Area Places of Interest
Stearns County communities are home to many historic sites. Nearly each city and town can claim a historic event, famous person, or distinctive architecture. Here is a brief listing of just some of Stearns County's local attractions and points of interest:
Sinclair Lewis's Boyhood Home and Interpretive Center
Sauk Centre is the home of Sinclair Lewis, world-famous novelist and America's first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Lewis's novel, "Main Street" was set in this home town. Each year Sauk Centre residents celebrate Sinclair Lewis Days with parades, a pageant, fireworks, a street dance and family activities. Visit this landmark located at 812 Sinclair Lewis Ave; Sauk Centre. For more information contact the Sauk Centre Chamber of Commerce at 320-352-5201 or visit www.saukcentrechamber.com/.
Paynesville Pioneer House
This home, maintained by the Paynesville Historical Society, is furnished circa 1880. The main museum houses a religious exhibit, a blacksmith shop and a woodworking shop. For more information contact the Paynesville Historical Society at 320-243-4333 or visit www.paynesvillearea.com/.
Mill Dam
This dam located in Melrose, not only maintains the Sauk River's water level and prevents flooding, it also serves as one of the more scenic spots in town. Visitors can fish, canoe and paddleboat on the river. It's also a great place for watching birds, walking the paths and just relaxing. For more information on the Mill Dam and the city of Melrose, visit www.melrosemn.org/.
Assumption Chapel
An important point of interest in the city of Cold Spring is Assumption Chapel. Each year, thousands of people visit the peaceful grounds overlooking the city. The chapel was built as an offering to the Virgin Mary after the end of a devastating grasshopper plague in 1877.
The original chapel was destroyed but was reconstructed in 1951 and is still open to visitors today. Assumption Chapel is located in Cold Spring off of State Highway 23 and Chapel Hill Road.
Learn more about the Assumption Chapel at www.coldspring.govoffice.com/.
Paramount Theater
This historic theater was built in 1921 and was originally called the Sherman Theatre. Over the years, the theater entertained audiences with concerts, Broadway shows, operas, political rallies, Vaudeville acts, plays and movies. It was renovated in 1930 and at that time was renamed the Paramount. A special feature of the new Paramount was that it showed "talkies."
The theater provided entertainment to St. Cloud citizens during the Great Depression and on through World War II. However, during the decades to follow, the Paramount fell victim to neglect and eventually to fire in 1985. During the early 1990s it was renovated and is once again providing audiences with a variety of entertainment.
Visit the Paramount Theater at 913 St Germain St. in downtown St. Cloud. For more information visit www.paramountarts.org/.
Stearns County Courthouse
In 1992, Disney Studios chose to film the opening scenes of the movie "Mighty Ducks" in the historic Stearns County Courthouse. They filmed on the courthouse steps and in the third floor ceremonial courtroom, and county employees were used as extras. As part of production, Disney wanted a special painting in the back of the courtroom so they hired a crew of painters to reproduce a mural they had seen elsewhere. After the production was completed, Disney left the mural in the courthouse.
The Stearns County Courthouse is located at 1st St and 8th Ave N in downtown St. Cloud. Learn more about the Stearns County Courthouse, as well as our other buildings, at our County Campus page.
Pan Motor Company
The automobile manufacturing business came to St. Cloud in 1917 thanks to Samuel Pandolfo. At the Pan Motor Company approximately 750 cars were built between 1917 and 1922, but due to financial constraints the business closed.
An area of St. Cloud is still known as Pan Town, which consists of houses that were built for Pandolfo's factory workers. See the local Pan Motor Company Office and Sheet Metal Works at 435-437 33rd Ave N in St. Cloud. Pan Town Residential District is made up of 57 homes located in the area of 8th St N to 10th St N and 33rd Ave N to 39th Ave N in St. Cloud.