Minneapolis City Hall
Note that Sight listings include links to Google Maps. Using a WiFi connection is advised to avoid roaming charges.
Downtown St. Paul and West Side
Summit-University and Mac-Groveland
When Minnesotans want to play or relax they head for the water, and visitors should do the same. The Mississippi River and lakes scattered throughout the Twin Cities are intertwined with daily life here. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul grew up on the riverfront.
Minneapolis City Hall
The river creates the northern and eastern boundaries of Minneapolis’s downtown zone, running downstream from the historic Warehouse District and past the eastern edge of downtown at the Guthrie Theater and adjoining parkland. Once powered exclusively by the mighty Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls, many of the flour mills and silos that put Minnesota on the map still stand but have been converted into lofts, art galleries, and museums, joined by recreation areas and restaurants.
St. Paul sits high on bluffs a few miles downstream from Minneapolis; the river separates the two cities for the most part. The stately Cathedral of St. Paul is perched on one hill to the west of St. Paul’s downtown, facing the Minnesota State Capitol, which is on another hill across the interstate. The central business district lies below these two domes, centered on Rice Park.
Getting oriented on foot in both downtowns is fairly easy and an enjoyable form of sightseeing in itself. See Minneapolis by strolling Nicollet Mall, starting from rolling Loring Park and heading toward Minneapolis Central Library. Move easily between the two downtowns using the light rail Green Line.
| Downtown Minneapolis |
TOP EXPERIENCE
1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612/375-7600, www.walkerart.org; gallery Tues.-Wed. and Sun. 11am-5pm, Thurs. 11am-9pm, Fri.-Sat. 11am-6pm; garden daily 6am-midnight; gallery $15 adults, $13 seniors, $10 students, children under 18 free; garden free
Like a giant tinfoil marshmallow floating on the southeast corner of downtown, the Walker Art Center makes an impression. It’s known as one of the best places to experience multidisciplinary contemporary art in the country, having built its reputation over nine decades. When it opened in 1927, it was the first public gallery of art in the Upper Midwest. Today it holds works by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Claes Oldenburg, Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol, and others in its permanent collection and hosts consistently forward-looking exhibitions combining visual arts, sound, and movement.
The 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a joint project of the Walker and the Minneapolis Park Board, opened in 1988 adjacent to the Walker itself and underwent a complete overhaul completed in 2016. The highlight of the park and beloved symbol of Minneapolis, Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Spoonbridge and Cherry, has been joined by Katharina Fritsch’s joyful Hahn/Cock, a cobalt blue rooster standing proudly over the other pieces.
Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden
The Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge—two linked yellow-and-blue arches—connects the sculpture garden to Loring Park across 16 lanes of traffic. To keep yourself from looking down as you cross the bridge, you can read John Ashbery’s specially commissioned untitled poem, which begins: “And now I cannot remember how I would have had it. It is not a conduit (confluence?) but a place.”
To get to the art center, take bus 4 or 6 to the Vineland stop (southbound) or the Oak Grove stop (northbound).
West River Pkwy. between Hennepin Ave. S. and Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612/333-5336; visitors center Apr.-Nov. daily 10am-5pm; free
Right here, on the banks of the Mississippi, is where Minneapolis began. The only waterfall on the Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls powered the city’s birth and growth and continues to provide enough electricity for downtown Minneapolis. The falls originated nearly nine miles downriver, near what is now downtown St. Paul, and migrated upstream as the soft sandstone underlayer eroded and the limestone top layer collapsed. Had this erosion continued, the waterfall, which was moving a few feet to a hundred feet every year, would have disappeared altogether, and Minneapolis wouldn’t exist. But human industry intervened, and today the waterfall flows over a concrete apron.
The Mdewakanton Dakota people, who dominated the area before the arrival of Europeans, called the falls mnirara (curling waters) and considered many locations in the area sacred, including the now-vanished Spirit Island.
Father Louis Hennepin, a Belgian priest, was the first European to see the falls, in 1680, just three years after he was the first to set eyes on Niagara Falls. He sent home enthusiastic (perhaps overly so) descriptions of a 50-foot cataract, attracting explorers and a growing stream of settlers. The waterfall was first harnessed for industrial use in 1848, when the first sawmill was built, and the logging industry drove rapid development until the 1880s, when flour milling took over. By that time, there were 25 flour mills on the river’s banks, as well as the North Star Woolen Mill, which later became one of the first condo developments in downtown Minneapolis.
The best view of the falls is from Hennepin Island, home to Xcel Energy’s hydroelectric plant and Water Power Park, where it almost feels like you could reach out and touch the foam from the observation platform. University of Minnesota scientists also use the island to study the falls at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, home to the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics. You can also get a good look at the falls from the Stone Arch Bridge.
