While Red Wing made boots for World War II soldiers, Faribault Woolen Mill kept them warm with blankets they’ve been producing since 1865. Production peaked in the 1960s and '70s, when the company made about half of America’s blankets. The mill closed briefly for two years, but looms are again clattering and weaving wool into fine blankets. The on-site store includes some historical exhibits, and you can call 507-412-5534 to check on once-a-week factory tours.

The gigantic size 638 ½ boot at the Red Wing Shoes downtown shop may be pure novelty, but upstairs in the company’s free museum you can learn how the company’s founders started to make serious footwear specialized for America’s loggers, miners and farmers in 1905. The business expanded to provide footwear for all trades and the military over the years, with 500 designs created for comfort, safety and durability. A new Wall of Honor displays dozens of well-worn boots alongside the stories of the tradespeople who wore them. Check out the basement for deals.

You can sip a little history at this charming brewery tucked into the woods outside New Ulm, which proudly touts its German heritage. While new breweries are popping up everywhere, Schell’s startup in 1860 makes it the second-oldest family-run brewery in the nation. A tour includes a look at its early years (including surviving Prohibition by producing soda pop) as well as a look at how today’s traditional brews and seasonal craft beers are made. Leave time to stroll the pretty gardens that surround the historic Schell mansion next door, and keep an eye out for the resident peacocks.

American food giants General Mills and Pillsbury both began in the late 1880s when Minneapolis ruled as the world’s breadbasket by shipping wheat from Midwest farms across the globe. From its perch above the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, the Mill City Museum blends historical character and high-tech exhibits to tell the stories of these two iconic Minnesota flour companies. 

Kids enjoy getting wet with a hands-on lock-and-dam river display, making seasonal goodies in baking area, and finding familiar icons from Betty Crocker to giggling Pillsbury dough boy, but it’s the elevator that leaves an impression. Built to hold small groups, it rides up and down, opening to different mill scenes, with narration on the history and dangers of Minneapolis mills including a special-effects explosion. Interpretive signs along the riverfront and additional ruins continue the history lessons.

These rectangular cans of spiced pork were introduced as a convenient lunchmeat in 1937, and by World War II, Minnesota’s Hormel meat company shipped more than 100 million pounds of SPAM to troops. While the heydays of canned meats have faded, SPAM continues to draw fervent fans and a cult following with its famous name and a boost from Monty Python in the 1970s, spoofing the name and inspiring SPAM as the term for junk emails. Test your SPAM IQ and learn about SPAM’s international popularity at Austin’s playful and free, family-friendly SPAM Museum.

Break out your “Ho, ho ho!” and wave to towering replicas of the Jolly Green Giant along highways in southern Minnesota. A 55-foot tall Green Giant stands near I-90 in Blue Earth, and a cut-out of the big guy graces a billboard on the road into Le Sueur. The Jolly Green Giant Museum in Blue Earth also has displays on the Jolly Green Giant, but the museum has limited hours, so check before you go.

In northern Minnesota, sports enthusiasts can tour two powerhouse names in the outdoor recreation business: Polaris in Roseau and Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls. Just over an hour’s drive apart, these two companies have been making snowmobiles for more than 50 years, along with ATVs and side-by-side vehicles. At the Polaris Experience Center visitors can see the second snowmobile the company made in 1956 and appreciate the evolution of Polaris’ outdoor vehicles that even include motorcycles. Nearby Polaris plant tours can be taken on weekday afternoons. Arctic Cat also offers factory tours.