Neighboring Cities - AmericInn^® of Virginia, MN

Welcome to the Cities Neighboring our Virginia Minnesota Hotel

Aurora, Minnesota

The city of Aurora was christened in 1903 by local civic leaders who were inspired by a particularly brilliant display of northern lights high above the new village. Today, the city combines quaint style with a friendly hometown atmosphere and offers many business development opportunities as well as an impressive range of established product and service-related businesses.  Before leaving Aurora, be sure to pay a time-traveling visit to City Hall, where a pictorial display of Aurora's history will delight viewers with the rich ethnic diversity and cultural heritage of Aurora's early days.
Distance: 18 miles

Biwabik, Minnesota

Biwabik (which means "valuable" in Ojibway) is the gateway to Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort. Long valued for its ore, today Biwabik is a prime travel destination. The community, a trailhead of the historic Mesabi Trail, is the home of the "Honk the Moose" statue and boasts a well-lit paved walking trail and sledding hill.

True to the ethnic diversity of Iron Range communities, Biwabik treats visitors to its unique Bavarian style and has become the area's year-round center of attraction, hosting thousands of Alpine and Nordic skiers, snowmobilers and golfers. Biwabik is host to several seasonal festivals including the Fourth of July, which presents the area's largest (Calithumpian) Fourth of July parade, and Weihnachtsfest (the first Saturday in December) a Christmas lighting celebration complete with fireworks, displays, ethnic food, music and entertainment. 
Distance: 12.5 miles

Buhl, Minnesota

Buhl is located high on the Laurentian Divide and midway across the historic Mesabi Range. Families will enjoy Buhl's abundant recreational facilities and city infrastructure.

The Mesabi Trail winds through Buhl, offering visitors a panoramic view of the historic Grand Iron Mine. Along the trail is the Stubler beach, which offers a pavilion, swimming area with lifeguards and two fishing docks. The City of Buhl also features a scenic walking trail which winds around Stubler and Judson Lakes. Burton Park features three bocce ball courts, playground equipment, a pavilion, two baseball fields, a basketball court, and restroom facilities.

Be sure to stop and sample Buhl's famous water.  Known as the “the finest drinking water in America," Buhl’s refreshing drinking water is taken from an underground glacial river 700 feet below the surface. Stubler and Judson Lake are also well-stocked for trout fishing, and you'll find plenty of remote portage in lakes just north of the city.
Distance: 10.5 miles

Chisholm, Minnesota

Chisholm, a mining community nestled on the shores of Longyear Lake since the late 1800s, commemorates its mining legacy in unique and creative ways.

Entering the city from the west, visitors are greeted by the magnificent "Iron Man" statue, an 85-foot iron miner memorial. At the east edge of the city lies the Bridge of Peace, proudly flying the flags of countries from around the world, representing the ethnic and cultural diversity of the area's residents.  Chisholm’s Veteran's Memorial is an expansive exhibit honoring the veterans of America’s uniformed services, and the nearby Minnesota Museum of Mining (located in Chisholm's Memorial Park) provides a fascinating look at life as it was during the early days of the Mesabi Range, with exhibits that include mining equipment and a replica of an early mining town.

Campgrounds, resorts and fine restaurants are all found in the Chisholm area. Chisholm is also the home of the Ironworld Discovery Center, which brings history alive with hands-on exhibits, music, dance, ethnic foods and craft demonstrations.  
Distance: 15 miles

Eveleth, Minnesota

Located along & adjacent to US Highway 53, this Iron Range community is home to the World's Largest Hockey Stick, United States Hockey Hall of Fame and one of the area's most breathtaking sights, the Leonidas Overlook Mineview. The overlook reflects more than a century of mining activity, dating back to 1901, when production first began along the Iron Range.

The Fayal Pond Trail System will delight and refresh the weary traveler. With its three-tier lit fountain and floating bridge, it's the perfect spot to stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic. Nearby, you'll find Veteran's Park with a public beach.
Eveleth is also home to the Range Recreation Civic Center, the area's newest state-of-the-art curling club and host to a variety of banquets, conventions and recreational activities.
Distance: 6 miles

Gilbert, Minnesota

Gilbert's beginnings can be traced to a mining operation that began around 1892 and evolved into the Village of Sparta. When the town was moved to clear the way for iron ore mining in 1908, it took the name of the nearest group of mines, Gilbert. Today the mine is closed but the City of Gilbert remains and it has since become home to Minnesota's first designated state recreation area for off-highway vehicles and ATVs. The park features more than 1,200 acres of recreation trails, scramble areas, training and special events and facilities for use by off-road motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and 4x4 jeeps and trucks.

To learn more about the area's heritage and history, visit the Iron Range Historical Society in the former Gilbert City Hall building to view the historic jail and hundreds of artifacts.
Distance: 5.5 miles

Hibbing, Minnesota

The largest city on the Iron Range is a community steeped in mining tradition. Hibbing offers a stunning panorama of the world's largest open pit mine and serves as a venue for top-rated theatre productions and musicals. The surrounding countryside is a playground for beach lovers, water recreationalists and snowmobilers alike.

Hibbing is also the birthplace of the legendary Robert Zimmerman (also known as Bob Dylan).  Bob Dylan fans can get a sense of Dylan’s Iron Range roots by paying a visit to the modest two-story Zimmerman home on Seventh Avenue (recently renamed "Dylan Drive”).  Visitors to Hibbing also enjoy exploring the universe on the BIG screen at the Palucci Space Theatre and visiting the Greyhound Bus Museum, which traces its history with hundreds of artifacts, memorabilia and seven historic buses. 
Distance: 25 miles

Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota

Bordered by two beautiful lakes, Hoyt Lakes has direct access from Lake Superior's North Shore via the Superior National Forest Scenic Byway. Hoyt Lakes is proud of its recreation facilities, which include a challenging nine-hole golf course, paved hiking and biking trails, hockey arena, regulation tennis courts, Colby Lake Beach and more.
Distance: 26.5 miles

Mountain Iron, Minnesota

As its name suggests, this city was literally built on a mountain of iron. It was here in 1890 that Leonidas Merritt first discovered iron ore, thus launching the mining era that uncovered the fabulous wealth beneath the Mesabi Range. Today, a two-and-a-half ton, 10-foot high statue of Merritt stands in the heart of the city. A 1910 Baldwin locomotive is also located in the downtown district.

Situated at the crossroads of Highways 53 and 169, Mountain Iron is Minnesota's third largest city in geographic size, covering 52 square miles and boasting six lakes within its limits. Visitors can get a stunning birds-eye view of USS/Minntac's taconite mining operations at either the Wacootah Overlook or the Minntac Mine Overlook.
Distance: 8.5 miles