Stone Arch Bridge
The falls are five blocks north of the Government Plaza station on the Blue and Green light-rail lines. Or, take bus 7 or 22 along Washington Avenue to the Park Avenue stop.
Portland Ave. S. and West River Pkwy., Minneapolis
When railroad baron James J. Hill completed the Stone Arch Bridge in 1883, the state’s railway commissioner said the limestone structure had been “constructed for a thousand years.” Well into the bridge’s second century, his prediction is holding true.
Built as the first rail connection from the industry on the east side of the Mississippi to the growing metropolitan hub on the west side, it led right to the Union Depot. Its unique and impressive design was dictated by the location: Hill’s Great Northern Railway needed to connect a point on the east bank below the falls to a point on the west bank above the falls. It couldn’t cross the falls diagonally, and engineers feared that if the bridge sat entirely above St. Anthony, the falls would collapse. So it skirts the downstream edge of the falls for most of its length, and then goes into a beautifully engineered and fairly sharp curve on the west side. The metal trusses were incorporated into the western end of the bridge in the 1960s to accommodate boats. The beloved Minneapolis landmark carried trains until 1978, then opened to pedestrians and bikes in 1994. The bridge is part of a self-guided walking tour along the falls area, with excellent interpretive signs and one of the most beloved views of the downtown skyline.
The bridge is five blocks north of the Government Plaza station on the light-rail Blue and Green Lines. Or, take bus 7 or 22 along Washington Avenue to the Park Avenue stop.
88 17th St. N., Minneapolis, 612/333-1381, www.mary.org; Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-5pm, Sat. 8am-6:30pm, Sun. 6:30am-7pm; 15-minute tours Sun. after 9:30am and 11:30am masses; call 612/333-1381 to schedule group tours during the week; free
Many of the earliest European settlers in Minnesota were Catholic, including the Belgian priest Father Louis Hennepin, who was the first European to see St. Anthony Falls. In fact, the first Catholic Church west of the Mississippi was built in Minneapolis in 1868, several blocks northeast of where the Basilica of St. Mary stands now.
Construction on the basilica began in 1908, at the same time as the cathedral in St. Paul, and it served as a co-cathedral within the archdiocese. In 1926, it officially became the first basilica in the United States (there are now 58). The basilica, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been called one of the finest examples of beaux arts in the country, was designed by the principal architect of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, Emmanuel Masqueray. Look for the many symbols of Mary in the stonework and windows, including pomegranates, doves, and fleurs-de-lis.
When Highways 94 and 394 were built in the 1960s, the parish splintered and the congregation dwindled. By the 1980s, the building itself was seriously suffering. But as downtown Minneapolis revived, so did the basilica; a full restoration was completed in the 1990s, along with a new dome. Today the basilica is known not only as a spiritual home, but also as the host of the rockingest block party in town every July.
While there are works of art to see and experience throughout the building, you can visit the John XXIII Gallery (Sat. 10am-6:30pm, Sun. 7:30am-8pm) to see intriguingly and intellectually curated exhibits of sacred art, both contemporary and historical.
Buses 4 and 6, both of which run along Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis and Uptown, stop right in front of the basilica.
821 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis, 612/215-3783, www.foshaymuseum.com; Mon.-Wed. 10am-6pm, Thurs. 10am-9pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 11am-5pm; $10 adults, $6 children 4 to 14
Funny story about the Foshay: It was meant to be a homage to the Washington Monument and an art deco shrine to its owner, Wilbur Foshay. Instead what people remember is this: the $20,000 check to John Philip Sousa that bounced. That’s right, bounced. Real estate and utilities mogul Foshay went all out for the official opening of his new building in 1929, even commissioning the “Foshay Tower-Washington Memorial March” from Sousa for the occasion. But six weeks after the gala, Foshay lost his entire fortune and then spent 15 years in Leavenworth prison for fraud. Sousa, so the story goes, refused to allow the march to be played until his debt was repaid. In 1999, a group of Minnesotans paid back the composer’s estate.
Minnesotans of several generations remember the 32-story Foshay Tower as the tallest building in downtown Minneapolis, which it was until 1972, when the 55-story IDS Tower surpassed it. There are now well over a dozen buildings in Minneapolis taller than the Foshay, but generations of families remember riding the elevator to the observation deck to look out over the city. The W Minneapolis hotel now occupies the tower. It has preserved the 31st-floor observation deck, along with a small collection of artifacts from the building’s heyday, and added a layer of 21st-century opulence that would have made the bankrupt mogul proud.
The Foshay is three blocks south of the Nicollet Mall station on the light rail’s Blue and Green Lines and one block east of Nicollet Mall, where the 10, 11, 17, 18, 25, and 59 bus lines run.
Nicollet Ave. between 4th St. S. and 12th St. S., Minneapolis; store hours vary
Pick your anatomical metaphor: Nicollet Mall is the backbone of downtown Minneapolis and the heart of the city. The mile-long pedestrian and transit corridor stretches from the Loring Greenway (a shady, parklike walkway that connects to Loring Park) at the south end to Washington Avenue at the north end. This is where Mary Tyler Moore famously tossed her tam-o’-shanter into the air in front of Dayton’s department store (now Macy’s). But Mary herself wouldn’t recognize much of the landmark street now. Where downtown office workers once power-walked, a $50 million renovation, started in 2015, brought public seating, public art, lighting installations, and glades of trees. Stroll by on Thursdays from May to October for the Nicollet Mall Market, or enjoy lunch, dinner, or drinks at one of the dozens of outdoor restaurants.
public seating on Nicollet Mall
TOP EXPERIENCE
In the 1960s, the business leaders of downtown Minneapolis realized they needed to compete with the expanding parking lots and indoor amenities of the suburbs (Southdale, the nation’s first enclosed shopping mall, opened in Edina, Minnesota, in 1956). Their solution has become one of the Twin Cities’ most recognizable traits: the skyway system. In Minneapolis, second-floor glass-enclosed walkways total 9.5 miles and connect more than 80 blocks—nearly every building in downtown’s central business district, including 4,000 hotel rooms. It’s the nation’s first and most extensive system of its kind. St. Paul’s slightly smaller and less lively system totals about 5 miles.
Minneapolis skyway
Detractors say moving people up to the skyways kills street-level businesses. Others argue that you have to redefine “street-level.” About 200,000 pedestrians walk the skyways in Minneapolis every day, patronizing small shops, restaurants, and businesses of all kinds. The skyway-level restaurants are a great place to people-watch, and the passageways also offer fun windows onto street life below; find a skyway crossing Nicollet Mall for the prettiest street views. Skyway maps are posted throughout each system.
The light-rail Blue and Green Lines stop at the north end of Nicollet Mall, and the 10, 11, 17, 18, 25, and 59 bus lines run along it.
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, 612/543-8000, www.hclib.org; Mon.-Thurs. 9am-9pm, Fri.-Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm; free
Even if you don’t have any literary or reference needs during your visit to the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis Central Library is worth a look for the architecture and atmosphere alone. A four-story glass atrium joins two buildings: one with four floors of open stacks and sunny work spaces, the other with stacks, meeting rooms, and more secluded work spaces. The 350,000-square-foot building, completed in 2006, occupies a whole block and was designed by Argentine-born architect Cesar Pelli. Finding it is easy: Look for the massive metal wing floating out over Hennepin Avenue.
Minneapolis Central Library
Teens and younger kids will each find their own space in the library: Teens can hang out, read, and work on multimedia and tech projects (adult mentors are on site Mon.-Thurs. 3-8pm) in Teen Central, with wraparound bookshelves and all kinds of places to sit. The Children’s Library on the ground floor has the largest public collection of children’s books in the Midwest, including books in more than 30 languages. There’s space for families to curl up with a book together and recharge, and even room for little ones to get some wiggles out.
Cargill Hall hosts a half dozen art exhibits annually. Special collections in the James K. Hosmer Special Collections (Mon.-Thurs. 10am-4:30pm, 1st and 3rd Sat. 10am-4:30pm, free tours 1st and 3rd Sat. 11am) on the fourth floor focus on abolitionism, Mark Twain, local history, and more. Piano players can reserve a beautiful, airy room with a grand piano and floor-to-ceiling windows for practice. Free library tours are offered on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 1pm, the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 6:30pm, and the last Sunday of the month at 2pm; no registration is required.
You don’t need a library card to visit the library or browse, but you do need one to check out materials or use one of the 300 computers available for free public use. There is one particularly modern feature of the library you’ll probably never see: an 18,000-square-foot green roof planted with ground cover, reducing heating and cooling costs for the building.
The library is one block north of the Nicollet Mall station on the light-rail Blue and Green Lines.
350 5th St. S., Minneapolis, 612/596-9535, www.municipalbuildingcommission.org; Mon.-Fri. 6am-6pm, limited access on weekends and later in the evening; free
When the Municipal Building, as it is also known, was completed in 1888, it boasted the biggest public clock in the world (beating out Big Ben’s diameter by six inches). With a 345-foot tower, it also remained the tallest structure in Minneapolis for four decades. (The Foshay Tower topped it in 1929.) The building, with its Romanesque gables and green copper roof, still houses the Minneapolis City Council offices and meeting rooms, but many of Hennepin County’s court functions have moved across the street to the Hennepin County Government Center, built in 1977 (look for the twin towers placed so close to each other that together they resemble a toaster). The main draw in the city hall, and definitely worth a brief stop as you walk through downtown, is Father of Waters, the massive statue of a Neptune-like figure representing Minneapolis’s status as the City of Lakes. (Rub his toe for good luck.) “Father of Waters” is also one of the many names for the Mississippi River. City hall, for architectural reasons, was never connected to the downtown skyway system but can be accessed by tunnels from the Hennepin County Government Center.
