Mayo Clinic Website

Mayo Clinic

Here's the main website for Mayo Clinic. From here you can find just about everything you need to know about coming to Rochester for a visit to the Mayo Clinic. There's also health information where you can find out about diseases and conditions from A to Z, tests and procedures A to Z, drugs and supplements A to Z, plus much more.

Before you come to visit, and also while you are here, look at Google maps of Rochester to help you find your way around.

It may seem confusing, but almost everyone downtown can help you find your way. If a person is walking quickly and looking straight ahead, they probably know their way around. Ask them. If a person is walking slowly and looking around a lot, they are lost. Offer to help them find their way along with you finding your way.

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And now for some photos:

Downtown Rochester Minnesota

This photo is of downtown Rochester looking west. (I took this photo from one of the upper floors at Broadway Residence and Suites located on Broadway and Center Street.) This is an old photo. I know that because I can see the yellow stripe on the street with cars parked on the side. Today that is a plaza and cars cannot drive there. It's just for pedestrians and community gatherings. Can you spot the skyway that links the Mariott and the Kahler? There are many more skyway connections throughout the downtown area, making it very convenient for pedestrians to get around downtown.

Here's the details on the main buildings in the photo above. In front, on the left side you can see the red letters of the Marriott Hotel. Behind that on the left is the Plummer Building with scaffolding around the tall pyramid portion. To the right of the Plummer Building is the shiny Siebens Building. Behind those two buildings is the Mayo Building. You can recognize it by the various subtle gray and white tiles on the outside. Attached to the Mayo building is the glass wall which connects to Gonda on the right.

In front of the glass wall connection you can see the large Kahler Hotel sign. Obviously, the Kahler is very close to Mayo and many people choose to stay at the Kahler Hotel. The Kahler extends almost to the right edge of this photo. On the very edge, with black windows is Methodist Hospital. In the front or center (and a little bit to the right) in this photo is the mirrored surface of Wells Fargo Bank. In front of that in bottom right of photo is the roof of (now closed) Barnes & Noble. It is a sloped roof (made of large tiles or bricks) with a light green portion that covers the entrance to Barnes & Noble. Sadly, our beautiful Barnes & Noble downtown closed some years ago. You can still find books at the Apache Mall location.
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Baldwin Building

The Baldwin Building is for Community Medicine. What that means is those of us who live in Rochester go to one of the doctors here. If you are from out of town and end up here, you have walked too far west. Go down to the subway level and take that hallway back to the Hilton Building and then to the Mayo and Gonda Buildings. I put this photo here to show what the signs at Mayo look like. You will see many of these blue and green Mayo Clinic signs around the downtown area. I also really liked the flowers in front of this sign.
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Rochester Methodist Hospital

Here is a view of Methodist Hospital as seen from the Center Street Parking Ramp. It's the tan brick building with black windows. I took this photo a few years ago in the spring. The red brick building with the green stripe around the top is the Colonial Building. The tall red brick building (in the background) with lots of windows is Charter House.

(By the way, all the photos on my blog are ones that I have taken myself. Yes, even this one. Please don't be naughty and copy them for your website. You know who you are!)
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Barnes & Noble Bookstore

This is, oops, I mean this was the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in downtown Rochester. In years past, it was the Chateau Theater. I was able to see one of the Star Wars movies here before it stopped being a theater. The interior is very much like a courtyard of a castle, so yes, very nice. This store closed at the end of 2014. We are waiting to see what happens. It would be very nice if the building stays. It is just lovely.

The Peace Plaza in front of the bookstore has been revamped in recent years. Instead of a sunken plaza, it is all street level and the fountain now is the focal point. Sadly, those lovely pink redbud trees are now gone.

Interior Barnes and Noble before it closed. 2014

Gonda Building Courtyard

There are numerous places at the Mayo Clinic and in the downtown area to just sit and rest. This is the courtyard of Gonda at the subway level. I took this photo form the second or third floor a few summers ago. No matter where you are at Mayo, you are likely to find flowers and trees that are always well cared for. It is very welcoming to be able to sit in such a peaceful place when you are between appointments.

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Gonda Building Piano in Subway Level

This piano is in the subway level of Gonda. You can see the flowers outside in the courtyard. Often people will be playing the piano here, sometimes also with a violinist or someone singing. It's often medical students, community members and sometimes even patients. I have never seen anyone playing this piano that didn't actually know how to play songs. I'm pretty sure that would not be allowed. But music that cheers the soul and lifts the spirits is always welcome. Click here to see a nice piano duet. There will be an ad first and then you can see the lively couple play a piano duet.


