Cottage Grove

Originally platted as a community by European settlers in 1871, Cottage Grove, Minnesota is a thriving city of 37,000 in Washington County, located just north of Hastings and south of Woodbury in the metropolitan Twin Cities area. It is situated on the north bank of the Mississippi River, just north of its confluence with the St. Croix River. Cottage Grove has more land adjacent to the Mississippi River than any other city in Minnesota.

Cottage Grove is part of the South Washington County School District. High School students living in Cottage Grove usually attend either Park High School or East Ridge High School. According to Wikipedia, Cottage Grove’s public buildings include Cottage Grove City Hall, a three-sheet ice arena, four fire stations, a public works building and an 18-hole championship golf course, River Oaks. Washington County government also owns two buildings in town, the library and the South Washington County Service Center.

Historic places include Cedarhurst Mansion, Schilling Archeological District, Atkinson Cemetery, Cottage Grove Town Hall, Old People’s Home of the Northwest Cemetery, Grey Cloud Lime Kiln, John P. Furber House, Dr. Arthur H. Steen House, First Congregational Church (Accacia Lodge No. 51), William W. Furber House, Cottage Grove Cemetery, Harry Roberts House, Lamar Avenue Larch Trees, and Hope Glen Farm.

Cottage Grove is home to Ravine Regional Park, with the entrance off of Keats Ave S. It is open daily from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. The park has 515 acres of woods, hills, and prairie fields, creating a unique habitat for an assortment of species. A vehicle permit is required to enter the park grounds.

In 2013, Cottage Grove opened a splash pad at Highland Park off of 70th street. This is a smaller water attraction intended for small children. It has many sprinklers that shoot water. Several other splash pads in the Cottage Grove area are expected to open at other parks. Cottage Grove has an 18-hole disc golf course in Oak Wood park, near its retail area. The course has a variety of different length holes and women’s tees.

Cottage Grove had one of the two remaining drive-in theaters in operation in the Twin Cities area, the Cottage View Drive-In. It was near the Innovation Road exit of Highway 61. It closed after the 2012 season and was torn down. The land is now occupied by a Wal-Mart that opened in 2014.

For more information about the great city of Cottage Grove, please check out the city’s website!