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Alex V. Cipolle

Author

With its distinctive roof lines, the Burgen Lake rest area outside Alexandria is seen as a classic of modernist “funk/revival” style. It may make the National Register of Historic Places. Here’s why it’s not your average bathroom stop.


Roadside rest stops typically aren’t built to last. Most travelers never give their designs a thought or raise their eyes to the roof line. In Minnesota, they last about 25 years before the Transportation Department knocks them down to build something new. It’s a different vibe, though, at the Burgen Lake stop near Alexandria, where state and local officials see a piece of history worth saving.

I-94 rest stop brings the 'funk,' may make Minnesota history

Paul Middlestaedt for MPR News

A fresh coating of snow blankets the Burgen Lake Rest Area

Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Transportation

Energy efficient lights illuminate the surrounding

The brick exterior of the Burgen Lake Rest Area

By Corey Gaffer

A photo of a rest stop area in the early evening.

I-94 rest stop brings the 'funk,' may make Minnesota history

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