For over 170 years, visitors have been drawn to the breathtaking shores of what the Lakota people called the “Big Waters” - an apt name for an incredible collection of bays nestled amongst the Big Woods. In 1852, an adventurous group of New Yorkers started the Excelsior Pioneer Association and formed the lake's first village, Excelsior. They built cottages, started churches, opened businesses, and platted a town. Perhaps their greatest foresight was setting aside its best real estate as public grounds, which continue to be enjoyed by the community today as an essential public connection to Lake Minnetonka.
The town became a tourist mecca in the 1870s, a health destination in the 1890s, a streetcar destination in the 1910s, and a playground for Twin Cities youth flocking to the Excelsior Amusement Park in the decades that followed.
Two centuries later, Excelsior maintains its East Coast ideal in an inland lakeside setting. Known for its understated aesthetic and charming scale, Excelsior still feels like the small town it was envisioned to be. Luckily, some things never change.
Steps from One West Drive is Excelsior's well-preserved and approachable retail streetscape, aptly named Water Street. Considered Main Street Minnetonka, Water Street is the heartbeat of the Minnetonka school district and the South Lake Community, home to restaurants, retail, and community gatherings. Water Street’s human scale, historic streetscape, and compact footprint are key reasons Excelsior has earned its accolades as one of the best small towns in the Midwest.
Within blocks of One West Drive are over a dozen dining establishments, from casual lakeside dining to chef-driven concepts. Few small towns provide the urbanity evident in Excelsior. Sit at the bar where Mick Jagger had a chance encounter with Excelsior's Mr. Jimmy, inspiring a classic, or order takeout to enjoy in one of One West Drive's community spaces.
Why get in a car when everything you need is steps from your front door? Beloved markets, celebrated boutiques, quaint art studios, a town bike shop, a book store, vintage goods, and high fashion can all be found in Excelsior's compact and walkable retail corridor.
Excelsior's beloved commercial district hosts numerous year-round events drawing crowds to its idyllic streetscape. This tradition began in its resort years and continued during the high days of the Excelsior Amusement Park, where bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys entertained Twin Cities teenagers in the 1960s. Today, Excelsior is home to an iconic 4th of July Celebration, beloved Concerts in the Commons, Apple Days, the Minnetonka Homecoming Parade, Art on the Lake, Christmas in Excelsior, and the Klondike Dog Derby sled dog race, to name a few.
One West Drive is situated within the nationally renowned Minnetonka School District. Excelsior sits in the center of the district, which attracts students for its diverse academic, arts, and athletic offerings.
One of the most storied inland lakes in the country, Lake Minnetonka, beckons just steps away from One West Drive. With over 125 miles of shoreline around 23 unique bays and inlets, drawing tourists from around the world to its purifying waters, Lake Minnetonka is Minnesota's most famous recreational lake and home to the oldest inland lake yacht club in the Country. Its recreation opportunities are year-round, from boating, fishing, and swimming to ice skating, skiing, and ice boating.
At the terminus of Water Street and Lake Minnetonka, sits Excelsior's most prized real estate - 13 acres of Lakefront green space reserved as public grounds by the original founders, called The Commons. Home to an expansive green space, ball field, concert pavilion, playgrounds, and a public beach, the Commons is a beloved public space that serves as a regional gathering space beyond the South Lake Community. Thousands flock to its shores for the annual 4th of July celebration and the weekly Concerts in the Park during the summer season.
At the entrance to The Commons is an area historically called the Excelsior Docks. Home to charter boats and resident docks, residents of One West Drive are eligible to reserve boat slips through the City's public docks, offering a boat slip just two blocks from One West Drive.
