We were there on a cloudy day and it was nice to walk and see the buildings, new farm animals and have a couple of discussions from the volunteers at the park. Great place for a walk and to see history in front of you and they have some special days such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Christmas time which are supposed to be a "can't miss". If you are a history buff or enjoy nature this is a great place for a couple of hours. We had a really nice, relaxing time, learned about MN in the late 1800s and best of all, it was free.
This is one of the best historic sites around. It is a collection of original buildings that span the 1840's to the 1890's set up in a manner to demonstrate the progression and settlement of the Minnesota River Valley. There are so many aspects of Minnesota and national history that this site has to offer it is truly astounding. I visit here often. Special events often offer more activities and staff to interact with. In the winter they decorate each house in a different ethnic manner, matching with the time period of the house. Again, an outstanding amount of history that has something for everyone.
Loved how the people didn't stay put in any one building. They moved around like people in a community would, having meals, visiting, "shopping"... it was a blast to see the interactions. I really enjoyed all the information about herbal lore as well, as I'm currently studying that. The price of admission was more than reasonable as well.
The cost to visit is so reasonable. Living history days are only $5 for adults and include a horse-drawn trolley ride. The guided walking tours on the other days are only $3. You can spend hours talking to the costumed staff and visiting the buildings. The Folkways of the Holidays program in December is wonderful!
The Landing (formerly "Murphy's Landing") is now under the management of the Three Rivers Park District. My family went in March, the site/park is open to walk around but none of the buildings were open and we still had a great time exploring! The trail is about .75 miles from the visitor center to the settlement so wear comfortable shoes for a little walking. There are old buildings, farms, information about the conservation efforts along the way that are fun to check out. The cows really liked the company they watched us and made their way to the other side of their pen when we passed by. It will be fun to go back in the summer when the buildings are open as well as next winter when they have the buildings open before Christmas to see them all decorated for the holidays! NOTE: When the buildings are open there is a fee ($5-$8 per person) but when the buildings are closed there is no fee to walk the park.
I love this place and its characters. Houses and shows are wonderful.Great setup and very educational and fun.
We attended an art show here and enjoyed free parking and free entrance to the historical park. There is a lot of walking involved, but we enjoyed going in and out of the different buildings and houses and talking with the historians who are "in character" at each site. The art show was decent and that portion of the park over looks a beautiful view of the river.
A relaxing place to take our grandkids They could walk around without worry. They also received alot of information about what life was many years ago. .
The Landing (as it's now called) consist of various houses, shops, etc that were built around the 1880's and are decorated in that time period. During your visit, plan on walking over a mile. Admission is minimal and only charged if you want to go into the buildings. Walking around the park itself is free. The tour guides are excellent and very knowledgeable. If your in the Shakopee area, this is well worth a stop.
The people that volunteer are very helpful with explaining the times and very knowledgeable about the times. Great experience for children 7+