Things to Do in Rochester and Bluff Country
A medical city, then river towns and trout streams in the bluffs of the Mississippi.
See top-rated activities »About Rochester and the bluffs
Rochester grew up around a country doctor, William Worrall Mayo, and his two surgeon sons, and today the Mayo Clinic fills much of downtown. Most visitors are here for medical care or to be with someone who is, and the city is set up for them, with skyways and underground walkways connecting the clinic to hotels and restaurants. The 1928 Plummer Building, with its carved doors and carillon tower, is the clinic's historic heart, and Heritage Hall and the art in the public spaces are open to visitors. Mayowood, the Mayo family's country mansion, is shown on tours by the History Center of Olmsted County.
The real draw of the southeast is the countryside. Glaciers missed this corner of Minnesota, so instead of flat farmland there are limestone bluffs, deep valleys and cold trout streams. The Great River Road follows the Mississippi past Red Wing, known for its boots and stoneware and for the Barn Bluff overlook above downtown; Lake City, on the wide stretch of river called Lake Pepin, where water skiing was invented in 1922; and Winona, where the Minnesota Marine Art Museum shows river and sea paintings from Hudson River artists to European masters.
Inland, the Root River State Trail runs through the bluffs between small towns, with Lanesboro as the hub for bike rentals, canoeing, bed and breakfasts and a community theater. In Harmony, Niagara Cave has guided tours past a 60-foot underground waterfall. Fall color comes later here than up north, usually in mid-October, and makes the river road one of the prettiest autumn drives in the state. Bald eagles gather along open water on the Mississippi in winter, and the National Eagle Center in Wabasha is a good place to see them up close.
Don’t Miss
The clinic's 1928 landmark and its history exhibits, in the public areas downtown.
The Mayo family's country home, shown on tours by the History Center of Olmsted County.
A riverside museum of art inspired by water, from river scenes to famous European paintings.
A paved trail through the bluffs, with Lanesboro's shops, inns and canoe outfitters along the way.
A Mississippi River town with a historic downtown, the Barn Bluff hike and shoe and stoneware history.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Rochester and the bluffs
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Get free trip quotes »Rochester and the bluffs — FAQ
What is there to do in Rochester, MN besides Mayo Clinic?
Tour Mayowood, walk the trails at Quarry Hill Nature Center, eat downtown and take day trips to Red Wing, Lake City, Winona, Lanesboro and Niagara Cave.
When is fall color in southeast Minnesota?
Usually from early to mid-October along the Mississippi bluffs, a week or two after the North Shore.
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