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Peace Plaza Downtown Rochester

Thursdays on First is what you see here. During the summer months you can find craftspeople and other vendors with their booths set up in Peace Plaza and on First Avenue. This photo was taken from one of the top floors in that connecting section between the Mayo and Gonda Buildings. This photo is looking to the east. On the left is the Kahler Hotel and on the right is the Siebens Building and Marriott Hotel. Surrounding the green grass area is Barnes and Noble on the left, O&B Shoes and Mac's Restaurant on the right. The Shops at University Square are straight ahead. That big maroon and gold M is for the University of Minnesota. In the distance is Mayo Civic Center.

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St. John the Evangelist Church

On the west side of the Damon Parking Ramp is this shady and quiet courtyard which is part of St. John the Evangelist Church. Years ago it was just grass with some tulips. Now it is very welcoming and peaceful with flowers, shrubs and trees. You are welcome to walk and look at the flowers and hostas and sit and relax while you are here in Rochester.

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Mayo Clinic

This photo is taken from the entrance to the Ozmun Building looking to the east. Most of the building you see is the Mayo Building. On the left is that glass connection to Gonda. There is just a little bit of the Gonda Building which is visible on the very left side of the photo. In front of Mayo is a red brick building that is mostly hidden behind the trees. That is Calvary Episcopal Church. It also has a welcoming grassy courtyard area on the side nearest the Mayo Building.


Enjoy your stay in Rochester!

Miscellaneous Stuff


I'll add stuff here as I think of it - stuff that is not necessarily about your visit to the Mayo Clinic, but information that people have asked about.

Stuff to do for the kids

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo -  It's not Disneyland, but most kids and adults will find it interesting. This is a short distance west of Rochester. You can get there by going on Highway 14 west to Byron, and then head north. Here is the address: 5731 Country Rd 105 NW, Byron, MN. Just look at it on Google maps to find it.

Quarry Hill Nature Center - This is right in Rochester, in the northeast part of town. You can hike on the trails, look at the pond life or visit the Nature Center to learn about animals in our part of Minnesota. There are many books in the library here, a bee hive that you can see from inside the Nature Center, and a large fish tank.

Rochester Public Library - If you have some spare time, you can go to the Library and sit and read. There are some fun things for the kids to do in the Children's section.

Minnesota Children's Museum Rochester - This is about a mile north of downtown on Broadway (Hwy 63). It is in the River Center Plaza across the street from Burger King. You will see a Coffee and Bagels place. If you start seeing Fiesta Cafe, you have gone too far, so turn left at next stoplight and head back towards the Mall. This is also the same Mall where The Quilting Cupboard is located.

Quilt Stores - 

Pine Needles Quilt and Sew is located at Barclay Square next to Old Country Buffet. Barclay Square is on Highway 52 just across the highway from Apache Mall. They have flannels, civil war prints, notions, patterns and Bernina Sewing Machines.

As quilters know, quilt shops come and go. There used to be another in Rochester and one in Zumbrota, but they both closed about the same time. 

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Find everything at Hunt Pharmacy and Gifts Store. Well, not everything ... they don't have the kitchen sink. But they have an extensive variety of merchandise that you want or need. Check out that link to Hunt' see photos from the store to give you an idea of what they have. Here's a short list of what you can find.

Prescriptions
Over the Counter Medications
Health and Beauty Products
Medical Supplies
Fragrances, Soaps, Lotions
Cosmetics
Purses, Scarves
Office Supplies
Toys, Stuffed Animals, Puzzles
Hallmark Cards, Gift Wrap and Gifts
Paperback Books and Magazines
Post Office
Card Games
Candy - from candy bars to boxes of chocolates

Of course, there's not going to be a selection of hundreds of purses, or every book on the market, but if you are away from home and realize you forgot something or if you want a card or gift for someone who is in the hospital, you just might find it here. It's only about a mile north of downtown on Broadway (Hwy 63). Go past the McDonald's, keep going about a block more and when you see Burger King on the right, that's the strip mall where Hunt's is located.

There are a lot of different items that would be good for a patient or a visitor with lots of time to fill between appointments. For example there are coloring books for children and adults. There are many different types of card games. Sure, there are regular decks of cards and the old familiar games such as Go Fish and Old Maid. But there are also many newer card games such as Slamwich for younger kids and Spot It for older kids and adults. And in the paperback and magazine section there is a large assortment of books to pass the time - crossword puzzles, word find, and sudoku. These are nice books to keep your mind busy while you are recuperating or visiting a family member.