Excelsior, Minnesota
| Excelsior, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Excelsior within Hennepin County, Minnesota |
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Hennepin |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
| • Mayor | Mark Gaylord |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2) |
| • Land | 0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,188 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 2,230 |
| • Density | 3,473.0/sq mi (1,340.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Zip Code | 55331 |
| Area code(s) | 952 |
| Website | City Page |
Excelsior is a city on Lake Minnetonka in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population is 2,397. The suburb is located 12 miles west of South Minneapolis.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.69 square miles (1.79 km2), of which 0.63 square miles (1.63 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) is water.Minnesota State Highway 7 serves as a main route. Excelsior is located 20 miles west–southwest of downtown Minneapolis.
Excelsior was founded in 1853 by George Bertram and the Excelsior Pioneer Association. It was the first community established on Lake Minnetonka. Many of the original settlers in Excelsior came from the New England area, particularly upstate New York and Massachusetts. Some eastern-like features can be found in the layout of the town, which is organized as a grid with a public Commons along the lake shore.
Throughout the years, Excelsior's Water Street has been the home to many businesses including hotels, restaurants, and merchants. Excelsior works hard to maintain its historical identity while renewing various elements of the downtown area; the community is known for its abundance of Victorian housing stock and masonry-clad commercial district.
Excelsior was also home to the Excelsior Amusement Park, which operated from 1925 to 1973. Today the site is occupied by a condominium complex and two restaurants.
Ray Colihan owned a ballroom called '"Big Reggie's Danceland" in Excelsior during the 1950s and 1960s. Colihan is speculated as the only man to lose money on both The Beatles, who he booked at Met Stadium in 1965, and The Rolling Stones, who played Danceland in 1964 for an audience of approximately 300. Legend has it, since debunked online, that an Excelsior resident named Jimmy Hutmaker was the inspiration behind the Rolling Stones song You Can't Always Get What You Want after an encounter with singer Mick Jagger at the local drug store prior to the 1964 concert. "Mr. Jimmy", as he was known, died on October 3, 2007.
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