Horace Austin State Park: 44
🏆🏆🏆 Austin City Park — Historic 44-acre park in Austin, home of SPAM and Hormel
Horace Austin State Park is a 44-acre urban park in Austin, Minnesota — the hometown of Hormel Foods and the SPAM Museum. The park features mature hardwood forest along the Cedar River, walking trails, picnic areas, and a swimming pool. Named for Minnesota’s seventh governor, the park provides a green oasis in the agricultural heartland of southern Minnesota. The SPAM Museum in downtown Austin (free admission) attracts over 100,000 visitors annually.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Austin, Mower County, MN |
| Size | 44 acres |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Nearby | SPAM Museum (free!) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SPAM Museum worth visiting?
Absolutely — the free SPAM Museum is a quirky, surprisingly well-done experience covering the history of Hormel and the iconic canned meat. Over 100,000 visitors a year can’t be wrong. Try the SPAM samples!
About Horace Austin
Horace Austin State Park in Austin, Minnesota provides a wooded park along the Red Cedar River in the heart of this southern Minnesota city — home of Hormel Foods and the famous SPAM Museum. The park is named for Horace Austin, Minnesota’s eighth governor (1870-1874). The park provides a natural retreat within the city.
Things to Do
Hiking and walking the trails, fishing in the Red Cedar River, swimming at the pool, picnicking, cross-country skiing in winter, and visiting Austin’s SPAM Museum — the kitschy shrine to Minnesota’s most famous processed meat.
Insider Tips
Austin’s park: Named for Minnesota’s 8th governor, this park provides recreation in Austin — home of Hormel Foods and the SPAM Museum. Pro tip: The SPAM Museum in Austin is free, fun, and surprisingly interesting — learn how a canned meat product became a global phenomenon (7 billion cans sold). Hormel heritage: Austin’s identity is inseparable from Hormel — the meatpacking company founded here in 1891.
Best Time to Visit
Year-round: SPAM Museum is open year-round. Summer: Park activities and cycling. Fall: Comfortable temperatures. Winter: Cross-country skiing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SPAM Museum worth visiting?
Yes — the free SPAM Museum in Austin is a surprisingly engaging experience. Exhibits cover SPAM’s role in WWII (feeding Allied troops), its cultural significance in Hawaii and Asia (SPAM musubi is a Hawaiian staple), and the manufacturing process. Over 100,000 visitors annually make it one of Minnesota’s most popular quirky attractions.
Park Location
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