15 Best Things to Do in Red Wing, Minnesota (2024)

Red Wing is a beautiful city with a warm, golden light that makes you feel at home. With its varied activities and things to do, this Minnesota town is an exciting and intriguing destination.

The community is one of Minnesota’s gems, offering caters to multiple tastes—a fun and memorable travel experience. Red Wing has many intriguing and extraordinary experiences available.

If you’re looking for a great town to explore and want to book a trip to discover stunning scenery, this remarkable destination in Minnesota is right for you. We have prepared a list of the best things to do in the fascinating city of Red Wing.

Red Wing’s attractions are plentiful and diversified, with various activities for all age groups. From bike lanes and lakes to museums and outdoor activities, the location offers options for all interests in Red Wing.

Moreover, you may enjoy your time in Red Wing by doing anything from shopping to learning history. You can find things to see and do in Red Wing, an excellent town in Minnesota.

1. Goodhue County Historical Society

Address: 1166 Oak St, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

The great town of Red Wing is the home of Minnesota’s oldest county historical society, the Goodhue County Historical Society. It is a fascinating museum open for all ages. This place is great to stop by and see an extensive collection and exhibits of the town and the region’s impressive history lovers.

This is an excellent location for people who want to see some of Red Wing’s great sites while learning about the city’s exciting history.

The Goodhue County Historical Society Museum started in 1869, collecting photographs and various historical items from the town and the region. Goodhue County Historical Society houses a research library and over 67,000 collections of objects consisting of historical artifacts and archives.

The exhibition center preserved valuable and exceptional historical items and presented them to the public to show the remarkable history and exciting stories of Minnesota’s Goodhue County.

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2. Colvill Park

Address: 507 Nymphara Ln, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

Bask in the beauty of nature and serene surroundings in Colvill Park, a charming park where you can hit up and do many recreational activities in Red Wing. Colvill Park is a lovely site open for all ages and families to enjoy quality time surrounded by the beauty of the town.

The park offers a spacious area for different exciting activities and features a spacious picnic area, a playground equipped with engaging play structures, trails, and a shelter for holding events.

Checking out and spending a day in the park are among the most enjoyable things to do in Red Wing. The tennis and volleyball courts are also a part of Colvill Park’s amenities. These courts are ideal for adults to compete and engage in fun activities.

The park is an excellent getaway destination for relaxing and enjoying incredible scenery with loved ones away from the busy and buzzing city life. Colvill is known as a picnic park on the banks of the Mississippi River, where there is a boat launch and shuffleboard for fun.

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3. Red Wing Marine Museum

Address: 935 Levee Rd, Red Wing, MN 55066.

The Red Wing Marine Museum is located along the Mississippi River and features exhibits on power and motorboats. The restored Red Wing Thorobred engines, outboard motors, fishing equipment, and river-related images are displayed.

Visitors can view the largest river steamer, the American Queen, when it is docked less than a mile from Red Wing’s museum. Check out these other top museums in Minnesota.

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4. Memorial Park

Address: 315 W 4th St, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

Red Wing is an impressive town with amazing natural features and plentiful parks. Memorial Park is one of the parks to avoid when checking out the city. It’s a beautiful spot with much to offer and a park ideal for performing and enjoying various outdoor activities.

The park is an excellent destination for an array of exciting recreation, alone or with family or friends. It has notable amenities that provide convenience to all of its visitors.

Memorial Park provides picnic areas with picnic tables and grills. A Frisbee golf course, an open ground for recreational sports, and trails ideal for scenic walks, hiking, and biking are some features to enjoy in the park.

Aside from recreation grounds and spots, Memorial Park has great views overlooking Red Wing’s community. The beauty of the Mississippi River can also be observed from the park’s ideal location and the scenic landscape views of Minnesota and Wisconsin hills.

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5. Red Wing Arts Association

The Red Wing Art Association helps support creativity in the area. The association is committed to developing a community where involvement with the arts is important and relevant to the community.

The Red Wing Arts Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1952 that organizes and sponsors creative activities throughout the city. It began as an educational initiative for participatory arts and is the first and oldest art community in Red Wing.

