The riverside grounds that flank the Mississippi are so well hidden that many locals don’t even realize they’re there. But finding this metal museum, which is inside a former military hospital and the only museum of its kind in the entire country, is well worth the effort. The museum occupies three side-by-side buildings. The one closest to the entrance is where you’ll buy your ticket, check out the latest exhibit, and perhaps even spend a few dollars on artistic wares. (I walked out with a hammered pewter ring and a bronze wire piece titled "Sisters" for my house, and I could have left with a whole lot more.) Spread across the grounds are various installations, each one more fascinating than the next. The big white house in the back is home to the permanent pieces and the library, and to its left is the blacksmith shop, where you can see the resident smiths blazing custom bed frames, chandeliers, benches, and the like. Be sure to check out the gazebo in the backyard, which has some of the best unobstructed views of the Mississippi River around. Budget about 90 minutes to explore the whole place.