Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling, a former fort at the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, 10 miles (16 km) south of present-day downtown Minneapolis. The fort was built in 1820 to protect pioneer settlers of Minnesota from Indian attacks. In 1825 it was named for Josiah Snelling, the first commander. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin began his first experiments with lighter-than-air craft here while serving as a military observer during the Civil War. Fort Snelling has been largely restored and is a popular tourist attraction.