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If you’re attending Feel the Beat on Saturday, October 12, we’ve got you covered on what to expect when you arrive in Rochester, Minnesota! Make sure to register for the event and contact Brianna Tranby if you have any questions.
Accommodations
Rochester offers a wide variety of lodging choices from hotels to AirBNB.com rentals. Below is a list of the hotels closest to the Gonda Building at Mayo Clinic.
- The Kahler Grand Hotel (link)
- Rochester Marriott Mayo Clinic Area (link)
- Kahler Inn & Suites (link)
- DoubleTree by Hilton Mayo Clinic Area (link)
Parking
The Damon Parking Ramp at 15 Third Ave SW is directly across the street from the Gonda Building. There is also street parking around downtown and the meters are free on weekends.
Note: Overhead announcements in Damon instruct visitors to take the elevators to the Subway level to enter Mayo Clinic. However, the Subway entrance is closed on weekends. Please go to the street level and exit the door on the right-hand side. Follow the sidewalk to the nearby crosswalk at 1st Street & 3rd Ave and enter the Gonda Building.
Weather
The high temperature in mid-October is usually around 60 degrees. Sometimes we get warmer than average weather – but we’ve also had snow, so be sure to check the forecast before you pack!
Restaurants
Rochester’s restaurant scene gets better every year! Many of the best restaurants are located within a few blocks of Mayo Clinic, and some are even accessible via the walking skyway or subway systems. New this year at Feel the Beat, we’ll be hosting a ‘Social Hour’ for families who want to connect more with each other or with Team HLHS! This informal gathering will start right after the event at 2:00pm at Grand Rounds Brewing Company located 4 blocks from the Gonda building.
Sightseeing
There are many fun things to see and do around Rochester! Fall will be in full swing, and there are several local orchards that offer family-friendly activities including corn mazes, wagon rides, apple and pumpkin picking, petting zoos, and more! The Rochester Mom’s Blog has a great guide to orchards in the local area.
Rochester’s many parks and nature centers are still bustling in the fall despite the cooler weather. Quarry Hill Nature Center has lots of hiking/biking trails as well as cave tours, fossil hunting, and indoor exploration hall. Silver Lake Park is just one mile from Mayo Clinic and includes Three Links Park, which is a large playground that’s completely handicap accessible with preschool to big kid areas.
If museums or historical tours are more your speed, we have plenty of those, too! The Rochester Trolley & Tour Company offers a variety of tours in town or around the SE Minnesota area. The Historic Mayowood Mansion, former home of Dr. Charles H. Mayo, is also a top tour spot in town. The Rochester Art Center is located a few blocks from Mayo Clinic and features innovative and contemporary art. If you’re in town on a weekday, most Mayo Clinic buildings are open for guided or self-guided tours.
There are also tons of other activities in the surrounding area including the National Eagle Center, Valleyfair Amusement Park, and of course the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the country -- complete with an indoor Nickelodeon amusement park, Sea Life Aquarium, Crayola Experience, Lego store, and so much more!
We’re looking forward to seeing you on October 12!
The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a collaborative network of specialists bonded by the vision of finding solutions for individuals affected by congenital heart defects including HLHS. Our specialized team is addressing the various aspects of these defects by using research and clinical strategies ranging from basic science to diagnostic imaging to regenerative therapies. Email us atHLHS@mayo.edu to learn more.
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