Litchfield, Minnesota travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Litchfield is a city of about 6,600 people (2018) in Southern Minnesota. Litchfield is among the largest of a series of "whistle stop" towns built along a railroad extending west from Minneapolis in the 19th century. U.S. Route 12 follows the rail route, which is still active.

3 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 2 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Litchfield

Grand Army of the Republic Hall

Brightwood Beach Cottage

An octagonal building that was once the sight of a resort on the southern shore of Lake Ripley.

Anderson Gardens Public Arboretum

Parking is limited to along Hwy 22. Named for the site’s developer, A.J. Anderson, a Civil War veteran and former hardware and implement dealer in Litchfield, the gardens are dedicated to quiet reflection and contemplati…

Starlite Drive-In 5

No-frills, classic outdoor drive-up theater showing first-run, double features on weekends.

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 9°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Aug. (climate data from nearby Minneapolis)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
STC Saint Cloud Regional Airport, Saint Cloud — 37 mi away. Directions
MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 66 mi away (major hub). Directions

By car, take U.S. Route 12 west from the Twin Cities a little over an hour.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 1-day itinerary

Day 1

Morning Grand Army of the Republic Hall, Brightwood Beach Cottage
Lunch Muddy Cow
Afternoon Anderson Gardens Public Arboretum, Starlite Drive-In 5
Dinner Sonora's Mexican Restaurant

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

Litchfield is the county seat of Meeker County, Minnesota. It is one of the few small towns in Minnesota to never have stopped growing throughout its existence along with Mora and Pine City.

Get in

By car, take U.S. Route 12 west from the Twin Cities a little over an hour.

By bus, take Jefferson Lines from Minneapolis, Saint Cloud, Sioux Falls, or other towns in and around Minnesota.

Get around

Place Bikes by Bob

A bicycle store and coffee shop. Biking around the city is very doable with many denoted bike routes. Does not do bike rentals, however.

🕒 Tue-Fri 6:30AM-4PM, Sat 8AM-1PM☎ +1 320 593-0592⚠ Last checked Jul 2018 — confirm before you go

Maps

See

See Brightwood Beach Cottage

An octagonal building that was once the sight of a resort on the southern shore of Lake Ripley.

Maps

Meeker County Courthouse - The County's most recent courthouse building, completed in 1974, which is a flat-topped, white stucco building with windows in two deep-cut, horizontal bands. Glass aprons the ground level, slanting diagonally into the plane of the building. Natural light is also a feature of the other three levels, which open unto a central atrium beneath a large segmented-glass skylight. Its cost in the mid-1970s: a little more than $1 million.
Trinity Episcopal Church - Enjoy the Carpenter Gothic Style architecture attributed to the noted New York architect Richard Upjohn.

See Grand Army of the Republic Hall

📍 370 N. Marshall St.

Maps

Ness Monument - Buried in one grave under the Ness Monument are the remains of the first five victims of the U.S.-Dakota War. Their names are Robinson Jones, Viranus Webster, Howard Baker, Ann (Baker) Jones, and Clara D. Wilson. The violent act of four young Sioux who were starving because of broken treaties and thieving traders sparked a war that killed hundreds of people on both sides.
Litchfield Carnegie Library - One of the 65 public libraries built in Minnesota with funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie Corporation.

See Anderson Gardens Public Arboretum

⚠ Last checked Jul 2018 — confirm before you go

Maps Website

Do

Do Starlite Drive-In 5

No-frills, classic outdoor drive-up theater showing first-run, double features on weekends.

📍 29264 MN-22☎ +1 320 693-6990⚠ Last checked Jul 2018 — confirm before you go

Maps Website

Meeker County Historical Society - within the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) building. Learn how Land O'Lakes got its start, or why the G.A.R. building was built here to begin with.
Dragon Hockey. They are fire on ice. The "LDC" or Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons are the area's fiercest hockey program. Check them out at Litchfield Civic Arena seasonally or in March at the Xcel Energy Center, if they've proven themselves worthy of a State berth.
The Litchfield Opera House - Gorgeous building that has hosted traveling theater troupes, stage plays, musicals, lectures, readings, revivals, local musical performances, among other varied gatherings.
Central Park - The town square, surrounded by historical landmarks, at the center of it all.

Buy

Commercial Historic District - Yes, the entire downtown area along Sibley is on the National Register of Historic Places. Worth buying: Hollywood Theater movie passes and a bucket of popcorn.