PLACE · MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
Cattle Barn
A massive 117,450 sq ft brick barn built in 1920 (with a 21,000 sq ft steel annex added in 1970) that can house 1,000 head of cattle. Home to 4-H, FFA, and open-class dairy and beef cattle shows. Walk the stalls to see Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss dairy cows alongside Angus and Hereford beef cattle. The smell is authentic — this is the real working heart of the fair.
The 2026 Minnesota State Fair ended on Monday, September 7, 2026. Everything below describes the 2026 fair, which is the most recent one I hold — stands, buildings and rides carry over year to year, but dates, prices and schedules do not. I update it when the fair publishes for 2027. The 2027 fair runs August 26 – September 6, 2027 — 293 days away.
- Built
- 1920
What is inside the Cattle Barn?
Animals (2)
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Last verified against the fair's own listing. Anything I cannot source I leave blank rather than estimate.
Compiled and checked by Keith Gulbro, who has been going to this fair for thirty-odd years and builds MN Fair Guide on his own — why he does it. Spotted something wrong? Tell him and it gets fixed.
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