Lanesboro, Minnesota

Lanesboro, in our opinion the nicest town in all Minnesota, owes its current existence in no small part to skaters like you.

History
The first white settlers in the Lanesboro area were Knute and Tollef Bell, who in 1858 built a house about a mile north of present-day Lanesboro. In 1868, the town took roots when the Lanesboro Townsite Company was organized to build a resort and purchased 3,000 acres of land in the area. Settlers were about 50% Norwegian and 50% Irish.

One famous early visitor to the area was William (Buffalo Bill) Cody, who visited his Civil War pal David Powell in 1879. Cody must have liked the town since he came back with his famous Buffalo Bill's Wild West Shows, first performed in Lanesboro in 1900 and perhaps the start of Lanesboro’s status as a small arts town.

Lanesboro was also an industry town, though, and dependent on the railroad. In 1978, the railroad fell to highway truck competition and discontinued operations. The town dwindled and had an uncertain future as a typical middle America small town. In 1985, however, the State of Minnesota began construction of the Root River Trail. Now populated with bicyclists, walkers, skiers, and skaters, the trail has been the center point of a resurgence of the town.

Current
Now, the town of less than 900 residents is justly known as a recreation, arts, and all-around great getaway town. Twice named one of the 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America, it boasts a winery, art center, and top-quality playhouse. On the flip side of the coin, it was also voted one of the 50 Best Outdoor Sports Towns in the Nation. To top it off, nearly every building in downtown Lanesboro is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Best of all, however, is the warm welcome we receive from the town visitors. From Waldo at the Cottage Family Inn to Kathryn at the Lanesboro Wine Company, everyone seems to have the time to greet us with sincerity and make our stay a fantastic one.

Lodging and Dining
We spend our evenings in the Cottage House Inn with our hosts Marilyn & Waldo Bunge. The Cottage House Inn is a small but comfortable inn right on the main street of town. There are no televisions in the room and no elevators in the hallway and that is how we like it. Waldo himself serves us a buffet breakfast and a few home-cooked dinners. For other meals we eat in local restaurants to get a flavor of the town.

Activities
Lanesboro has a number of activities to offer us when we aren't learning to skate:

• Renting a bicycle and heading down the Root River Trail to one of the local small towns for an ice cream.
• Visiting the Cornucopia Art Center, a non-profit gallery featuring work from local artists.
• Learning about the area at the Lanesboro Historical Museum.
• Visiting the local wine shop, the Lanesboro Wine Company
• Attending a play at the Commonweal Theatre, a playhouse of big-city quality and small-town familiarity
• Seeing the local sights on a tour of the Amish farms in the area.

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