Charles A. Lindbergh State Park facts for kids
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Charles A. Lindbergh House and Park
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The boyhood home of aviator Charles Lindbergh stands in the park donated in memory of his father.
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Morrison County, Minnesota, United States |
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| Nearest city | Little Falls, Minnesota |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Carl Bolander |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000303 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 8, 1976 |
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Charles A. Lindbergh State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources
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Water tower and picnic shelter, constructed 1938
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| Location | Pike Creek Township |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1938–39 |
| Architect | National Park Service, State of Minnesota, Works Progress Administration |
| Architectural style | NPS Rustic |
| MPS | Minnesota State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001655 |
| Added to NRHP | 1989-10-25 |
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park is a cool place to visit in Little Falls, Minnesota. It's a big park, about 569 acres, right next to the Mississippi River. This park used to be the farm of a famous family: Charles August Lindbergh, who was a Congressman, and his son, Charles Lindbergh, who became a world-famous pilot!
You can still see their old house from 1906 and other farm buildings here. The house is a special National Historic Landmark and is now a museum run by the Minnesota Historical Society. It's called the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum. The park also has some old buildings from the 1930s. These were built by a group called the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
These WPA buildings, like a picnic shelter and a water tower, are made from local stone and logs. They look very natural and rustic. The Lindbergh family wanted the park to stay peaceful. So, there aren't many places for swimming or camping here.
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History of the Lindbergh Home
Charles August Lindbergh, known as C.A., was a lawyer and businessman in Little Falls. In 1901, he married Evangeline Lodge Land. She was a college-educated teacher from Detroit. They moved to a farm that C.A. had bought earlier.
They built a large, three-story house on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Their only child, Charles Augustus Lindbergh, was born there in 1902. The farm had many animals, like cattle, goats, hogs, sheep, chickens, and pigeons.
The Fire and a New House
On August 5, 1905, a fire started on the third floor of their house. The house burned down to its stone foundation. Luckily, the family and their helpers were safe. They also saved many items from inside the house.
The Lindberghs built a new, smaller house on the old foundation. C.A. then became involved in politics. In 1907, he started serving in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressman. For the next ten years, young Charles spent most of his time in Detroit and Washington, D.C. He only lived at the Little Falls house for a few months each year.
However, Charles later said that his time on the farm made him strong and self-reliant. The unfinished top floor of the new house became his special play area. One day in 1911, he heard a very loud engine. He climbed onto the roof and saw his first airplane!
Charles Lindbergh's Later Years at the Farm
In 1917, Charles and his mother, Evangeline, moved back to the house full-time. Charles often slept in his bedroom, which was a screened-in porch. He only moved inside on the very coldest winter nights. He started taking care of the farm. He was also one of the first to use new farm machines.
Charles left for college in 1920. He came back only once, in 1923. He landed his Curtiss JN-4 plane in a field on the farm! In the next two years, the barn burned down, and C.A. died. The farm was then mostly left alone.
After Charles Lindbergh became famous in 1927 for his solo flight across the Atlantic, people often broke into the empty house. They were looking for souvenirs and caused a lot of damage.
The Park is Created
Local people wanted to protect the house. So, in 1931, the Lindbergh family gave the 110-acre farm to the state of Minnesota. It became a park to honor C.A. The family worked with the Minnesota Historical Society to fix up the home. They also gave back many of their original furniture pieces.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped develop the park for people to enjoy. In 1969, the house and its land were given to the Minnesota Historical Society. Charles Lindbergh gave his last public speech from the porch of his childhood home in 1973. This was at the grand opening of a new visitor center next door. He passed away the next year.
The visitor center first focused on the three generations of Lindberghs. This was because Charles didn't like being in the spotlight. But in 2002, the museum was updated. It became twice as big and added more about Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator.
WPA Buildings in the Park
In 1989, the WPA buildings in the park were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This special area is about 9 acres. It includes six important structures. There are two buildings (a picnic shelter and a restroom), two structures (a water tower and a retaining wall), and two drinking fountains.
All these were built between 1938 and 1939. They are important because they show how the government helped people find work during the New Deal. They also show how Minnesota's state parks were developed. Their design is called National Park Service rustic. This style uses local stone and logs to blend with nature. A similar picnic shelter design was also used in Lake Bemidji State Park.
Park Grounds and Activities
The land in the park was shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago. You can see large slate boulders in Pike Creek. These rocks were carried here by glaciers from far north. The plants in the park are similar to what they were before people settled here. There are pine forests with oak trees and open prairie areas.
The Mississippi River's water level is now much higher than when Charles Lindbergh swam in it. This is because of dams.
The park has a campground with 38 spots for tents or RVs. Fifteen of these spots have electricity. There is also a group campsite for up to 30 people. You can find a walk-in campsite and a special canoe-in site along the Mississippi River.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Morrison County, Minnesota
- List of Minnesota state parks
Images for kids
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The boyhood home of aviator Charles Lindbergh stands in the park donated in memory of his father.
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Water tower and picnic shelter, constructed 1938
