The charming community of Park Rapids, Minnesota is perhaps best known as the gateway town for Itasca State Park, the oldest and second-largest in the state, as well as home to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. But a stroll down this historic Minnesota main street will convince you that Park Rapids is a destination unto itself – one that transports you back to a time when things seemed simpler and, maybe, more wholesome. Come see for yourself!

Park Rapids, Minnesota boasts an historic and charming downtown.
Park Rapids Downtown Business Association
It looks like it was ripped from the pages of a Saturday Evening Post.
Park Rapids Downtown Business Association
You'll find an art deco main street cinema, Park Theater, that still shows first run movies, as well as classic films.
Park Rapids Downtown/Facebook
Check Park Theater's website for schedule and showtimes.
A visit to the local Ben Franklin is like walking into a 19th century five-and-dime.
Jesse Barnes/Google

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There's even a proper local butcher shop - something you don't see too often on a main street these days.
Google Street View
As its name implies Main Street Meats is also located in downtown Park Rapids.
You'll even find an old-school soda fountain that's been flipping burgers, scooping ice cream, and mixing malts for folks in Park Rapids for more than 100 years.
Minnesoda Fountain/Facebook
MinneSoda Fountain is a beloved local institution, but it's only open seasonally. Check the soda fountain's Facebook page for opening dates and times.
Park Rapids continues to host parades and celebrations that bring out the whole town.
Park Rapids Downtown Business Association
And it does the holidays as well as - if not better than - just about any other town in the North Star State.
Lorie Shaull/Flickr

So, you can see why a visit to Park Rapids, Minnesota may seem like traveling back in time. If you happen to be in the area during the summer, be sure to explore nearby Dorset, which claims to be the Restaurant Capital of the World (and it just may be – at least on a per capita basis).

Have you visited Park Rapids and strolled along its historic main street? What other small towns in Minnesota feel like they’re from another time? Let us know in the comments!

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Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA