Fodor's Expert Review Arcola Mills

Step into pre-Civil War times at Arcola Mills, on the National Register of Historic Places, which lies along the St. Croix River 6 miles north of Stillwater. Inside the restored Greek Revival mansion—once home to the Van Meier and Mower families—you'll get a glimpse of the life of a wealthy family in a milling town during the 1840s. The Mower brothers developed much of Stillwater, and their mills once cut lumber that traveled as far as St. Louis. The grounds surrounding the mansion are perfect for a stroll, with streams, bridges, and forested canopies. The mills' trademark chimney still stands.