Replica of Runestone at Discovery Spot

Kensington, Minnesota

Erected in 1969 by the Kensington Lions Club, a fairly exact, full-size replica of the Kensington Runestone stands on the spot where it was discovered in 1898.

Now the spot is a county park, but back then it was the farm of Olof Ohman, a 44-year-old Swedish immigrant with a meager education. He took the stone to a nearby Scandinavian-language newspaper, which dated its inscription to 1362 -- 130 years before Columbus! Ohman was ridiculed by experts, but Minnesotans embraced the Runestone as proof of their trailblazing history, and the original Runestone now has a place of honor in its own museum in nearby Alexandria.

Replica of Runestone at Discovery Spot

Runestone County Park

Address:: County Rd 103 SW, Kensington, MN
Directions:: Runestone County Park. Southwest of Alexandria. I-94 exit 97. Drive south on Hwy 114 for two miles. Turn right onto Hwy 27. Drive nine miles. Turn left onto (unmarked) County Rd 103 SW. Turn left onto another unmarked road. You'll see the park on the left; the Runestone is outdoors, on a little pedestal.
Admission:: Free
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour

Nearby Offbeat Places

Runestone Museum, Alexandria, MN - 15 mi.

Spotty the Stuffed Dog, Alexandria, MN - 15 mi.

Big Ole: America's Biggest Viking, Alexandria, MN - 15 mi.

In the region:

Large Playground Turtle, Town Turtle Races, Perham, MN - 54 mi.

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