Austin Attractions
George Hormel opened a small butcher shop in Austin (pop. 23,000) in 1887. Hormel Foods now has its flagship plant and international headquarters in Austin. The town is also known as Spam Town, USA.
JC Hormel Nature Center
The JC Hormel Nature Center features plants and wildlife native to Minnesota. Canoe rentals are available in summer and cross-country ski trails and ski rentals are available in winter.
J.C. Hormel Nature Center
1304 21st Street NE
Austin, MN 55912-4104
United States
1304 21st Street NE
Austin, MN 55912-4104
United States
Phone 1 (507) 437-7519
Fax 1 (507) 437-8246
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 |
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Mower County Historical Center
Located at the Mower County Fairgrounds in Austin the Mower County Historical Center has historic buildings including a working blacksmith's shop, a church built in 1867 and a schoolhouse. On-site museums display American Indian artifacts, pioneer items, equipment used by local fireman and a train depot with caboose.
SPAM Museum
The 16,500 square-foot SPAM Museum in Austin chronicles the life of George Hormel's meat-processing empire since 1891 and the 1937 launch of SPAM.
