People climbing wooden stairs on a steep hillside toward a wooden observation tower - new deal and depression-era sites

Self-guided · metro area, Minnesota

New Deal and Depression-Era Sites in Minneapolis, MN

Lodges, lookouts, bathhouses and public buildings put up by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

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Photo: Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

The Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, MN-WI metro area has about 3,790,295 residents, ranking 16th in the country. New Deal and Depression-Era Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to Minneapolis, MN.

Men gathered around a campfire in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Group of loggers with a two-man saw in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Man and woman sitting on black wooden rocking chairs - new deal and depression-era sites — Photo: Aaron Thomas on Unsplash

On the record near Minneapolis, MN

The 12 nearest

22 listed sites on the record match new deal and depression-era sites within 200 miles of Minneapolis, MN, out of 360 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Interstate State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic District42 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Taylors Falls · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Lindbergh, Charles A., State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources87 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Little Falls · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Pilot Knob State Park, Picnic Shelter (Area 3)120 miles from the center of Minneapolis · Building · Forest City · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Lake Carlos State Park WPA/Rustic Style Group Camp123 miles from the center of Minneapolis · Building · Carlos · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Pequot Fire Lookout Tower123 miles from the center of Minneapolis · Structure · Pequot Lakes · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
Cooke, Jay, State Park CCC/Rustic Style Historic District124 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Carlton · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Cooke, Jay, State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Picnic Grounds124 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Carlton · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Cooke, Jay, State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Service Yard124 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Carlton · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Lac qui Parle State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic District128 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Montevideo · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Lake Shetak State Park WPA/Rustic Style Group Camp134 miles from the center of Minneapolis · Building · Currie · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Decorah Municipal Bathhouse and Swimming Pool136 miles from the center of Minneapolis · Building · Decorah · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
Pikes Point State Park Shelter and Steps143 miles from the center of Minneapolis · District · Spirit Lake · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Minneapolis, MN. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

New Deal Sites in Minneapolis, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Minneapolis, MN ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Minneapolis, MN?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Minneapolis, MN?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Minneapolis

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Minneapolis, MN the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Minneapolis, MN are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.