Owatonna is a charming small town in Steele County, best known as the home of the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the annual Steele County Free Fair. Until 1945, the city was the home of the Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children, which was purchased by the city in the 1970s and converted into a living history museum campus and community arts center. The beautiful National Farmer's Bank building, designed by renowned architect Louis Sullivan, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is known as one of the premiere examples of Prairie School architecture in the United States.

The National Farmer's Bank of Owatonna

© Thanakorn Thaneewach/stock.adobe.com

The Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum

© The Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum