If you’re planning to visit the College of Saint Benedict (in St. Joseph) or Saint John's University (in Collegeville), here's what else is there to do while you’re in the area.
Entertainment and sports
- Join the fun in late June during Granite City Days. Every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., the Rotary hosts Summertime by George! a free festival with live music, art and your favorite fair food.
- Catch the action of the Northwoods League baseball team, the St. Cloud Rox.
Museums, art and history
- Stop by the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library and view the Saint John’s Bible.
- Learn more about the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict by visiting the Haehn Museum. The museum is home to nearly 4,000 artifacts dating back to 1857 when the Benedictine Sisters first settled in central Minnesota.
- Take tour of Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis' boyhood home.
- Stop by the Stearns History Museum for a history lesson. Check out the exhibits, research your genealogy or visit the museum store.
- Head to the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame Museum for some local sports history?
- Check out the renovated Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center in downtown St. Cloud. The Center, which is central Minnesota’s only public visual arts center, anchors the city’s vibrant art district.
Nature
- Visit the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve located off of County Road 137 just southwest of the city of Waite Park. It features a swimming hole that’s 112-feet deep, plenty of mountain-bike trails and even trout fishing. You can even go diving if you’re SCUBA-certified, and rock climbers can go vertical in Quarry 17 or try bouldering in Quarry 20.
- Walk around the 2,830 acres of the Saint John’s Outdoor University and swim, canoe or kayak in Lake Sagatagan.
- Rent a canoe, paddleboat or stand-up paddleboard at the Lake George Boathouse.
- Visit the Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud. Located along the scenic Mississippi River, these picturesque gardens are known for their shade-loving plants and red-brick walkways. The gardens are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and admission is free.
Shopping
- Stop by the Paramount Gallery and Gifts next door to the Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center, where regional artists display and sell their work.
- Browse at the Whitby Gift Shop for works of art created by the Sisters of Saint Benedict. You’ll find many beautiful hand-made items including pottery, needlework and beeswax.
If you're getting hungry on your visit…
- Stop by the Local Blend in St. Joseph before or after your visit for a great cup of coffee or a cool treat.
- Kay’s Kitchen has been a St. Joseph staple since 1972 with its home cooking, fresh pastries and ice cream cones.
- BoDiddley’s was started by a Saint John’s University alumnus in the early 1980s and is known for great sandwiches. Locations in St. Joseph and St. Cloud.
- Stop by Bello Cucina in St. Joseph and experience the taste of old world Italy.
- Enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean at Café Renaissance in Waite Park.
- Check out the Fuji Japanese Steakhouse in St. Cloud for lunch served by a skilled spatula twirling chef.
- Make the trek to Anton’s in Waite Park for good food and — assuming you’re “of age” — great scotch. Anton’s has more than 45 selections for sampling.
- Want to try sweet and spicy wings, stop by the White Horse in St. Cloud.