I’ve been in Fergus Falls countless times, I even stayed there once while stranded in a blizzard. But it wasn’t until recently I found out about this fascinating piece of history, an architectural marvel, the shuttered Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center. 
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Another peculiar oddity in the town of Fergus Falls, MN is found a few miles outside of town at the end of a tiny dirt road. There aren’t really any signs other than a small handmade sign in the parking lot, which is basically a grass turn-around. There are a couple trailheads leading from here, but they don’t really explain where to go. But once you set off on foot, you’re in for quite the sight. Sitting in disarray on the Otter Tail River, is the Broken Down Dam. Continue reading
Otto the Otter, who stands at the shores of a small lake in Grotto Park, is the official mascot of Fergus Falls, MN. Made of concrete and metal, it is roughly 40 feet long and about 15 feet tall. The otter was a project that a shop teacher and his students from Fergus Falls High School completed in 1972, and was given to the city as a gift for the centennial celebration. A local metal artist had to step in and save the project after the students’ rendering was not up to par.
Otto overlooks Grotto Lake in the town of Fergus Falls and is very popular photo op. It’s not uncommon to see wedding parties taking photos near it, as well as locals and tourists visiting. Otto belongs on every Minnesota roadsider’s checklist, and even though a sign says stay off the otter, sometimes rules are made to be broken.
While in the area: Check out the Broken Down Dam Park, on the nearby Otter Tail River, where an old concrete dam has crumbled and been left exactly as such, or the amazing and abandoned Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center.
