7 Reasons to Visit New Ulm

Before I moved from the suburbs of the Twin Cities, I had only visited New Ulm once. I now realize what a gem of a city it truly is, while not being that far from the Twin Cities. For not being a huge city, it truly does have a wide variety of activities and things for the whole family to do. All of the places I have visited there are clean, feel safe, and are rich with culture and unique experiences. It truly is a fun place to visit anytime of the year. Here are 7 reasons you (YES, YOU!) should plan a visit to New Ulm for a couple hours, a day, or even a weekend! While there are many more reasons to visit New Ulm, these are just my top favorites.

1. The fun, Cultural experiences of the town: New Ulm is a German town that has fully embraced their culture. Walking along the main strip of downtown gives you a glimpse into this. Right downtown is their famous Glockenspiel. It has a little show once an hour, which both kids and adults enjoy! Their downtown includes painted fire hydrants, fun road signs, and a variety of shops and restaurants that embrace the culture. We love to walk and explore these places and it always inspires good conversation.

2. Their Playgrounds: One block away from the main road of downtown contains one of my kid’s favorite parks: German Park. The main highlight of the playground is a zipline, that is unlike any other that I have seen. A person pulls the swing up a steep incline to ride down, resulting in a roller coaster effect on a swing. German Park also, contains an outdoor ampitheater for concerts and a beautiful garden which provides a perfect setting for a picnic, at any time of the day. Other favorite parks include: Hermann Heights Park, Riverside Park, and North Park. If it’s too cold, rainy, or snowy to be outside, there is an indoor playground at the New Ulm Recreation center. Kids (over 1) can play for $3 each or get a punch card for even cheaper.

3. Their Swimming Locations: For not being a huge town, they sure do have a wide variety of places to cool off in the hot summer sun. Those who love being outdoors and swimming can cool off at Flandrau’s man-made swimming pond. It’s free as long as you have a Minnesota state park pass. Families that feel more comfortable in smaller areas of water can cool off at one of New Ulm’s wading pools (Washington Park and Lincoln Park). Their wading pools are the perfect size for a family with multiple children or kids that aren’t strong swimmers yet. Each wading pool has a fun park as well. If a wading pool isn’t your child’s idea of fun, North Park does have a splash pad and another enjoyable park including a zip line. If none of these float your boat or it’s cold outside, there is an inside pool at the New Ulm Recreation Center. The indoor pool has a rock climbing wall, water ninja course, zero depth area, and two water slides.

4. MN Eis: Our absolute favorite spot in New Ulm is MN Eis, which has amazing ice cream, boba tea, root beer floats with the delicious 1919 root beer, and my go-to of edible cookie dough. It’s hard for us to pass up going here every trip to New Ulm…it’s just that good! My family loves to get a flight of ice cream, which includes a scoop of six flavors served in a muffin tin for the amazing price of $12. It’s quite the deal! Enjoy walking along the main road of downtown while you enjoy your treats or take a seat at MN Eis.

5. Lola-An American Bistro: Definitely put this place on your list if you are in New Ulm for the day. It’s DELICIOUS! I’ve been here many times and have never been disappointed. Our favorite time to come is for breakfast, as they have amazing coffee drinks as well. My favorite is the Lola latte for a drink and my favorite breakfast item is the Drunk Apple Cinnamon French Toast. I could eat here everyday! The atmosphere here is fun and cozy, so you can feel comfortable catching up with friends, working, or just enjoying a coffee.

6. Flandrau State Park: I wrote a whole blog post about this place. It’s such a gem of a state park. It’s beautiful in all seasons. Also, it contains a man-made swimming pond, a brand-new nature park, and stunning trails throughout the park.

7. August Schell Brewing Co: If you love beer, visiting this brewery is worth the trip alone. I’m not a beer drinker, but taking a tour of this place was definitely a fun adventure. My two older kids came on the tour with us and with a promise of sampling the 1919 root beer (which is SOOOO good!) at the end, they did great on the tour. The brewery itself is located in a beautiful location in New Ulm and boasts a stunning view. While on the tour, we also were lucky enough to see the peacocks that live there and the history was very interesting.

All this being said, I hope you choose to take a visit! For a short drive out of the cities, it truly is a wonderful little town that is rich with things to do for all ages and all seasons. For those of you who have been there, tell me your favorites!