Outdoor audio stations

Take a Self-guided Audio Tour

Grab a map in the main museum to locate the six outdoor stations. The map and each station are equipped with a QR code to play on your phone. The recordings are also mechanically available with the push of a button from approximately May 1 thru November 1.

Harvey Ronglien, who lived at this orphanage from 1932 to 1943, serves as your guide. Harvey "gives life" to the buildings and grounds by describing how they were used when this site was home to 10,635 Minnesota children between 1886 and 1945.

The first station is located just north of the Flagpole Plaza in front of City Hall. Not only does this self-guided tour give the history of the State School, it also loops you though the grounds so you may view the historic architecture and Children's Cemetery.

Minnesota's only state-run orphanage (1886-1945) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and averages around 7,000 visitors annually.

We are grateful to the following whose funding made this audio walking tour a reality: The Woman's Club of Owatonna, former State Schooler Kathleen Sherman, Insty-Prints, Viracon, and the City of Owatonna.