St. John the Baptist was established in 1903, and stood at 1st Street and Courtland in
Excelsior. When the parish was first established, it had the whole of Lake Minnetonka
for its territory. In 1951, as the parish and community continued to grow, a decision to add a
parish school was made, necessitating a bigger property. A site was found on Mill Street and
construction began soon after. A school and convent were completed in 1952, followed by
completion of the current church building in 1960.
An adoration chapel was opened in 1994, as well as a large gathering space. In 2016 the school
transitioned to become a Catholic Montessori school. Soon after, in 2018, major renovations were
completed in the church. The sanctuary was reoriented 180 degrees and the entrance of the church
was moved to the gathering space, which was the original plan in 1994. The interior of the church
was renovated, stained glass windows were added, and the adoration chapel was expanded.