Last Updated on: 1st September 2025, 09:03 am
Stillwater, an easy day trip from Minneapolis, is considered one of Minnesota’s most charming towns, while it’s also one of the state’s oldest. You can simply show up and explore the town center on foot, but there are also some outdoor adventures located further north. And don’t miss a visit to the fascinating Warden’s House Museum. We’ll be covering all of the above and more in this guide to the top things to do in Stillwater.
Around Central Stillwater
Stillwater was founded in the 19th century, with the first white settlers coming to live here in 1843 following a treaty the US government signed with the Ojibwe and Dakota tribes.
Business owners and laborers were attracted by abundance of lumber in the area, along with its location along the St. Croix River.
Many of the early immigrants came here from the northeast US, and the town’s name was even likely derived from Stillwater, Maine. And five years later in 1848, it was right here in Stillwater 61 delegates from around the region came to agree upon the formation of the Minnesota Territory.
Today, a plaque on Main Street marks the spot where the original meeting took place. The Minnesota Territory then officially became a state in 1858.
Speaking of Main Street, you’ll want to walk up and down the charming street at least a couple of times during your visit. In addition to its well-preserved architecture, you’ll find lots of cafes, restaurants and shops to choose from.
At the end of Main Street, meanwhile, are the Stillwater Stairs, believed to have been built around 1857. A short hike takes you up to an overlook from which you can admire an excellent view of Stillwater, its former sawmills, the Stillwater Bridge, and the St. Croix River.
Before heading back down, consider walking around the upper level, a part of Stillwater known as South Hill. It’s a clean and green area full of nice houses and interesting architecture – basically your idyllic American suburb.
South Hill’s most prominent landmark is the Historic Courthouse, established in 1870. Across the street, meanwhile, is the Stillwater Veterans Memorial.
Also in the area are some beautiful Catholic churches, such as St. Michael’s Church and St. Mary’s Church.
At some point, you’ll want to head back down to Main Street and then over to the riverside promenade, as walking along the St. Croix River is easily one of the top things to do in Stillwater.
The promenade’s focal point is the Stillwater Bridge, a steel verticle-lift bridge that was constructed in 1931. It connects the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Interestingly, you’ll notice how it’s wide enough for cars, but today the bridge is actually pedestrian-only! Though it once served thousands of vehicles daily, it was replaced by a new bridge further south, and now visitors can take a leisurely walk across the river.
Though I was considering walking to Wisconsin and back, I remembered that I still had plenty on the itinerary for the day and decided to keep moving.
In the northern part of central Stillwater, you can find some of its former mills, such as the Isaac Staples Sawmill and Stillwater Mills. While the architecture has been preserved, they’ve since been turned into a shopping center and apartment complexes.
A bit further north, meanwhile, is the Warden’s House Museum. While arguably the town’s top highlight, the first tour of the day doesn’t begin until 1 PM. So if you arrived in Stillwater relatively early in the morning, you’ll likely have a couple hours to kill.
Keep reading for suggestions on what to do in the meantime.
The Fairy Falls Hike
The Fairy Falls Hike is often touted as one of Stillwater’s top things to do, but frankly speaking, I found it to be a letdown. Nevertheless, we’ll be covering the trail anyway so you can decide for yourself if you think it’s for you.
Just below, meanwhile, we’ll be mentioning a better outdoor alternative.
The trailhead for Fairy Falls can be tricky to find. While just a five-minute drive from central Stillwater and marked on Google Maps, it’s hard to see the trailhead from the road, while the parking isn’t obvious, either.
But the Google Maps marker is indeed accurate and you can find parking across the street from the trailhead along Orwell Ave.
According to AllTrails, the total loop hike is just 0.5 miles (0.8 km), but if you get lost like I did, you’ll likely hike a lot longer!
Despite being managed by the National Park Service, you won’t find any trailmakers, so having an app like AllTrails is a must. But even AllTrails might not help you complete the trail.
The confusing part is that there are multiple levels to the terrain that the app doesn’t clearly demonstrate. Near the beginning, it appeared as if I was on the trail, but I only reached a dead end at a river and had to turn back.
It turned out that I’d gone much lower than I was supposed to.
Eventually, you should find youself walking along the cliff edges until reaching Fairy Falls itself, though the waterfall was dry during my visit.
Though the trail was supposed to be a loop, I reached another dead end trying to follow it and had to do this as a longer out-and-back hike.
All in all, I found Fairy Falls to be both a frustrating and underwhelming hike, and wouldn’t recommend it to most. But it’s also possible that I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.
Stillwater Cave
Whether or not you do the Fairy Falls hike, there are a few more locations further northeast along the St. Croix Scenic Byway that are worth checking out.
First is the St. Croix Scenic Overlook, which is pretty self-explanatory. Further north, meanwhile, is the Stillwater Cave. You’ll find parking near the former St. Croix Boom Site, an important part of Stillwater’s lumber industry.
Near the parking lot, a set of stairs will take you down a riverside beach lined with sandstone walls. The rocks here are similar to the most scenic parts of the Fairy Falls hike, but require much less effort to see.
It shouldn’t take long to find Stillwater Cave, which is unfortunately entirely covered in ugly graffiti.
For those visiting in summer, you may want to consider bringing your bathing suit and taking a dip in the river, as a few families were doing at the time of my visit.
The Warden's House
As mentioned above, easily one of the top things to do in Stillwater is a visit to the Warden’s House Museum. Managed by the Washington County Historical Society since 1941, the Warden’s House Museum can only be explored in the presence of a guide.
Tours run from May to October and begin on the hour from 13:00-17:00. No prior reservation is required. Just simply show up before the start time pay the $8 entrance fee. Each tour should last around 45 minutes.
By 1849, Stillwater’s population was growing, and so was its crime rate. And so Minnesota’s governor, Alexander Ramsey, requested that the territory allocate funds for the construction of a new penitentiary.
A ravine to the north of town was considered to be a good place for it, and a three-story prison was completed there in 1853.
And just next to it, the Warden’s House was built, which would be inhabited by a total of thirteen prison wardens. Today, the house looks very much like it did in the 19th century.
Our tour guide explained the history of the house and interesting stories of the various wardens who lived in it. But the tour is also a good way to learn more about 19th and 20th-century Stillwater as a whole.
Did you know that the inventor of the pop-up toaster was a man named Charles Strite from Stillwater?
Our guide went on to tell backstories behind various objects in the house, and he also explained the use of different old contraptions like the metal bed warmer.
As we stood by a window overlooking the former penitentiary, we also learned about the old Stillwater prison system and some of its notorious inhabitants. Among them were members of the James–Younger Gang, known for their bank robberies throughout the Midwest.
When finished with the tour, you can also walk up the staircase next to the house which leads to Pioneer Park. It offers a great view of central Stillwater in the distance, but the lighting is probably the best in the morning.
Additional Info
As mentioned above, Stillwater can easily be visited as a day trip from Minneapolis. But those with more time may want to base themselves in town for a few days.
There aren’t too many options to choose from, and Stillwater certainly isn’t a budget-friendly destination when it comes to accommodation. Nevertheless, top-rated hotels include Aurora Staples Inn, Lora and Hotel Crosby.
As for accommodation in Minneapolis, it’s quite a sprawling city with lots of different neighborhoods to choose from. As it was my first time in the city and I was only passing through, I’m in no position to recommend the best areas. But I did have a great stay at a private rental apartment called Tranquil 2BR Apt NE Mpls – 8073 Apt 4.