Mill Ruins Park and the Stone Arch Bridge
Divide and conquer is the best way to squeeze the best the Twin Cities have to offer into just two days. If you go by foot, plan on three or four miles of walking a day.
Start your tour where Minneapolis began, on the Mississippi River. On a summer Saturday, grab a pastry, coffee, and even an early-morning bratwurst at the Mill City Farmers Market.
There’s plenty right on the riverfront to fill a morning: the Guthrie Theater’s endless bridge, the 1.8-mile St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail, the stunning Stone Arch and Hennepin Avenue Bridges, Mill Ruins Park, and the Mill City Museum (don’t miss the film Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat).
Mill Ruins Park and the Stone Arch Bridge
To get an even closer view of St. Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on the Mississippi, stop at Water Power Park.
Spend the afternoon strolling down Nicollet Mall. Start at the Minneapolis Central Library and head southeast. Along the way, see the skyways by ducking into just about any store or office building and following signs. On Thursdays between May and October, the Nicollet Mall Market, a farmers market, sets up along most of the mall. At 12th Street, head down the Loring Greenway—a parklike path between two high-rise condo buildings—to Loring Park.
Nicollet Mall
Directly across the park from the greenway is the yellow-and-blue Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, which leads to the Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden, home of the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry, by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
Your evening options from here are great: Treat yourself to fine dining at Burch steak house or at one of the half dozen restaurants ringing Loring Park. For less expensive ethnic fare, head to Eat Street (Nicollet Ave. between 13th St. and 29th St.).
After dinner, if you don’t have theater tickets, the bars along 1st Avenue are always hopping. Or unwind with lawn bowling on Brit’s Pub’s rooftop or a jazz show at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant.
Start your day in St. Paul with Swedish pancakes at the St. Paul Hotel, then step right outside and enjoy beautiful Rice Park, flanked by some of the city’s most recognizable buildings. Spend a few minutes admiring the interior of the Landmark Center or spend an hour or so at one of the small museums inside. Before leaving the park, take a peek inside the reference library at the James J. Hill Center, find out what’s showing at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and snap a few pictures with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his friends the Peanuts characters, cast in bronze.
Your next stop is the Minnesota History Center, which deserves as much time as you’re able to give it (the gift shop is a great place to get souvenirs).
The Cathedral of St. Paul, a short walk away, welcomes both the faithful and the respectfully curious.
Cathedral of St. Paul
From the sweeping curve of the Stone Arch Bridge, you can see St. Anthony Falls and the downtown Minneapolis skyline (click here).
The 32-story Foshay was once the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast, and its observation deck is still a classic spot from which to view Minneapolis (click here).
Indian Mounds Park sits high on a bluff over the city and offers wonderful views of the downtown St. Paul skyline and river (click here).
view from Indian Mounds Park
Grab a seat on this restaurant’s dockside patio or rooftop and take in expansive views of Lake Minnetonka (click here).
From the public patio outside the museum, you can see the bridges crossing the Mississippi River, bluff to bluff (click here).
A little less than a mile away, the Minnesota State Capitol offers tours on the hour, or you can wander on your own. Leave a little time to explore the memorials on the grounds.
For dinner and entertainment, head back to downtown St. Paul proper. The classic American St. Paul Grill and the French Meritage are on Rice Park. For something way more fun than classic, try the New American dining at Saint Dinette.
Most of the Twin Cities’ livelier nightlife takes place in downtown Minneapolis, but a couple of taprooms, including Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, have opened in downtown St. Paul, and Vieux Carre hosts live jazz nearly every night.
If you’ve got an extra day in the Twin Cities and you’ve exhausted those rather ambitious itineraries for the first two days, it’s time to head out of the two downtown cores.
Get some fresh air on the walking paths around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis or in St. Paul’s sprawling Como Park. Take a short hike around Minnehaha Falls, which inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.
Minnehaha Falls
On warm days, dine alfresco at Sea Salt in Minnehaha Falls Park.
If you’re in the mood to shop, then St. Paul’s Grand Avenue is your best bet. To venture any farther out of town, you’ll need your own car. The only real exception to this is the Mall of America, which is a good option on a cold winter day.
For some kid-friendly sightseeing, head west to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum or south to the Minnesota Zoo.
orchids at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum