Visit Jeffers Petroglyphs and nearby historic sites in the Minnesota River Valley

WHAT:
Visitors this summer will enjoy a new guided tour of the site, enhanced with knowledge discovered, in part, through the study of 3,000 recently uncovered carvings and with guidance and insight from American Indian elders.

“The perspective of Jeffers as an encyclopedia of American Indian history and culture is the way the elders wish the site to be understood,” said Tom Sanders, site manager. “Their work has been invaluable to our work here and its goal to be part of the healing.”

A guide will provide in-depth information about the symbols and how they communicate ideas and concepts, while sharing American Indian stories. Visitors will be able to see more than 20 new carvings and they will learn how to identify carvings on their own.

Beginning Memorial Day weekend, the tours will be offered six times a day, at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m., during regular site hours.

SITE HOURS:

• Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (Mon., Sept. 5)
  Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
• Open Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Also open Saturdays in September, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADMISSION:

$8 for adults, $6 for seniors and college students, $6 for children ages 5 to 17. Free for children age 4 and under and MNHS members.

DIRECTIONS:

27160 County Road 2, Comfrey, Minnesota 56019; 44° 5’ 26.9304’’ N 95° 3’ 36.4608’’ W. Jeffers is located near Comfrey and Windom, three miles east of U.S. Hwy. 71 on Cottonwood County
Road 10, then one mile south on County Road 2.

CONTACT:

For more information, visit www.mnhs.org/jefferspetroglyphs or call 507-628-5591.

ITINERARIES:

Traveling to the Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site offers a fun and memorable day trip from the Twin Cities. On the way to Jeffers, visitors travel through the original Valley of the Jolly Green Giant, enjoy small town discoveries, visit state parks, buy fresh-from-the-fields produce, and marvel at rolling hills,
expansive farmland and increasingly restored prairie.

A weekend trip to Jeffers offers the additional time to explore a region rich in Minnesota and American Indian history. Begin by planning your trip with www.exploreminnesota.com to find lodging, camping, food and interesting places to explore. Be sure to check out the new Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway website at www.mnrivervalley.com. At designated stops along the byway, you can learn about the people who lived in the valley and the lasting impact of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 via the byway’s mobile tour at 888-601-3010. The Minnesota Historical Society has two websites helpful to this trip; visit www.mnhs.org/tours/mnrivervalley for more about the Minnesota River Valley, and learn more about the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 at www.usdakotawar.org.

TRIP TIPS:

• Jeffers is 2.5 hours southwest of the Twin Cities. Mankato, Minn. is at about the halfway point.
• Pack a lunch to enjoy at one of the many parks en route, or on the grounds at Jeffers. Check a favorite travel website for restaurant recommendations. A favorite of the Jeffers site staff is the River City Eatery just south of Jeffers in Windom.
• The petroglyphs are best seen when the sun is lower in the sky in the morning or late afternoon. During the day visitors are encouraged to take a guided tour. On bright days a guide will use a board and
  mirror to help enhance visibility.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:

• The W.W. Mayo House in Le Sueur is the home of the founders of the Mayo Clinic.
  www.mnhs.org/mayohouse
• The Harkin Store near New Ulm is a general store preserved from the 1870s. It is managed by the Nicollet County Historical Society.
  www.mnhs.org/harkinstore
• Fort Ridgely, just outside Fairfax, is an 1853 fort located within Fort Ridgely State Park. It is managed by the Nicollet County Historical Society.
  www.mnhs.org/fortridgely
• The Lower Sioux Agency near Morton is site of the first organized attack in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. It is managed by the Lower Sioux Indian Community.
  www.mnhs.org/lowersioux
• Reconciliation Park in Mankato is a modern place of healing and is near the site of the mass execution of 38 Dakota men that marked the end of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. It is part of the City of Mankato Park System.
  visitgreatermankato.com/mankato/explore/history/dakota-monuments