DAY TRIP DESTINATIONS: SHAKOPEE By Nell Musolf
Shakopee is more than just a theme park and a race track. At just an hour away, the area’s history is worth your time.
Think Shakopee is just rollercoasters and racehorses?
Think again
W
Photos by Jenn Singer
hen it is January and the days are short and dark and cold, a long day trip over icy roads might not be at the top of anyone’s list of fun things to do. So why not make it a shorter day trip to somewhere convenient, like Shakopee? Approximately an hour’s drive from Mankato, Shakopee is situated on a south bank bend of the Minnesota River. The land Shakopee was built on has a long history going back to prehistoric burial mounds located in the town’s historic district. Once the home of Chief Shakopee of the Mdewakanton Dakota, the land was ceded in 1851. That same year, Thomas A. Holmes started a trading post in the region. A few years later Shakopee Village was platted in 1854. The village eventually became a medium-sized city (current population approximately 40,000) and a bedroom community for commuters to the Twin Cities.
24 • JANUARY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
While Shakopee is known primarily as the home of Valleyfair amusement park and the Canterbury Park racetrack, there are a multitude of other attractions in the area. Downtown Shakopee has eclectic shopping options including Ramble On Records, 222 First Avenue, where old-school vinyl albums are both bought and sold along with posters and other music memorabilia. Nearby First Avenue Boutique, 999 Main Street, sells original items created by local artists including jewelry, clothing and artwork. Bill’s Toggery, 138 Lewis Street South, is in its third generation selling traditional men’s clothing. A shopping trip to Shakopee wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Shakopee Trading Post and Gallery, 723 West First Avenue, where visitors will find Native American arts and crafts, made by artists from
