©
Owatonna trip planner
Create a fully customized
day by day itinerary for free
day by day itinerary for free
Owatonna
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August.Interstate 35 and U.S. Highways 14, and 218 are three of the main routes in the city.HistoryOwatonna was first settled in 1853 around the Straight River. The community was named after the Straight River, which in the Dakota language is Wakpá Owóthaŋna. The earliest the Owatonna area was settled was in 1854 and platted in September 1855, but it was incorporated as a town August 9, 1858, then as a city on February 23, 1865.In 1856, Josef Karel Kaplan emigrated from a village southwest of Prague Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and selected a quarter section (160acre) of land near the town of Owatonna. Kaplan described Owatonna as having just 50 small homes, but predicted 100 within a year, along with a railroad. With just four stores and a pharmacy, Owatonna quickly prospered and grew to 1500 inhabitants in just 5 years. Kaplan wrote about the Owatonna area in letters donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. In them he described often seeing Indians – people with "tough constitutions...brown skin and good dispositions", explaining: "When you read about battles between whites and Indians, it is the whites who are to blame." In 1866, Kaplan helped organize the Catholic Cemetery, and a year later, the National Bohemian Cemetery of OwatonnaFind what you're looking for from your Owatonna holiday, by planning the whole thing with us using our handy United States trip planner.
Source
Create a full itinerary — for free!
Plan your trip to Owatonna
Get a personalized trip
A complete day by day itinerary
based on your preferencesCustomize it
Refine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedulesManage it
Everything in one place.
Everyone on the same page.
Popular things to do in Owatonna
Hidden gems in Owatonna
Side trips from Owatonna
Nature in Owatonna
Museums in Owatonna
Kid-friendly things to do in Owatonna
Places to visit with Owatonna
MinneapolisTrip planner
BEST FOR: Art Museum, Fun & Games, Room Escape Game
DuluthTrip planner
BEST FOR: Park, Scenic Drive, Bridge
BloomingtonTrip planner
BEST FOR: Shopping Mall, Theme Park, Aquarium
Saint PaulTrip planner
BEST FOR: Zoo, Natural History Museum, Religious Site
Two HarborsTrip planner
BEST FOR: Biking Trail, Lighthouse, State Park
Recently planned trips to Owatonna
13 days in Southern Minnesota
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Red Wing
Winona
Owatonna
2 days in Owatonna
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Minneopa State Park
Cabela's
Mayowood Mansion
33 days in Southern Minnesota
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Red Wing
Winona
Owatonna
15 days in United States
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Owatonna
Fort Wayne
Canton
1 day in Owatonna
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
River Bend Nature Center
RAD Zoo (Reptile Amphibian Discovery Zoo)
Village of Yesteryear
4 days in Southern Minnesota
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Owatonna
Winona