Blood, Trauma, and Biohazard Cleanup in Excelsior, MN

Excelsior is a small city on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka in Hennepin County, about 16 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis.

It was founded in 1853 by George Bertram and the Excelsior Pioneer Association, making it the first settlement established on Lake Minnetonka.

Excelsior was incorporated in 1878 and grew into one of the lake's popular summer resort towns in the late 19th century.

Excelsior had 2,355 residents at the 2020 census, in 1,148 households, packed into just 0.63 square miles of land.

The Water Street commercial district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city is known for its preserved Victorian-era houses.

The Excelsior Commons, a 13-acre lakefront park developed in 1854, remains a central amenity and a major draw for boaters and visitors.

Excelsior Amusement Park entertained lake crowds from 1925 to 1973, while the Danceland ballroom across the street hosted Lawrence Welk, the Beach Boys in 1963, and the Rolling Stones on June 12, 1964 — before an audience of only 283.

The streetcar boat Minnehaha, which once carried passengers across Lake Minnetonka, was raised from the lake bottom in 1980, restored, and returned to passenger service in 1996 between Excelsior and Wayzata.

In 1974, President Gerald Ford purchased his golden retriever Liberty from Excelsior resident Avis Friberg.

Excelsior's Apple Days festival has been held annually since 1935 to celebrate the apple-picking season.