Community located approximately 15 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka where Downtown Excelsior historic district has been home to many businesses including hotels, restaurants, and merchants.
General Information
How to Get There
From Minneapolis, MN (15 mi): Take US-169 S to MN-7 W from Minneapolis approximately 15 miles, then follow MN-7 W to Water St in downtown Excelsior on the south shore of Lake Minnetonka.
Overview
Excelsior is a community in Hennepin County. The community is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka. The buildings along Water Street, housing many of the community's shops, were placed on National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Downtown Excelsior historic district has been home to many businesses including hotels, restaurants, and merchants. Since 2010, restaurants and eateries have come to dominate the town's commercial landscape. Beyond the downtown district, Excelsior also retains much of its Victorian era housing stock.
The Excelsior Commons and Lake Minnetonka are central amenities to the community and are major draws for tourists today. The Minnesota Streetcar Museum, a local transportation museum, maintains a heritage streetcar line in Excelsior and operates three restored streetcars on the line: Twin City Lines No. 1239, Winona Power & Light Co. #10, and Duluth Street Railway No. 78.
The Commons and Port of Excelsior is a 13-acre (5.3 ha) municipal park developed in 1854. Other notable recreation areas include Excelsior Parkland, and the shoreline on Lake Minnetonka.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Excelsior, Minnesota", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
