing of his party. Our Conor Wight takes us to Burnsville, where a competitive democratic primary is now all but guaranteed.
The Supreme Court has ruled that, under the Voting Rights Act, Congressional districts can no longer be drawn along racial lines, but can be shaped by partisan aims. The result: A dash to re-draw voting districts in several states. What does this portend for democracy?
A 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River towns is hosting its annual 100 Mile Garage Sale this weekend, drawing shoppers and sellers from across the region and beyond.
The Black homeownership rate in the Twin Cities dropped to 29% in 2024, and the region had the largest gap between Black and White homeownership rates of any comparable metro in the country.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints.
Gas in the Twin Cities can be up to $4.20 a gallon these days, and it's happening as Minnesota is revving up for summer.
According to the letter, enforcement will be done by police and plainclothes officers, with businesses themselves being held accountable for repeat violations.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
One woman and five men were injured in the June 1, 2025, shooting at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.
According to investigators, a woman driving an SUV was shot by someone in another vehicle while driving northbound on University Avenue Northeast.
Abdirahman Abdullahi was convicted of one count of arson causing injury in federal court for the fire that occurred on May 31, 2024, on the 8000 block of Cardiff Lane in Eden Prairie.
A Dutch-flagged cruise ship that was hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak reached Spain's Canary Islands early Sunday morning.
Minnesota-based North Memorial Health and South Dakota-based Sanford Health have signed a "definitive agreement" to merge into a single nonprofit health system, according to both organizations.
The Minnesota House approved a pilot program that would legalize psychedelic mushrooms in the state for therapeutic use.
The FDA announced its first authorization of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, a major policy shift after months of appeals to President Trump from the vaping industry.
A deadly virus that's killed cruise ship passengers can be traced to small critters found hiding in homes.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are calling their Aug. 29 show "Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound."
A trial in the lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was set to begin later in May.
The Minnesota Star Tribune was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its coverage of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school that killed two children and injured more than a dozen others.
Mononymous country music star Hardy is set to kick off the final weekend of the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
Kody Clemens had three hits and Kendry Rojas earned his first major league win with a strong outing in relief as the Minnesota Twins held off the Cleveland Guardians 5-4.
Allisha Gray scored 16 of her 24 points in the second half, Angel Reese had 11 points and 14 rebounds in her debut for Atlanta and the Dream beat the Minnesota Lynx 91-90 in the season opener for both teams.
Byron Buxton doubled off the wall in left-center with one out in the 11th inning, scoring automatic runner Matt Wallner, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1.
Kirill Kaprizov scored first and assisted on the next two goals as the Minnesota Wild delivered the Colorado Avalanche their first defeat this postseason with a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of their second-round series.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
The legislation establishes a list of requirements aimed at improving transparency and reducing conflicts within HOAs. Minnesota estimates that 25% of its residents live in an HOA, and 82% of new homes are built within one.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Dana Ohman, an attorney who handles HOA disputes, about some of the most common questions homeowners have.
Sen. Tina Smith is using her last months in office to vocally campaign for progressive and environmental causes. She hopes that a progressive will succeed her when Minnesotans go to the polls next November.
For nearly 50 years, Farmamerica has been sowing agricultural knowledge near Waseca, Minnesota.
The carillon has 56 bells, and the Mayo Clinic said that makes it one of the largest instruments in the world and the largest instrument in Minnesota.
When you think of masterful, memorable works of art, grain elevators don't typically come to mind. But in towns across the country, including in Minnesota, they're becoming an unlikely canvas for creativity.
At Arnie Lillo's Creations in Blue Earth County, you can visit a metal-scaled version of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. The works of art have taken on a shape of their own.
It's one of the largest musky hatcheries in the entire world. John Lauritsen shows us how the Spooner hatchery keeps fish healthy and anglers happy.
A deadly virus that's killed cruise ship passengers can be traced to small critters found hiding in homes.
So far this decade, the Twin Cities metro has, on average, added about 17,000 housing units per year, according to data from the Metropolitan Council.
A symbolic change is bothering some Minnesotans. Now their local leaders are listening; several cities are voting to fly the old state flag instead of the new one. While it was a drastic redesign, it wasn't the first.
Construction season has arrived, potentially adding several minutes to your daily drive to work. So, how bad is the commute in the Twin Cities? Good Question.
The media we consume and how long we spend consuming it can impact our mental health. In a world where screens are scrutinized, what is the worst kind of screen time?
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
WCCO meteorologist Katie Steiner says temperatures will be frosty overnight, but it'll be warmer tomorrow with highs in the upper 60s.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
WCCO meteorologist Adam Del Rosso says Sunday will be breezy and top out around 60 before a warm up this week.
Aside from a few morning clouds, high pressure moving in from Canada will make for a beautiful Mother's Day filled with sunshine in the Twin Cities.
WCCO meteorologist Adam Del Rosso says it will be a beautiful Mother's Day filled with sunshine.
It's a Mother's Day celebration filled with cultural connections.
Fans across Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro are gearing up for Game 4 of the NBA playoffs as the Timberwolves host the San Antonio Spurs. Marielle Mohs is out in Minneapolis seeing how local businesses are benefitting from the playoff boost.
WCCO meteorologist Katie Steiner says temperatures will be frosty overnight, but it'll be warmer tomorrow with highs in the upper 60s.
The summer music tour season is almost here, but in addition to the big acts there's also a unique opportunity to see some special instruments. Violins of Hope is a program that recovers and restores string instruments that were played during the Holocaust. They're being played now by virtuosos and orchestras across Minnesota and CBS News' Jonah Kaplan spoke about them with one of the most famous fiddlers of all time.
Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield talks about her trip to Finland and what inspiried her to visit.