Out of respect for abandoned buildings, we don't encourage anyone to explore those and because of that, this story has been updated.

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Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the old schools in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin?

If you remember, just a few years ago Rochester, Minnesota had its very own empty school. If you've never seen a photo of it, I have one below for you but Golden Hills was near South Broadway by where Marshall's and Ulta now are located.  But all over the midwest are schools that at some point were full of kids but today, quiet and empty.  In fact, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, between 2010 and 2020, over 13,000 schools have closed in the entire United States.  Now, some of those schools have combined or the buildings have been used in other ways (see all the stats here), but that is A LOT of schools that are no longer around.

Photo by Blogging Guide on Unsplash
Photo by Blogging Guide on Unsplash
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WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Old School in Minnesota Full of Recognizable Retro Items

As you walk through an old place, sometimes it is just like walking through history.  One school in Minnesota had individuals explore back in 2019 and it was so odd because as I watched their video, it was like I was walking through my elementary and high school days based on the technology sitting in random spots. 

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Remember when Apple came out with those awesome computers in different colors?  I was so jealous of anyone that had one.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
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And before we even had computers to type on, we had old school typewriters.  I remember going through a ton of white out while I was using those for papers.

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Do you remember reading the Boxcar Children books?  I didn't like those as much as the Little House on the Prairie series but my guess is that those books are in this school too.

Education concept with old book in library
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You can sometimes even find old playgrounds at these old schools.

Photo by Kristijan Arsov on Unsplash
Photo by Kristijan Arsov on Unsplash
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What do you remember most from the school that you went to as a kid?

I remember our gym the most because it had slanted ceilings so whenever we had volleyball practice, you couldn't bump too hard otherwise it would hit the ceiling.  What do you remember the most?

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Wow! Check out how Rochester has changed throughout the years in these Google photos.

As we are soaring down Hwy 52, it is hard to imagine what life was like in our town before the Target store was built where it is today. Or the house that you live in now, at one point in town, that wasn't there. In fact, Rochester has grown so fast throughout the years, most of our houses weren't even around 50 years ago! Don't believe me? Look through these photos to get a glimpse of what Rochester was like years ago.

Top 8 Most Overrated Attractions in Minnesota

Minnesota is known for a lot of amazing attractions! Of course, we also have 10,000+ lakes that we love to boast about. However, we have a few places that seem to be hyped a bit more than some think is necessary. In fact, there are 8 attractions in Minnesota that people say are the MOST overrated in the entire state.

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