10 of the Most Unique and Best Airbnbs in Minnesota

Due to Minnesota’s geography and seasons, it has a wide variety of places to stay that will give you completely different experiences depending on where and when you visit. Some of the most unique and best airbnbs in Minnesota include a converted barn, a houseboat, an old grain silo, or an entire castle. Airbnb is a great place to find all sorts of lodging options based on the budget or experience for which you’re looking.

I’ve done a bit of leg work for you and am going to share 10 of the most unique options I was able to find. There’s sure to be something on this list that will work for you the next time you’re looking to visit or just to get away for a little staycation if you’re local!

1. “Miss Guided” on the Mississippi

Location: Brainerd, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Houseboat

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $300/night

Has staying on a houseboat always appealed to you but you don’t know how to make it happen? Here’s your chance! Spend 2 nights, up to a week, floating on the Mississippi River. If you’re comfortable, you can captain the boat, or the hosts are available to anchor you for a day of enjoyment and move you along the next day.

“Miss Guided” on the Mississippi has a below-deck sleeping area with 4 twin memory foam mattresses (you bring your own bedding). The main cabin has two sitting areas that can convert to beds if needed, a large prep area in the kitchen, a gas grill, a small stove & oven, and a bathroom. The upper deck pulls triple duty as your outdoor living and dining space, sightseeing spot, and a place to relax. A vacation on a houseboat down the Mississippi River is definitely a vacation you’ll never forget!

2. Lilla Norr // An A-Frame in the Woods

Location: Brook Park, Minnesota

Type of Stay: A-Frame

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $201/night

Lilla Norr, “Little North” in Swedish, is a 1978 a-frame cabin. It sits on 5 acres in the woods along the Snake River. It’s been rehabilitated and the hosts have added era-specific pieces with a modern twist in the space. They also have a focus on sustainability. Lilla Norr has a minimal style with a fairly open floor plan.

It features a spiral iron staircase to a bedroom that has a charming little library of books and fun games nestled at the top of it. There’s central heat and air, but there’s also a free-standing wood-burning fireplace that would make the space feel that much cozier as you snuggle up with a provided blanket and cup of coffee while it snows outside in the winter. For warmer months, there is a fire pit outside and plenty of grounds to explore and enjoy.

3. The Silo!

Location: Clear Lake, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Converted Grain Silo

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $159/night

Talk about a unique place to stay! How many people can say they’ve stayed in an old silo? This barn and silo were built in 1909. The barn is still used today, but once the silo went into disuse, the owners slowly but surely converted it into two separate living units. The Silo has spectacular views, overlooking 4 counties in Minnesota. Bring a kayak and fishing pole and enjoy the lake on the property, along with the geese, ducks, and turtles that call it home.

Take a walk along cow paths at sunset and pick wildflowers. Due to steep stairs going up four stories, this property is only able to host adults, 16 and over, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something for younger children. It would make an excellent choice for a romantic getaway!

4. Resort Life in Historical 7 Bedroom Home!

Location: Battle Lake, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Historical Home on Private Island

Minimum Stay: 2 nights (September-May)/ 3 nights during summer months

Cost Per Night: $525/night

This gorgeous 1920’s Cedar-shake lake home sits on a 4-acre wooded island and is a year-round place to enjoy boating, canoeing, paddleboarding, fishing, or even ice fishing. The fishing boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards with life vests are all included and available for your use.

Resort Life has two patios, both covered and uncovered, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine at night. There’s a huge bonfire ring and hammocks throughout the property in which to enjoy and relax. There are 6 bedrooms with queen-sized beds and another bedroom with 4 twins. Since this used to be a bed and breakfast, the beds are all made with high-quality sheets, fluffy pillows, and cozy throws. They even provide beach towels in the summer and slippers in the winter!

This is an excellent, affordable choice for a leadership weekend, staff retreat, family reunion, or even a wedding. In fact, they have a 1,600 square food barn for an additional fee that you could use for a wedding or as a meeting space for a retreat. It comes fully wired for audio and video. This home offers plenty of space for not very much. money, making it a fabulous find!

5. Church to Vacation Rental

Location: Red Wing, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Converted church

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $407/night

Enjoy an experience few others have by staying in the remodeled 1880s St. Peter’s Norwegian Lutheran church. The historical architecture alone is a good enough reason to book a weekend at the Church House. This space boasts totally open living space, with a full kitchen, fireplace, and even a pool table. Eat dinner on the former pulpit turned dining room, or sleep in a bed up in the choir loft. This home is 4,500 square feet and has 22-foot ceilings, giving you more than enough room to play and rest.

The unique Church to Vacation Rental is a very convenient location and is within walking distance of several fun activities like restaurants, museums, shops, spas, antique stores, and even the Mississippi River! This house can sleep up to 8 guests, which means it’s a great option for a fun, unique weekend away with some friends or your entire family.

