Join us for Easter Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner here at The Historical Afton House Inn
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Menu
Assorted Domestic Cheese and Crackers Charcuterie Assortment with Marinated Olives GF Assorted Fresh Fruits and Berries GF Fresh Vegetable Crudité with Ranch GF Smoked Salmon GF Deviled Eggs with Paprika GF.
Afton House Inn Caesar Salad with Parmesan Croutons GF Italian Pasta Salad Cage Free Scrambled Eggs GF Eggs Strade with Sausage French Toast Bake with Maple Syrup Smoked Kielbasa and Sausage Links GF Fresh Green Beans & Carrots GF Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes GF Roast Beef Marsala GF Champagne Chicken GF Honey Glazed Ham GF Baked Salmon GF Mostaccoli Pasta.
Dinner Rolls & Butter, Assorted Pastries and Desserts.
Fall pumpkin season begins late September and goes through the end of October. We have mini pumpkins, pie pumpkins, and pumpkins perfect for carving of all shapes, sizes, textures and colors! We also have gourds, several varieties of squash, sweet corn and many more fall favorites!
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Our retail store is filled with frozen unbaked pies and crisps, jams, fresh local honey, baking supplies, gifts and much more! Inside our retail store is our Cafe’ ala Apple that serves up fresh apple cider, donuts, fritters, hot dogs, cider brats, blended frappes, and other fall time favorites. Our strawberry shakes are amazing!
Fall orchard and retail store will be open 10am – 6pm daily through October 31st. Starting November 1st, the retail store is open everyday 10am – 4pm. General orchard admission onsite is $7 for ages 5 and older and $5 for ages 4 and younger.
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Fall activities included with orchard admission!
HUGE playground
Petting Farm
Straw Mountain
Johnny Combine
Retread Hill
Spider Web
Tire swing corral
Giant Swing
Giant Rocking Chair
Barnyard Basketball
Yard Games
Hayrides (Weekends 10am-6pm, weekdays 12pm-6pm)
Grammamals Barnyard
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Visit Special Events page for details about extra fun things happening at the orchard this fall!
At Belwin, we spark passion for wild places. Through immersive community programs and environmental education, we inspire and engage people in the care of natural areas. Through land protection and habitat restoration, we revive threatened ecosystems so wildlife can thrive for generations to come.
In 1971, Belwin Conservancy began hosting outdoor education on 225 acres. In the decades since, Belwin has grown to more than 1,500 acres, and thousands of people have visited Belwin to learn from and explore our natural habitats. Are you one of them?
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The Land We Are On
The land on which Belwin Conservancy exists is the ancestral home of the Wahpekute Dakota people, original stewards of this region. We recognize that despite government efforts to exterminate and diminish the Dakota, their connection to this land, water, history and lifeways perseveres today. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.
Whether Belwin has been your place to hike the trails, star gaze, bird watch, listen to music, watchbison, cheer for young athletes, or all of the above, we want to hear from you. Your stories will be shared throughout the year in celebration of this landmark anniversary.
Belwin Conservancy at 50: A Love Affair with Nature
The year kicked off with our retrospective exhibit at The Phipps Center for the Arts, curated by Susan Haugh, Belwin’s Program Director, with assistance by Anastasia Shartin, Visual Arts Director at The Phipps Center for the Arts. Take a virtual walk through below!
In the late 1960’s, Charles Bell and Lucy Winton Bell found themselves in a unique position to do something to help address the challenges of diminishing wild spaces, water pollution, and the lack of outdoor education for children. They had recently acquired 200 acres of ecologically diverse land in Afton, Minnesota and wanted to use it to counter these devastating trends.
In 1970, Lucy and Charlie signed an agreement with Saint Paul Public Schools that would dedicate their land to outdoor science education for children. They established the Belwin Foundation (a combination of their names, Bell and Winton) and donated 225 acres of their land to it. With the arrival of students in 1971, Belwin Outdoor Education Laboratory, now Belwin Outdoor Science, was born.
Over the years, this vision has brought over half a million children to Belwin Conservancy for outdoor science education and protected hundreds of acres in the St. Croix Valley from development.
Lucy Winton Bell, Charlie Bell, and Ken Berg (Deputy Superintendent, SPPS) celebrate Belwin Outdoor Environmental Lab.
SPPS and Belwin Conservancy celebrate the partnership. From left: David Hartwell, Lucy Hartwell, David Bennett (SPPS Superintendent), Dave Frye (SPPS Associate Superintendent), Bob Matson, Unknown, Charlie Bell, Unknown, Unknown, Curman Gaines (SPPS assistant superintendent), Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Sharon Eaton (SPPS Belwin Director).Education Center, 1970s.Belwin’s adaptive program was one of the first in the nation to offer students with special needs opportunities to explore nature (historic photo).
We invite you to visit the charming St. Croix River town of Afton, MN on September 25th & 26th, 2021. The 43nd Annual two day outdoor fine arts and makers market takes place in Afton’s quaint, Town Square Park with over 90 vendors showcasing fine arts, pottery, woodwork, jewelry, photography, sculpture, fiber and more. Plus great food and 2 days of live music!
This upper Midwest favorite art festival is hosted by the Afton Area Business Association and will bring 10,000+ guests through the St. Croix River Valley during the 2 day event.
Wine & Beer Garden in Town Square Park is hosted by Afton Museum. All proceeds benefit Afton Historical Museum
The Business Expo is located on St. Croix Trail, along the boulevards.
Be sure to visit Afton’s unique shops and restaurants, open for business during the event.
Afton, MN is located 4.5 miles south of I-94 on St. Croix Trail (C.R. 18).
Take Exit #258 off I94 and head south 4.5miles
