Sibley House Historic Site050

Nestled in a picturesque setting where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet are four simple limestone buildings from one of the state's oldest settlements.

Between 1825 and 1853, the American Fur Company traded with the Dakota here, and Henry Hastings Sibley - the company's young regional manager and, later, the state's first governor - built his home on the site in 1838. He expanded and changed it over the next two decades.

Three of the now-restored structures can be toured, including a fur company cold store from 1843, and the 1840 residence of longtime trader-turned-hotelier Jean-Baptiste Faribault. Site guides regale visitors with stories of the fur-trade era and the changes to the area as they lead visitors through the fully-furnished interiors and exhibits.