Excelsior Downtown
Phoebe Sibilio
The City of Excelsior is located only 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, nestled on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. You can find a relaxed and personalized atmosphere in this one-square-mile area with a population of 2,397. The city is a unique blend of old and new. Besides antique shops, there is also a variety of specialty shops, restaurants, a theater, and a bed and breakfast inn.
History is important in Excelsior. Excelsior was founded in 1853 by colonists from New York. It has served as the focal point of the South Lake Minnetonka area. The small downtown and historic ambiance sets Excelsior apart from other suburban communities. A bit of that history is preserved in the recently restored steamboat, "The Minnehaha," which in summer takes passengers round trip from Excelsior to Wayzata and back. There is also a restored streetcar and a museum, all preserving part of the city's history.
The Southwest Regional Light Rail Transit Trail, a favorite of bicyclists and walkers, passes through downtown Excelsior. At the north end of town is The Commons park and recreation area with a swimming beach, playground, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and areas for picnicking.
There are a number of community events held each year in Excelsior, which are sponsored by the South Lake-Excelsior Area Chamber of Commerce. Thousands of visitors come to Excelsior each year to attend the Art in the Park, Fourth of July festivities, and Apple Day festivities.
Excelsior is a strong, vibrant, caring community. Come to Excelsior soon to shop in our downtown business area, ride on one of the many excursion boats, or just to picnic. Visitors are always welcome!
The aptly named Water Street runs through downtown past Lake Street, where you can catch a ride on the The Minnehaha, a restored steamboat that ferries passengers across the lake from Excelsior to Mayzata (and back) in the summer months.
It does get cold in January, but the Arctic Fever celebration is the perfect antidote for cabin fever. Its fun things to do include a bicycle race, ice sculpting and a wine and paint party, where participants can sip while creating snowy hill scenes. For kids, there are wagon rides, a magic show and ice fishing off of Water Street.
Excelsior (/ɛkˈsɛlsiər/ ek-SEL-see-ər) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Excelsior's historic commercial district along Water Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the town has many Victorian-era houses.[4] On Lake Minnetonka's southern shore, the community serves as a local tourism destination for shoppers, boaters, and restaurant-goers.
Considered a western suburb of the Twin Cities, Excelsior is about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Its population was 2,414 as of the 2020 census.[5] Excelsior's major roadway is Minnesota State Highway 7.
Minnesota's territorial governor Alexander Ramsey officially named Lake Minnetonka in 1852. He had been informed that the Dakota called the lake Mn i Thŋka ("the-water-they-speak-of-is-large").[7] The next year, a group of settlers from New York established Excelsior, the lake's first white settlement.
A large ballroom called "Danceland" (later "Big Reggie's Danceland") stood across the street from Excelsior Amusement Park from the mid-1920s to 1973. Operated by Ray Colihan, it hosted performances by Lawrence Welk, Fred Waring, and the Andrews Sisters in the 1930s. On May 3, 1963, the Beach Boys performed at Danceland. Beach Boys singer Mike Love remembered the performance as a significant moment for the band in a 2019 interview. According to Love, people "were breaking the windows to get into [Danceland] because it was sold out... I said to one of my bandmates: 'This must be like when Elvis was starting out.'"[9] On June 12, 1964, The Rolling Stones played Danceland for an audience of 283.[10] It has been speculated that Excelsior resident Jimmy Hutmaker inspired Mick Jagger to write the 1969 song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" after a chance encounter at a local drugstore earlier that day, but this claim has long been disputed.[11]
Over the years, Excelsior's downtown 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. Excelsior is known for maintaining its historical identity. Beyond the downtown district, it also retains much of its Victorian-era housing stock. Strict building codes are enforced in order to preserve this identity.[13]
The Excelsior Commons and Lake Minnetonka are central amenities to the community and major draws for tourists. 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.[14]
Excelsior is in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on Lake Minnetonka's south shore. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Minneapolis and bordered by Shorewood and Greenwood. According to the United States Census Bureau, Excelsior has an area of 0.69 square miles (1.79 km2), of which 0.63 square miles (1.63 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) is water.[15] Minnesota State Highway 7 serves as a main route through the city, leading east-northeast 11 miles (18 km) to Highway 100 in Saint Louis Park and west 41 miles (66 km) to Hutchinson.
Excelsior is in Independent School District 276, also known as the Minnetonka School District. Newsweek ranked Minnetonka High School 123rd on its list of America's Top High Schools.[23] Niche rated the school the state's best public high school.[24]
The only school Minnetonka Public Schools operates in Excelsior is Excelsior Elementary School. The old Excelsior Public School and Excelsior High School buildings still stand, but are no longer used as schools.[citation needed]
Excelsior is home to many churches and places of worship, of which the majority are denominations of Christianity. Its largest churches by membership and attendance are Westwood Community Church and Mount Calvary Lutheran Church.
Library service to the South Lake communities of Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood and Tonka Bay was established beginning in 1922, when the library was housed out of the White House Hotel. For several decades, the library operated out of various locations in the community, with the first permanent library location opening on Third Street in 1965. In 2014, the library moved to a new building on Water Street in the heart of downtown Excelsior. It sits adjacent to the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail.
Our Paddle Pub Party Boats, holds a maximum of 14 people! By combing both you have have up to 28 people. This is great for private cruises who want to depart out of the award winning downtown Excelsior which is only 20 minutes from Minneapolis! Our PaddlePub 1 and 2 boats both have gas motors, which makes peddling 100% optional! Only difference between the boats is PaddlePub 2 has a bathroom (recently added). If a bathroom is a must make sure to reserve that boat online!
Enjoy our premium downtown Excelsior party boat! Priced at the lowest boat we offer ($35/person) See the epic views while paddling on Excelsior Bay with up to 14 of your best friends or co-workers! Reserve 10 today to book your private cruise, can always add more people closer to your date! Stop by local bar/restaurants before or after your tour and make the event even that much better! Book our RegularTap to enjoy the best that downtown Excelsior has to offer! Only 20 minutes from Minneapolis.
No minimum amount of guests, reserve the entire boat for a flat fee. All full boat reservations will be private for 2023 boating season. Public tours are open and will be launched for single tickets and smaller groups. All party boats can be booked for public or private in 2023.
30 Days out of tour date full refund. Under 30 days from tour all sales final. PaddleTap goes rain or shine, but can cancel tours day of if its "unsafe" boating conditions determined day of by PaddleTap staff.
Our 100 minute cruise our Tiki Pub (yes, its a Tiki Themed Party Pontoon Boat and has ZERO pedals) boat offer the perfect scenic escape! It's our #1 Boat Tour for Bachelorette Parties! This is our newest boat on Lake...
PaddleTaps longest tour of the season-2 hours and 30 minutes! This tour is new for 2024, and only being offered starting in June of 2024. Explore Lake Minnetonka in the fall where the leaves start changing. Explore the channels and...
Do you have a smaller group? Or just don't want to rent the entire boat? Book our per seat boating option! Perfect for those smaller groups who still want to go out and celebrate that Birthday/Bachelorette or even just a...
PaddleTap is proud to offer private tours on all of our party boats! These one-of-a-kind Tiki Boats, Pedal Pubs, or Party Pontoons can be rented out on Excelsior Bay or Seaton Channel! Enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka! Take...
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