W. W. Mayo House

Exterior of white wood house.

Where innovation took root

Exterior of white wood house.

Where innovation took root

This hand-built house held Dr. W. W. Mayo’s first medical practice, witnessed events of the US-Dakota War of 1862, and eventually served as the family home for another giant of Minnesota history — the Cosgrove family of the Green Giant Company.

The Mayo House is managed by the Ney Nature Center.

Mayo house with grain silos behind it.

What to see and do

Table with historical artifacts and books.

Join costumed guides as you tour the hand-built, 19th-century home of Dr. W. W. Mayo and later the Cosgrove family. Hear stories of the people who made this house the scene of significant events in Minnesota history.

A tale of two giants

The family home and site of Dr. W. W. Mayo’s first medical practice saw the beginnings of what would become the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Later, it was home to three generations of the Cosgrove family, founders of the Green Giant Company.

Black and white photo of three men.