Are you a tour operator or have you been put in charge of planning a bus group trip to New Ulm for your church, senior citizen group, or local organization? We can promise you a trip that will be memorable and fun, and have your group asking you when's the next trip to the Most German City in America?! We've created a web page with everything you need to plan and schedule your trip. Click here for the Group Tour website.
Here's a sample itinerary:
Day One
9:45 am City Tour
Arrive in New Ulm for a complimentary welcome reception of coffee and apple strudel at the Visitor Center. Meet your tour guide here (many wear lederhosen/dirndls) and begin 2-hour guided city tour. With your step-on guide, you’ll see such sites as the Hermann Monument, the Cathedral, sites from the US-Dakota War of 1862, sites related to New Ulm’s strong German heritage, and other places as time allows.
12:00 pm Glockenspiel
Glockenspiel performance of 37 bells and 12 characters. Great photo op! End guided tour.
12:15 – 3:00 pm Lunch and Historic Downtown
Walk 1 block to Veigel’s Kaiserhoff for some delicious German (or American) food as a group. Or, lunch on their own! There are more than a dozen options for dining in the downtown area.
After lunch, check out some of the specialty shops and unique boutiques and wander through the historic downtown. Shopping not your thing? Tour the Brown County History Museum, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, or the 4 Pillars Art Gallery - all within walking distance of downtown, or grab a self-guided Downtown Walking Tour brochure and dig a bit deeper into the downtown’s story.
3:00 – 4:45 pm August Schell Brewing Company
Meet your motor coach back at the Visitor Center and depart for August Schell Brewery, the largest and oldest brewery in MN, for a tour and tasting. Leave a little time to visit the gardens (with free-roaming peacocks and a deer park), the Museum of Brewing, and the gift shop.
5:00 – 7:00 pm Dinner & Entertainment
Check into your hotel (New Ulm has three group-friendly options: Best Western Plus, Harmony Inn, or Econolodge). Then dinner at the New Ulm Conference Center/Green Mill - attached to the Best Western Plus. Entertainment options with dinner include: Murder Mystery customized to your group, concertina/accordion performance, The Narren (German characters in hand-carved wooden masks and colorful costumes), the Concord Singers, or have a group take Polka Lessons!
Day Two
9:00 – 10:00 am Harkin Store
After enjoying continental breakfast at your hotel, load the bus and head to Harkin General Store. Learn about life in 1870 from the old general store on the Minnesota River - with 40% original stock!
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Brown County History Museum
Guided tour. These three floors of exhibits are housed in the historic post-office building. Don’t miss the third floor’s national award-winning exhibit about the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.
12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch at Historic Turner Hall
Enjoy lunch at historic Turner Hall, the oldest bar in Minnesota! See the 1873 German murals in the Rathskeller and enjoy a delicious meal while learning more about the fascinating history of the Turners in New Ulm.
1:30 – 2:30 pm Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
Hand-held listening devices assist you on this self-guided tour as you take in all genres of music important to Minnesota’s history, including: Whoopee John, Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, Prince, and many more!
Considerations
- Come during a festival! Our biggest ones are Bavarian Blast (3rd weekend in July), HermannFest (Saturday after Labor Day), or Oktoberfest (first two weekends in October)
- Other attractions you can swap out or add in:
- Historic Cemetery Tour
- Wanda Gag House (childhood home of Millions of Cats author)
- Kiesling House (one of few surviving buildings from the US-Dakota War of 1862)
- Governor Lind House (optional Victorian Tea)
- Morgan Creek Vineyards
- Starkeller Sour Beer Brewery & Taproom
- Grand Center for Arts & Culture
- Doppeleichen Vineyards
For more information, contact:
New Ulm Convention & Visitor Bureau
1 N Minnesota St, New Ulm, MN 56073
888-463-9856 // info@newulm.com
