MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - This isn't your typical little red barn.

In fact, the 4,000-square-foot, two-story behemoth isn't little at all. And the barn, which doubles as a rentable retreat center and arts-and-crafts hall, is foreign to both swine and bovine.

But it sure is red. A bright, brilliant red that proclaims like a prairie beacon that this region's latest event destination is open for business.

"Everyone pitched in," said Shelley Leenhouts, who built Red Barn Retreats with her husband, Marty, on their five-acre plot of rural Garden City property. "It's been amazing."

Several years ago, Shelley and Marty Leenhouts decided they wanted to build a woodworking shop where Marty could pursue his passion for chip carving, an intricate form of wood carving that he has also parlayed into a small business.

But the idea for a woodworking shop quickly ballooned.

Soon, the self-motivated and eminently handy Marty - his mother verified that he's always had a healthy appetite for creation and innovation - began working up the design for a sprawling red barn where he could teach chip carving, where Shelley could hold scrapbooking workshops and where they would still have space left over.

They recruited all the help they could find and began erecting the barn's skeleton.

Marty taught himself to do stone work and laid a stone path around the entire barn that culminates in a rock fountain that was built by a friend in exchange for a personalized lesson on carving techniques.

Shelley found an old windmill on Craigslist - "We had to have a windmill," she said - and an uncle went and picked it up in Iowa, hauling it home in two pieces before restoring it to original luster. One of Marty's former students from the online Christian school for which he teaches stayed with the family for several days to help with odd jobs. A couple days before the recent public unveiling, four of Shelley's church friends showed up to help square away final details.

"They were here four days straight," said Shelley, rattling off their list of accomplishments. "They worked on the kitchen. They worked on the bathroom. They were putting in sinks."

The barn has several event rooms and sitting rooms as well as a fully functional kitchen and three bathrooms.

Shelley said she hopes the peaceful, rural setting - the Watonwan River snakes just yards from the farmhouse - and barn's warm, wooden confines will lend a sense of spirituality and reinvigoration to its customers.

"I really hope people can walk away in awe of the awesome creator we have," said Shelley, giving credit to God for the barn's creation, which required much of the family's savings and incalculable hours of labor from friends and family.

"I hope people feel renewed."

The barn can be rented for events, family reunions, arts-and-craft groups and business retreats. Marty and Shelley will hold their own scrapbooking, quilting and chip carving workshops at the center. Through a partnership with the AmericInn in Madelia, patrons of Red Barn Retreats can also receive a deep discount on a nearby hotel room.

Red Barn Retreats is located a few miles southwest of Garden City and is found online at RedBarnRetreats.com.