Fort Ridgely State Park, on the Minnesota River south of Fairfax, preserves the site of Fort Ridgely and the Battle of Fort Ridgely from the Dakota War of 1862. Established in 1911, the park later gained notable Rustic Style buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1936, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For many years it also stood out within Minnesota’s state park system for its only 9-hole golf course, laid out above the river and along Fort Ridgely Creek. After revenue declined, the course closed in September 2016, and plans called for restoring the land to native prairie.