holiday lights trolley tour rochester mn

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The Best Places To See Holiday Lights in Rochester MN and The Surrounding Area for 2023

Justin Schwirtz

Justin was born and raised in South East Minnesota where now he and his wife Sarah reside in Rochester where they have raised their 3 children Dominic...

The Holidays Have Arrived for 2023!

Not only do we love this time of year, but we love seeing all of the lights and decorations all over Rochester and the surrounding area.

1. Map of some of The Best Neighborhoods for Christmas Lights in Rochester 

(homes throughout rochester) foxcroft, pill hill, mayo woodlands, country club manor, pinewood ridge, and many more..

*If you know of more spots Add it to their LIST!

Google Map of the Lights in Rochester

2. Holiday Lights Trolley Ride  

"sit back and relax while the trolley takes you on a tour of the hot spots"   .

Rochester Trolley Company in Rochester, MN

More Information Rochester MN Tours

3. Kiwanis Holiday Lights (Mankato)

The Kiwanis Holiday Lights event is organized by the Kiwanis Club of Mankato. It's a festive celebration of holiday lights that takes place in the Greater Mankato Area and aims to honor past traditions while promoting the communities we serve. Additionally, the event is also dedicated to collecting food donations for those in need.

Where: Sibley Park, Mankato, MN November 24–December 31, 2023! Sibley Park, Mankato, MN Presented by Mankato Area Foundation and CHS Sunday–Thursday 5:00–9:00 PM Friday & Saturday 5:00–10:00 PM

Mankato Kiwanis Holiday Lights

Events | Kiwanis Holiday Lights Calendar | Mankato MN

More Information

4. Rotary Lights (LaCrosse WI)

Cross the river over to Wisconsin: Riverside Park 100 State Street La Crosse, Wisconsin 

-  "This one I've been to and it was impressive!" - Justin 

Rotary Lights is a holiday light show in La Crosse, WI with the mission to feed the hungry. Food contributions are collected to donate to local food pantries.

Open yearly from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve 5-10 pm, except Christmas Day/Eve 5-9 pm, and New Year's Eve 5 pm-1 am.

 5. Downtown Rochester, MN Lights

•    The Plumber House Christmas Tree  "One of my personal favorites" Justin
•     St. Marys Hospital:  The Nativity 
•     Peace Plaza:  on 1st Ave   (between the Galleria and the Gonda Building
•     Downtowns Skyway's

• Exclusive Sasquatch Merch
• Sasquatch App
• Free Beer & Hot Wings
• Townsquare Cares
• Seize the Deal

Check Out Rochester’s Best Christmas Lights on the Jolly Trolley

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If you are looking for the best Christmas lights in Rochester , Minnesota , save the gas and jump on board the trolley that is going to all the best spots in town!  Adults and kids will truly love this holiday light adventure and will remember these memories forever.

Jolly Trolley Holiday Lights Tour in Rochester, Minnesota is Now Taking Reservations

What traditions does your family have during the holidays?  One of ours is wearing our PJ's and hopping in the car with some burgers and driving all over Rochester to check out the amazing Christmas lights that are up everywhere.  A few years ago though, I went on the Jolly Trolley to help celebrate a birthday and loved every minute of it!  Friends - Christmas lights - and someone else was doing all of the driving so I could actually enjoy all of it!

There are just a few dates left of the Jolley Trolley tour to see all of the lights.  Below is the info from the Rochestermntours.com website and provides info on how to reserve a spot in case you'd love to add this to your Christmas Bucket List:

• The tour will last 1 hour and 30 minutes on a lighted vintage trolley
• The trolley tour is available on various days until December 30th
• Classic holiday music will play that is narrated by the tour guide
• "Santa's Workshop",
• "The Caroling House,"
• "The Blue Christmas",
• "The Enchanted Forest",
• "Winter Wonderland",
• "The Christmas Court",
• "Christmas Mountain",
• "The North Pole"
• ...and more!

Are kids welcome on the Jolly Trolley Holiday Lights Tour?

According to the website for the Rochester Trolley & Tour Co, the Jolly Trolley tour is 90 minutes long and is suitable for kids that are 10 and older.  However, parents should use their discretion when reserving time on the trolley.

How much is the Jolly Trolley Holiday Lights Tour?

Here's the pricing for the tour:

• $35 for Adults and Kids Ages 13+
• $20 for Children Ages 2 to 12
• Free for Infants Under 2 years old
• Get tickets here

Big News in Rochester!  Social-ICE is Back in 2023!

One of the best winter events in Southeast Minnesota is Social-ICE.  Ice sculptures, live music, themed ice bars, and more are all brought to downtown Rochester for a few nights of fun.  Check the dates below for Social-ICE and several other events that will be back on the calendar for 2023.

Full List of Downtown Rochester Events for 2023

More From Sasquatch 107.7 - The Rock of Rochester

Jolly Trolly making its way for the holiday season

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) –Those looking to experience some of the best, most lit up and creative Rochester residential lights displays may want to take a tour on the Jolly Trolly this season. The tour features classic holiday music and a narrated tour aboard the warmth of a lighted vintage trolley thorough the month of December.

