HIDDEN GEM

Luverne MN is the home of several attractions that most of us did not know about until our February Drive &Dine.

Twenty SFCC members drove their daily drivers to tour the Brandenburg Gallery and Military Museum. What we found was very impressive. The gallery and museum are housed in the totally remodeled former Rock County sheriff’s office, sheriff’s family living quarters and the county jail. Jim Brandenburg’s wildlife photography is displayed on the first two floors and the Military Museum occupies the top two floors. The exterior of the four story quartz building is flanked by an outdoor patio and a memorial to the men and women who served our country in the military. The fence around the patio is built from the old jail cells which adds to the well planned overall experience.

The interior of the building is an excellent setting to display Brandenburg’s wildlife and outdoor photography in addition to comfortable seating areas to relax and reflect. The military museum occupied the majority of our time and interest. Jim Burns’ WWII documentary “The War” is shown on a 50’’ TV surrounded by comfortable over stuffed chairs. The documentary follows the lives of servicemen from 3 towns in the US, as they served in different branches and battles. Luverne is one of the featured towns. The stories are compelling and the original film footage has an impact. If you were unable to attend try to plan to see this “hidden gem”.

One suggestion is that SFCC travel to Luverne on Friday June 2, tour the museum then attend Luverne’s Cruise In Car Show from 6-10:30. They will have food vendors, a beer garden and live music in addition to a nice car show.

We called this trip a Drive & Dine, but maybe it should have been called a Drive, Do & Dine. About ¾ of our group enjoyed a great meal and conversation at Sterling’s.