Chanhassen, MN

Paisley Park, Prince’s former Chanhassen estate and studio, now operates as a museum. The city is about 15 miles southwest of Minneapolis; most lies in Carver County, with a small section in Hennepin County. Chanhassen’s population increased from 25,947 in 2020 to an estimated 26,469 in 2024. Joseph Vogel and his brothers Frank and August were the first recorded settlers, establishing a home near Rice Marsh Lake in 1852. German American farm families later traded with communities around Lake Minnetonka and Chaska. Carver County’s first school opened in Susan Hazeltine’s home near Hazeltine Lake in 1855. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, founded in 1968, has staged more than 200 productions and is described as the country’s largest professional dinner theater. The city also has five public beaches and contains the headquarters of Life Time Fitness.