With An Old-School Soda Fountain And A Historic Main Street, A Visit To Park Rapids, Minnesota Is A Delightful Step Back In Time

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 street will convince you that the Park Rapids Main Street is a destination unto itself - one that transports you back to a time when things seemed simpler and, maybe, more wholesome. Come see one of the best small towns in Minnesota for yourself!

Park Rapids, Minnesota boasts a historic and charming downtown.

It looks like it was copied from the pages of a Saturday Evening Post.

You'll find an art deco main street cinema, Park Theater, that still shows first-run movies, as well as classic films.

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.

There's even a proper local butcher shop - something you don't see too often on a main street these days.

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 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. This sweet place is one of the best small towns in MN!

And it does the holidays as well as - if not better than - just about any other town in the North Star State. The best things to do in Park Rapids, Minnesota get even better around the winter.

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, Minnesota, which claims to be the restaurant capital of the world (and it just may be - at least on a per capita basis). You'll be sure to find a great new favorite place to eat in this lovely town.

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 section. We'd love to hear all about your favorites! If you're looking for even more fun and unique things to do in Minnesota, check out TripAdvisor Booking/Experiences. There is something for everyone in our great state!