6. Visit the Red Wing Shoe Store

The world’s most extensive shoe collection is at the Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum in downtown Red Wing. Visitors can dress up as ironworkers and see how shoes are made for themselves.

Red Wing Shoes is a shoe company founded in the early 20th century. The company is best known for its leather footwear. Nonetheless, it also makes shoes with rubber, cotton canvas, nylon fabric, and recycled materials.

The company was started by Charles Beckman and his father, who came to Red Wing to start a family business. When their first company, a grain company, failed, the Beckmans turned to shoemaking.

The store and museum house several of the company’s many years of high-quality shoemaking goods. This cultural institution is housed inside Red Wing Company’s main store in the historic downtown of Red Wing, Minnesota.

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7. Aliveo Military Museum

Address: 321 Bush St, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

History lovers will have a terrific time in one of the top-priority attractions in Red Wing, the Aliveo Military Museum. It is a fascinating museum with many interesting military artifacts collections.

The museum is part of Aliveo Learning Center Inc., which showcases Revolutionary to present-day collections of military artifacts. Aliveo Military Museum exhibits notable historical items from the Persian Gulf wars, the Korean War, and the Cold War. Artifacts from World War I and World War II can also be seen at this cultural institution.

The exhibit also includes items from the Spanish-American War, the Civil War, and the War of Independence, such as guns, uniforms, and photos. It’s a museum with many items from its exhibits that show artifacts, portray history, and tell stories.

Aliveo Military Museum honors heroes who served the country by preserving, maintaining, and exhibiting war artifacts. Want to check out more attractions in Minnesota? Check out this Complete Twin Cities Walking Tour.

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8. Bay Point Park

Address: Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

Aside from enjoying the great and lively city life, Bay Point Park is one of the spots in Red Wing, Minnesota, that offers outstanding adventure. This is a lovely park with an excellent facility for exciting outdoor activities and basking in the beauty of the wilderness. The park is situated downtown near Red Wing along the Mississippi River.

Bay Point Park features first-class, convenient outdoor amenities. It has spacious and pleasant picnic areas, engaging play structures, trails, sports grounds, and a Boat Launch to enjoy the river.

Bay Point Park is one of the spots in town where numerous community celebrations are held. It is an excellent place to enjoy and interact with locals.

The park features a shelter that can be rented to host parties and events. Bay Point Park is close to some of the great attractions in town, like the Boat House Village.

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9. Historic Boat House Village

The Historic Boat House Village is situated on the beautiful Mississippi River. It features houses with historic architectural styles, shops, and art galleries for visitors to explore. Red Wing offers things to do for people of all ages, so the Historic Boat House Village caters to diverse tastes.

Visitors can rent boats or kayaks to paddle along the river, sail with a harbor master, or enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride along scenic trails that border the village’s shoreline. It’s like taking an unforgettable back-in-time trip to this lovely village. Don’t miss out on seeing one of Minnesota’s most unique destinations!

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10. Pottery Museum of Red Wing

Address: 240 Harrison St, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

The lovely town of Red Wing is known for the beauty of its sceneries and great attractions, but it is also known for its fascinating clay industry. Due to Red Wing’s great clay industry, there is an interesting museum in town that is dedicated to pottery and clay, the Pottery Museum of Red Wing.

The museum features an extensive collection and exhibits of pottery and dinnerware made from clay. It has a fascinating abundance of interesting vintage pottery pieces.

The Pottery Museum of Red Wing collections hold over 6,000 vintage pieces of artisan-created stoneware. It’s a unique destination in town that focuses on and honors the beauty of art in pottery.

This remarkable pottery museum, which covers an area of 13,000 square feet, has many notable exhibits. The Pottery Museum of Red Wing also has a lovely gift shop where you can purchase various wonderful ceramics, including plates, vases, and other potteries.

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11. Explore Lake Pepin

The first permanent settlement on the site of present-day Pepin was named after a Chippewa chief who had been abducted and enslaved by French explorers. When an explorer mapped the area in 1659, he noted many wild rice lakes. The local people called it “Lake Minnewashta” but later changed it.

