[4] On Lake Minnetonka's southern shore, the community serves as a local tourism destination for shoppers, boaters, and restaurant-goers.

Considered a western suburb of the Twin Cities, Excelsior is about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis.

The first Euro-Americans known to have visited Lake Minnetonka were two teenage boys, Joe Brown and Will Snelling, who canoed up Minnehaha Creek from Fort Saint Anthony in 1822.

[6] Minnesota's territorial governor Alexander Ramsey officially named Lake Minnetonka in 1852.

[7] The next year, a group of settlers from New York established Excelsior, the lake's first white settlement.

Streetcars were used in Excelsior as a part of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company system until 1932, when the line was cut back to Hopkins.

Operated by Ray Colihan, it hosted performances by Lawrence Welk, Fred Waring, and the Andrews Sisters in the 1930s.

Beach Boys singer Mike Love remembered the performance as a significant moment for the band in a 2019 interview.

[10] It has been speculated that Excelsior resident Jimmy Hutmaker inspired Mick Jagger to write the 1969 song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" after a chance encounter at a local drugstore earlier that day, but this claim has long been disputed.

[11] In 1974 President Gerald Ford purchased a golden retriever named Liberty from Excelsior resident Avis Friberg.

[12] Over the years, Excelsior's downtown historic district has been home to many businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and merchants.

[13] The Excelsior Commons and Lake Minnetonka are central amenities to the community and major draws for tourists.

[20] Other notable recreation areas include Excelsior Parkland and the Lake Minnetonka shoreline.

[citation needed] Excelsior is home to many churches and places of worship, of which the majority are denominations of Christianity.