Taking a day trip to Red Wing, MN is an amazing little road trip! Especially since it’s only an hour away from the Twin Cities and you can see a lot in just one day. Or stay a night or two and make it an enjoyable staycation.
Red Wing is famous for their Red Wing shoes (yes, those boots). However, the downtown charm and picturesque bluffs are what make Red Wing a delight to visit.
So, let’s see all the things to do on your day trip to Red Wing, MN!
Day trip to Red Wing, MN
Where is Red Wing, Minnesota located?
Red Wing is located about 55 miles southeast of the Twin Cities and lies alongside the Mississippi river. Being that Red Wing is in Southern Minnesota, the drive itself is so gorgeous. With twisty roads and beautiful, lush greenery, it really is the perfect summer drive.
Visit or stay at the St. James hotel
A great place to visit and or stay in Red Wing, is at the beautiful St. James Hotel.
The hotel was established in 1875, and incredibly, there’s only been three owners in over 140 years. With all that history and charm, it’s truly a gem to visit.
Even if you are not staying here, you still need to visit as there’s more to see inside the hotel. For example, there’s a wonderful restaurant, a speakeasy, a few shops, and even a little museum area. More to come later in this post on these neat places inside the hotel.
Shop in downtown Red Wing
As you would expect, the downtown shopping area in Red Wing is just so adorable. From the red brick building architecture to the hanging flowers everywhere, it’s truly a delight to shop here.
All the shops are fun to visit, but Uffda, a Scandinavian gift shop, is full of unique one-of-a-kind items and is a must stop.
Here are some other shops to visit:
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Red Wing Shoes
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Red Wing Olive Oils and Vinegars
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Duluth Trading Company
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Plum Crazy-Home decor and gifts
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Phileo Style – Womens clothing store
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Fair Trade Books– Amazing hometown bookstore
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Cut Above Home– Home decor and gifts
Snap selfies at the Red Wing Mural
This “postcard” mural encapsulates everything that Red Wing is famous for and it’s huge! Situated in front of a parking lot, you can have a ton of fun posing for selfies.
Visit the Red Wing Museums
Of course, with all that history, you can bet there are some museums to visit in Red Wing. Starting with inside the St. James Hotel, there is a small museum here that holds a collection of all things Red Wing. So, if you only have time to visit one museum, let it be this one, as it’s small, and it won’t take long to see everything.
Here are some other museums to visit:
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Pottery Museum of Red Wing
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Goodhue County Historical Society
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Aliveo Military Museum
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Red Wing Marine Museum
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The American Jumping Museum and Hall of Fame
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Red Wing Arts in The Depot
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Red Wing Shoe store and Museum- Also where the World’s Largest boot is.
Check out the World’s Largest Boot
Located in the Red Wing shoe store, The World’s Largest Boot is a size 638 1/2 and stands over 20 feet tall. Amazingly, the boot is constructed just like a regular boot! Truly a sight to see and fun to take your picture with the boot.
As I mentioned a little earlier in the post, there is a museum here on the upper level and worth checking out. Of course, you can also buy shoes here as it’s a real store as well.
Eat at one of restaurants in Red Wing, MN
Back at the St. James Hotel is one of the best restaurants in Red Wing, The Scarlet Restuarant. A beautiful setting with a rooftop patio and amazing food. Try the watermelon salad with couscous, red onion, feta, green onion, watermelon radish and balsamic. So delicious!
Here are some other restaurants to try:
Grab some coffee or drinks
After all that galivanting, you may need an afternoon pick me up. Whether you prefer coffee or cocktails, Red Wing has some good options for both.
Here is a list of where to get your choice of beverage.
Check out these spots for coffee:
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Mandy’s Coffee & Cafe
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Hanisch Bakery and Coffee shop– A must for sweet treats as well!
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Wisteria Twig Cafe & Tea room
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Bev’s Cafe
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Red Wing Confectionary
Or if you need something stronger, check these places out:
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The Port in St. James hotel– a speakeasy that has fun cocktails
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Red wing Brewery
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Falconer Vineyards Winery
Lady’s tip: Be sure to check restaurant websites ahead of time as some places are not open on Sundays.
Rent a bike and ride the Cannon Valley Trail
The Cannon Valley Trail is a 19.7-mile hiking and bike trail that goes through the towns of Red Wing, Cannon Falls and Welch. This beautiful trail is a former railroad track that is now paved and has beautiful vistas throughout.
If you need to rent a bike, you can check at the St. James Hotel front desk to inquire about what they have available. But note that you may need to purchase a $5 wheel pass in certain parts of the trail. Check the Cannon Valley Trail website for more information.
Visit the Red Wing Depot
The Red Wing Depot is a fascinating place to visit. Not only can you see an active train station but there’s an art museum in the depot as well.
If you wanted to make it a super fun trip, you could do your day trip with Amtrak Empire Builder train. You could get on the train from St. Paul and go to Red Wing in the morning and come back the same day later that night. Check out the Amtrak website for more information.
Hang out by the Mississippi River at Levee Park
No visit to Red Wing would be complete without visiting the wonderful, mighty, Mississippi River. And Levee Park is the perfect place to hang out and soak up the summer vibes by the water.
See the view from one of the bluffs
One of the best things to do in Red Wing is to see the view of the town from above. There are a few places you can go for this amazing view.
If you have energy to burn and want to hike to get to the view, hike Barn Bluff. Or if you want to just drive to the overlook with no hiking, visit Memorial Park overlook. Either view is amazing! And I bet it would be especially beautiful in the fall with all the beautiful fall colors.
Final thoughts on taking a day trip to Red Wing, Mn
Red Wing is one of those towns that you just have to visit at least once. Especially since it’s the perfect summer day trip and it’s such a neat town. I hope you make it here and have a great day of exploring Red Wing! Have fun making those memories!
For more to do close to Red Wing, check out Things to do in Cannon Falls Minnesota
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