Dakota City Heritage Village

If history and pioneer life is up your alley, you will love this place. The town is a fully operational little city that is runned by volunteers and historical reenactors. Many of the buildings have been gathered from small Minnesota townships that are now defunct. There is a drugstore, ice cream shop, post office, bank, train station and many more buildings. Each is interactive and have live performers and historians talking about each buildings use and history. Holidays are especially fun with themed events. Another cool thing is that you can volunteer and be a performer if you like. All ages are welcomed.

I signed up my senior citizen group for the trolley tour in July. We were met by the trolleys , this allowed our residents to only have to walk a few steps. Very convenient ! Be aware your group does have to get on/off the trolleys. It's quite a workout getting wheelchairs up into the buildings. The guides were great!! Very knowledgeable and they were very professional in dealing with our memory care residents . We cut our tour a little short so we could rest . The guides and drug store ladies were so helpful and sweet. They saw our group needed apples cut and they were on it. Every need we had was met with a smile and solution . I highly recommend this trolley tour!! We brought lunch and loved the free ice cream!!! We will be back next year !!

Delightful piece of Dakota County history I've been coming here and watching Dakota Village grow since 1985 when I was 10 years old. It was called Pioneer Village, back then.They have an actual bank that the outlaw Jessie James gang attempted to rob (it was transported here from its original location in Northfield), a country schoolhouse, a working blacksmith, a general store, ice cream parlor, a small firehouse, and more! It's like walking into a classic episode of Little House on the Prairie.The buildings are open during August every year for the Dakota County Fair. But you can see the outside charm anytime of the year, and occasionally they hold special events - so try contacting the Farmington City Hall for more information. During the Christmas season they decorate it with lights, and there isn't a prettier country scene amidst the snow covered land for miles. Very beautiful!

The volunteers make this a great visit for both young and old. The holiday season is the best!