White Bear Lake Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Ramsey County, Minnesota


	White Bear Lake Houses for Sale

White Bear Lake

The White Bear Lake region was originally inhabited by Native Americans who hunted small game and fished the lake waters. Legend says that White Bear Lake received its name from the story of a Sioux hunter who killed a white bear on Manitou Island. The spirit of that bear is said to live on the island to this day. The story is the inspiration for White Bear Lake’s annual Manitou Days, a festival complete with live music, fireworks and a parade.

European settlers arrived in the region in the middle of the 19th century. White Bear Lake then evolved into a summertime lakeside resort destination. In those days, grand hotels, casinos and dance halls attracted an upper-class crowd that enjoyed rubbing elbows and having fun. After the turn of the century, the appearance of cars and streetcars brought even more visitors to White Bear Lake.

In the second half of the 20th century, White Bear Lake’s farmland gave way to residential development, setting the stage for the White Bear Lake of today. The downtown center, though, remained largely the same. Today still, downtown is reminiscent of the earlier resort days, with its unique arts and crafts retailers, boutiques, antique stores and cafés. A historic train depot on display adds to the charm.

Outdoor activities available in White Bear Lake include water sports, community sports, walking and hiking. The city has more than 20 public parks, including the Rotary Nature Preserve at Birch Lake. This 29-acre nature preserve features walking trails and a scenic overlook. Other park facilities available are picnic shelters, sports fields, fishing and skating ponds, and basketball and volleyball courts.

White Bear Lake has two main arts venues: White Bear Center for the Arts and Lakeshore Players Theatre. The White Bear Center for the Arts organization promotes the arts through classes, contests and workshops. The Lakeshore Players is a community theatre group that manages a busy schedule of performance and offers acting classes and instruction to the community. Performances are held in a renovated church on Stewart Avenue.