The tour will visit highlights such as “Santa’s Workshop”, “The Caroling House,” “The Blue Christmas”, “The Enchanted Forest”, “Winter Wonderland”, “The Christmas Court”, “Christmas Mountain”, “The North Pole” and many others. The tours are 90 minutes long and start at the Centerstone Plaza Hotel with various tour times starting at 5 p.m.

Prices for adults are $35, children ages 2 - 12 are $20 and infants under two years old are free. The 9 p.m. tours are for adults only and advise to leave kids at home. Also since the tour is 90 minutes long it is designed for children 10 years and up, so parents should use discretion.

If you would like to know more about the dates and various tour times, you can click here.

Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved.

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All Aboard!

Hop on a rochester, mn trolley tour.

A wonderful way to see the sights and experience the history of Rochester is to take a trolley tour. Hop aboard a Rochester Trolley & Tour Company sightseeing tour of the city or the region, or join a group trolley tour organized by a meeting planner. Enjoy listening to your knowledgeable tour guide tell Rochester’s most interesting stories while riding in one of five charming, well-maintained old trolleys named after famous figures in the city’s history: Will, Charlie, W.W. Mayo, Alfred, and Henry.

Tours can are of various lengths—75 minutes, ½ day, or full day, and options include:

Rochester City & Mayo Historical Trolley Tour

Experience the city’s top sites and attractions in a 75-minute trolley tour, including: Peace Plaza, Heritage House, Historic Mayowood Mansion, Mayo Foundation House, Plummer House of the Arts, and more.

Bluff Country Wine Trail Trolley Tour

Travel the rolling hills and valleys of scenic Bluff Country to three area wineries including Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery in Spring Valley, along with Salem Glen and Scenic Valley vineyard and wineries.

Rochester Microbrewery Trolley Tour

Visit all four of Rochester’s microbrewery pubs on this trolley tour and get a chance to sample a flight of special craft beers at each stop. Knowledgeable brewers will talk about their signature beers and why they are different from the rest, giving you a taste as you go.

If you're interested in other tours of Rochester besides those offered via trolley, check out these other historical and/or guided tours of Rochester .

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Rochester City & Mayo Historical Trolley Tour

Experience the city’s top sites & attractions , join us on our vintage red trolleys for a narrated city tour featuring rochester’s top sites and attractions, including our mayo historical sites explore the early years of the world-famous mayo clinic, while experience the homes and lives of pioneering doctors on this relaxing, entertaining tour, available seven days per week, year-round, for private groups 33 passenger vintage trolley or by coach .

Relax and enjoy this entertaining and informative tour featuring stories and anecdotes associated with Rochester’s major historic, cultural, and architectural sites and attractions. Rochester and the “Blufflands” region boast a rich and fascinating Indian, pioneer, stagecoach, steamboat, and Civil War history. This tour offers an overview of Rochester’s fascinating medical history along with the Mayo family’s ties to Minnesota history. By the end of this tour, you will know the inside story of Rochester’s amazing growth and transformation from a humble Midwestern farm town to world-famous mecca for the medical arts. We guarantee you will be surprised and delighted by the charm of Rochester’s many hidden scenic and cultural gems, as we focus on Rochester’s extraordinary past, exciting present, and much-anticipated future Destination Medical Center (DMC) growth.

HIGHLIGHTS! 

• Mayo Clinic Campus ~ Largest Clinic of its Kind in the World

Downtown Rochester & Peace Plaza ~ Cosmopolitan Shops, Restaurants, & Plazas

Plummer Building ~ Original Mayo Clinic Building Designed by Dr. Henry S. Plummer

Mayo Civic Center & Rochester Art Center ~ Largest Event Space in Southern MN with Beautiful Glass Atrium & Contemporary Architecture 

Silver Lake Park ~ Charming Lake District Featuring Limestone Arch Bridges

Assisi Heights ~ Home of the Rochester Franciscan Community, Founders of St. Marys Hospital 

St. Marys Hospital Campus & Chapel ~ Among the Largest Private Hospitals in the Country, Rich in History 

History Center of Olmsted County & Historic Stoppel Pioneer Farm  ~ Fascinating Sites that Depict the Area’s Pioneer & Settlement Eras  

Mayowood Historic Corridor ~ Dr. Charlie’s Limestone Carriage Barn & Stables, Greenhouses, Cottages, River Bridge, Dam & Lake 

Historic Mayowood Mansion  ~ Former Home of Mayo Clinic Co-Founder Dr. Charlie Mayo, Completed in 1911

Plummer House ~ Former Home of Dr. Henry S. Plummer, Designer of Original Mayo Clinic Buildings 

“Pill Hill” National Historic Residential District ~ Historic Homes Built by Pioneering Doctors & Prominent Citizens 

Mayo Foundation House ~ Former Home of Mayo Clinic Co-Founder Dr. Will Mayo, Completed in 1918

• Soldier’s Field Veterans Memorial ~ One of the Finest Memorials in the Country
• Calvary Episcopal Church ~ Mayo Family Church & Oldest Church in Rochester

Feith Family Statuary ~ Park Honoring Founders of Mayo Clinic & Saint Marys Hospital

LOGISTICS! 

Your group selects the tour date, start time, and pickup location! 

Recommended duration for this tour is 1 hour, 1.5 hours, or 2 hours! 

This private group tour is available seven days per week! 

Transportation via a 33 passenger vintage trolley or by coach! 

Your group will receive a flat discounted private group tour rate!