6. Historic Mansion

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Mansion

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Cost Per Night: $995/night

Don’t let the price keep you from at least checking this listing out. This gorgeous Historic Manion home looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. It was built in 1903 for Alfred F. Pillsbury and his wife, Eleanor. It’s got a regal curved staircase, wainscot wall treatments, and very large rooms. An easy way to justify the cost would be to use this incredible home as a wedding reception venue.

Feel as if you’re living right in the middle of a history book while greeting your guests in the receiving hall, enjoying a drink in the cozy parlor, listening to live music in the piano room, or eating a meal cooked in the gourmet kitchen at a dining table in the spacious great room. The upstairs bedrooms can be used as a space to get ready (they have lots of space) before the wedding and then a place for out-of-town wedding party members to stay after the wedding.

If more rooms are needed, there are 2 additional apartments on the property that can be reserved for a small addition. This would certainly be a wedding no guest would soon forget!

7. Historic Wykoff Jail Haus

Location: Wykoff, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Old Jail House

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Cost Per Night: $125/night

How many people can say they’ve spent the night in a jailhouse without being arrested? You could if you stay here! The Jail Haus was built in the late 1800s and was actually used as a real jail in the early 1900s. This quaint stay has two small rooms and a bathroom. There is a regular room with a queen bed, but for adventurous guests, you can stay on a bunk bed behind the original bars!

This is also a unique, affordable stay for outdoor enthusiasts. There are plenty of outdoor activities nearby. Forestville State Park is 10 minutes south, and several bike and walking trailheads are only about 8 miles away. They stay open over the winter months, too, so you can enjoy snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and other winter activities. This really is an adventure you shouldn’t miss!

8. Klarhet’s Berkanan Dome

Location: Tofte, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Glass Dome

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $345/night

Sleep under the stars… in a comfortable bed in a heated room! You can have the best of both worlds, indoor and outdoor, in the Berkanan Dome. Berkanon, Old Norse for “Birth, new growth, and Mother Earth,” is a one-of-a-kind geodesic dome with a glass front that provides you with amazing, panoramic views.

You can expect a private and completely unique stay at the dome. It’s the epitome of a glamping experience. Enjoy the stars next to a cozy fire in the fireplace before falling asleep at night and rise with the sun out of your king-size bed, thanks to the resident rooster alarm clock. Information of note: due to insurance requirements at this moment, Klarhet’s Berkanan Dome can only host guests 5 years and older.

9. Yurt at Three Fires Camp on the River

Location: Saginaw, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Yurt

Minimum Stay: 2 nights

Cost Per Night: $72/night

For an adventurous spirit, the Yurt at Three Fires Camp on the River is the perfect getaway! This yurt is on the edge of a forest and overlooks a meadow that is an active forest restoration project. Right from your door, you’ve got access to hiking trails that wander through the woods to the edge of the Cloquet River. When it’s frozen, you can even snowshoe up the river’s edge!

Once you get back, you can enjoy the fantastic views next to the fire. Keep in mind, this yurt is heated solely by a wood stove with no electricity or running water. The firewood and instructions are provided for you, as well as drinking and washing water that can be refilled on site. Solar lights and candle lanterns are available and the outhouse is a short walk from the yurt. Your reservation comes with two sets of snowshoes in the winter, and two kayaks and inner tubes in the spring, summer, and fall. This rustic spot would be quite the experience and impossible to forget!

10. SnowGlobe Igloo

Location: Afton, Minnesota

Type of Stay: Igloo

Minimum Stay: 1 night

Cost Per Night: $299/night

At the SnowGlobe Igloo, be prepared to be amazed as you snuggle in your cozy, warm queen-size bed under a gorgeous starry sky. This perfectly clear dome is heated by a gas fireplace, so this real-life fairy tale is ready for you all year long! The completely clear dome means you have completely panoramic views. You can watch the snow gently fall in the winter, or see the rain hitting the dome in the summer.

Sunrises and sunsets will be completely immersive in this space. It’s really something you have to experience to believe. And don’t worry, there’s a private outhouse that’s located right behind the igloo. This is the ultimate romantic getaway or even a great option for a solo trip to reconnect with yourself. For an additional small fee ($50) you can add on a private hot tub. I really don’t know if it would get any better!

Which will you choose?

Now that you’ve seen some of the amazing airbnbs in Minnesota, which will you choose? And I used the word “some” because there are countless incredible options of creative, unique, and beautiful places to stay on Airbnb in the beautiful state of Minnesota!

Jump in the comments and let us know—which spot are you dying to stay at? Do you know of a rental listing that can’t be missed that didn’t make our list of best airbnbs in Minnesota? Let us know!

Still haven’t found your perfect getaway? Then keep learning about unique places to stay in Minnesota to book the perfect reservation for your next trip!

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