Historic Towns
How to get there: 405 N Chestnut St, Belle Plaine, MN 56011
What you will find: A house museum built in 1871.
Services at this site: Limited
Here on the gateway to the Byway, you will find the Hooper-Bowler-Hilstrom house built in 1871 by area businessman, Sandford Hooper. The house was bought in 1886 by Samuel Bowler, a founder of the State Bank of Belle Plaine. Mr. Bowler added rooms and a two-story outhouse to accommodate his large family.
The Alfred Hillstrom family moved into the house in 1901. Members of the Hillstrom family lived in the house until it was purchased in 1975 by the Belle Plaine Historical Society. The City of Belle Plaine now owns the house and grounds, and it is maintained by the Belle Plaine Historical Society. The house is well furnished in three periods-1850’s and 1860’s, Victorian and early 1900’s to depict what a house may have been like in the early periods of Belle Plaine. Also on the grounds is the Carriage House Museum, displaying artifacts relating to the town’s history, including many memorabilia items from the Albrecht family’s days in the circus.
Things to Do: Historic Town, Outdoor Activities
