Excelsior, Minnesota
Excelsior is a city of 2,570 people in Hennepin County, Minnesota, founded in 1877.
Why visit Excelsior
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 27 places to eat and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Big Island Amusement Park, Excelsior Amusement Park, Excelsior Public School and Peter Gideon Farmhouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 55 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Excelsior
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Excelsior
Excelsior is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Twin Cities, Excelsior is about 16 miles (26 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Its population was 2,355 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Excelsior, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Big Island Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
Former American amusement park
Excelsior Amusement Park
Monument and historic site
Located on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota
Old Log Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.7 mi
Theater in Excelsior, Minnesota, United States
Museums and landmarks11
Excelsior Public School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
School building in Excelsior, United States of America
Peter Gideon Farmhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Farmhouse in Minnesota, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Thompson Summer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota
Wyer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Blue Line Ticket Booth
Monument and historic site
Historic structure, that used to be the ticket booth for the Blue Line.
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
Sota Sims Golf
Golf course · 0.9 mi
23740 Minnesota State Highway 7, Shorewood
Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes27
Caribou Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
5663 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa-Su 06:30-18:00
Caribou Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
2395 Highway 7
Mo-Fr 05:00-19:00; Sa 06:00-19:00; Su 07:00-19:00
Happy Garden II
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.2 mi
2443 Highway 7, Excelsior
Mo-Tu,Th-Sa 11:00-21:30; We off; Su 11:30-21:00
Hazelwood Food + Drink
Diner · American · 1.1 mi
5635 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-21:00
Joey Nova's Pizzeria Delicatessen
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian · 1.1 mi
5655 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Su-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Miyabi Sushi & Asian Bistro
Restaurant · Sushi, Asian, Japanese
400 Water Street, Excelsior
Su-Th 12:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00
North Coop
Restaurant · American, Regional · 1.2 mi
2401 Highway 7
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 10:00-22:00
Kowalski's Wine Shop
Brewery and winery
440 Water Street, Excelsior
Mo-Th 09:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-18:00
15 more on the map.
History
The first Euro-Americans known to have visited Lake Minnetonka were two teenage boys, Joe Brown and Will Snelling, who canoed up Minnehaha Creek from Fort Saint Anthony in 1822.
Minnesota's territorial governor Alexander Ramsey officially named Lake Minnetonka in 1852. He had been informed that the Dakota called the lake Mní iá Tháŋka ("the-water-they-speak-of-is-large"). The next year, a group of settlers from upstate New York established Excelsior, the lake's first white settlement. The former Excelsior Township was named after the hamlet.
During the late 19th century, the Excelsior and Lake Minnetonka area was home to several popular summer lake resorts.
Streetcars were used in Excelsior as a part of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company system until 1932, when the line was cut back to Hopkins.
From the History section of Excelsior, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Church of St. Hubertus-Catholic
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries42
Healthcare1
Map of Excelsior
120 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 6°F | 0.9 in | 10.0 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 9°F | 0.9 in | 11.2 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 22°F | 1.6 in | 9.1 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 35°F | 3.2 in | 5.4 in |
| May | 68°F | 47°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 58°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 60°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 51°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 38°F | 2.7 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 25°F | 1.7 in | 5.1 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 13.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chanhassen Wsfo (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Hennepin County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-11-02: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-07-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-07-25: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2011-06-07: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Deephaven 3 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Chanhassen 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Minnetonka 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Victoria 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Eden Prairie 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Chaska 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Hopkins 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Plymouth 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Edina 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Shakopee 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Excelsior Public School, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior Commercial Historic District, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society Museum, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior Library, Paul2520, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior School 2, Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior, Minnesota (2018), Greg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0
- Lake Minnetonka Homes and Docks - Excelsior - Minnesota, Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- St Hubertus 4, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thompson Summer House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gideon Farm 03, Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior Amusement Park (Minnesota), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Big Island Park, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- AMC Javelin AMX (18579881226), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- AMC Javelin AMX (18579888246), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Station Wagon (17984349334), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Station Wagon (18420824379), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Station Wagon (18419232168), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1977 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser (18580571716), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1977 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser (17986326203), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SL (18418593228), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- LaSalle 1934 Club Sedan (36108471252), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1929 Nash Special Six Model 435 (36108487582), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- LaSalle 1934 Club Sedan (36274946375), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire (42882524584), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire (29729986448), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1925 Buick 25-55 Sport (36108518052), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire (42882526864), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire (29729987808), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1934 Buick 68 Victoria (42696055165), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Allemarinda and James Wyer House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1942 Ford GPW 1 4 Ton 4X4 Jeep (35935054510), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1942 Ford GPW 1 4 Ton 4X4 Jeep (35495680384), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1934 Buick 66C Convertible Coupe (35495699364), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Wyer House 2, Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1934 Buick 66C Convertible Coupe (36287271216), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1934 Buick 66C Convertible Coupe (35935038620), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1934 Buick 66C Convertible Coupe (36194951271), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1934 Buick 66C Convertible Coupe (36194966451), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- LaSalle 1934 Club Sedan (35935113610), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 1925 Buick 25-55 Sport (35935122650), Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.