Lake Pepin is a lovely destination that offers things for everyone. The Lake Pepin shoreline stretches over 50 miles across the Mississippi River and has shores of 20-foot bluffs.

Lake Pepin is a spectacular natural wonder where visitors can take a break from exploring. The enormous lake is 21 miles long and about 1.3 miles wide. It’s a significant draw for residents and visitors to Red Wing who come to fish, swim boats, and relax on the water.

It’s also known as the spot where waterskiing was invented in 1922. A road encircles the lake, taking motorists from all over to view the incredible scenery of this scenic byway.

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12. Cannon River Turtle Preserve Scientific and Natural Area (SNA)

Address: Cannondale Rd, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

Red Wing offers a great outdoor adventure because of its excellent nature spots. The nature preserve of Cannon River Turtle Preserve Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) is one of the sites not to miss.

It is a beautiful destination to walk through while appreciating the beauty of nature. Cannon River downstream of Welch is protected and under the care of this fascinating nature reserve.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of things to do in Cannon River Turtle Preserve Scientific and Natural Area (SNA)—an outdoor and wildlife-based spot in town. Exploring trails, walking, biking, bird watching, and fishing surrounded by the serene and beautiful sceneries of nature are the features to enjoy.

Enjoying a delightful picnic or stopping by and relaxing on the reserve’s sandbar is ideal. The shoals are seasonally closed and inaccessible, but not all sanctuary areas are the turtle’s nesting spots.

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13. Red Wing Visitors & Convention Bureau

Address: 120 Broad St, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

One of the best places to visit, explore, and experience a memorable stay in the great town of Red Wing, Minnesota, is the Red Wing Visitors & Convention Bureau. It’s a spectacular visitor center in the city that offers a range of exciting things to do.

Red Wing Visitors & Convention Bureau is a great place to stop by and savor great travel possibilities. The visitor center offers opportunities to maximize a memorable flight and journey in Red Wing, Minnesota.

It has travel information about the town, from the best attractions to check out to shops and establishments like great restaurants, maps, and helpful Red Wing travel guides.

This great vacation stop offers excellent outdoor and indoor activities. Red Wing Visitors & Convention Bureau is open for all to enjoy and offers extraordinary one-of-a-kind travel—also a wonderful getaway along the fascinating Mississippi River.

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14. Colvill Park Swimming Pool

Address: Nymphara Ln, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

Beating the heat in the mesmerizing Colvill Park Swimming Pool of Red Wing, Minnesota, is one of the best things to enjoy in town. The water park is a great spot to relax and enjoy outdoor adventure.

It is situated inside the beautiful outdoor destination in the city, Colvill Park. Colvill Park Swimming Pool features a large outdoor pool with great amenities that provide convenience to all visitors seeking a place to relax and swim.

The pool is not the only part of the waterpark that the locals and tourists can enjoy, for it has ideal grounds to play and perform an assortment of recreation besides swimming.

It is a great place to bond, enjoy quality time with loved ones, and interact with locals. Many food stands within the water park provide food and drinks to hungry visitors. Concession stands of cold drinks, hot dogs, snacks, and ice cream were some of Colvill Park’s Swimming Pool’s accessible refreshments.

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15. Falconer Vineyards

Address: 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, MN 55066, United States

The town of Red Wing offers a range of unique destinations, and one of these beautiful spots to visit is the Falconer Vineyards. It is an enthralling family-owned winery in town that offers picturesque panoramic scenic views and pours delightful wines to taste. Ideally, the winery is situated in Red Wing’s historic and beautiful center, providing access to fantastic sceneries.

Falconer Vineyards features wine tasting, a great pizza restaurant, and a fascinating backdrop overlooking vineyards on its outdoor deck seating area. Aside from delightful wine, the winery also brews hard ciders, which go well with the pizza they cook and serve.

Drinking wine in Falconer Vineyards is lovely and delightful, with the musicians performing live on its deck, giving a dynamic and wonderful ambiance—an ideal destination to relax, sip wine, enjoy beautiful scenery, and enjoy good music. The winery held many events to give its visitors outstanding wines, entertainment, and enjoyment.

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