Father of Waters statue inside Minneapolis City Hall
Tours are offered on the third Wednesday of the month at noon. Gather at the Father of Waters statue. Brochures for self-guided tours are available at the security desk. (Can you spot the fossil in the marble walls?) The tower bells ring on the hour, half hour, and quarter hour and play hour-long concerts to mark special occasions throughout the year. With 15 bells in all, this is believed to be the only set of bells in the United States that can play the “Star-Spangled Banner” on key.
The light-rail Blue and Green Lines stop directly in front of the courthouse at Government Plaza Station.
Hennepin Ave. and West River Pkwy., Minneapolis
The first bridge to cross the Mississippi River was completed right on this spot in 1854 and hailed at the time as the “Gateway to the West.” The current bridge, completed in 1990, is the fourth in this location, an impressive art deco-influenced suspension bridge paying homage to the wooden suspension bridge the ambitious first engineers constructed, even though the site doesn’t necessarily call for this expensive type of construction (in fact, this is the shortest suspension bridge in the country). Underneath its six lanes of traffic, you can explore some remnants of the bridge’s predecessors in First Bridge Park, including the original footings and the massive iron anchors for the cable suspension system. Interpretive signs include pictures of the bridge’s predecessors. And kids can have fun counting the whimsical metal worms set in the pavement.
The bridge is five blocks north of the Warehouse and Hennepin Avenue station on the light-rail Blue and Green Lines. Buses 6 and 4 run across the bridge.
| South Minneapolis |
TOP EXPERIENCE
612/230-6400, www.minneapolisparks.org; daily 6am-10pm
One of the greatest gifts Minneapolis’s early civic leaders secured for future generations is the treasured Chain of Lakes. Whereas in other cities lakeshore trades hands privately, limiting enjoyment of the water to a few public-access beaches, in Minneapolis nearly every inch of land bordering the city’s dozen lakes is public parkland. (The notorious exception is a short piece of private land on the east side of Cedar Lake.) The land was acquired piece by piece through market-rate purchases and private donations starting in the early 1880s by the Minneapolis Park Board. The jewel of this ambitious system is the Chain of Lakes, four interconnected bodies of water: Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet.
Today, parkways encircle the lakes, along with more than 13 miles of walking and biking paths. Bike paths run one-way around each lake and are separated from the walking paths. Residents take advantage of the paths and parks year-round, but on especially beautiful days the heavy foot and wheel traffic can resemble a parade.
Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) is the largest of the four, with just over three miles of paths surrounding it. The state officially returned the lake to its Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska (pronounced “bid-EH ma-KAH skuh”) in 2018 in response to a public movement, as the name Calhoun refers to Secretary of State John C. Calhoun, a rabid proponent of slavery. The broad, unshaded swathes of grass here, along with a couple of sand volleyball courts, attract a young and fit crowd. Small sand beaches on the south and east sides are popular with families, and canoes and paddleboats can be rented at the north end.
Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun)
Lake Harriet is slightly smaller and shadier. During the summer, concerts are held daily at the bandshell on the north end. The Lake Harriet Yacht Club holds regattas and lessons. Children can hunt for the home of the Lake Harriet elf on the south end.
Surrounded by marshy lowlands, Lake of the Isles (2.6 miles around) makes up for what it lacks in recreation opportunities with great bird-watching. Cedar Lake, the smallest at 1.7 miles, is the quietest but has two terrific beaches. No swimming is allowed outside of marked areas.
To start exploring, take bus 17 to the north side of Bde Maka Ska or bus 6 to the south side.
42nd St. and Queen Ave., Minneapolis, 952/922-1096, www.trolleyride.org; May-Aug. Sat.-Sun. 12:30pm-8:30pm, Sept. Sat.-Sun. 12:30pm-7:30pm, Oct. Sat.-Sun. 12:30pm-4pm, plus Memorial Day-Aug. Mon.-Fri. 6:30pm-8:30pm and June-Aug. Wed. 1pm-4pm; $2.50, children 3 and under free
At its peak, the Twin Cities Rapid Transit company’s streetcars traveled from Stillwater (east of St. Paul) to Excelsior (west of Minneapolis), well over 50 miles. Today two portions of that track remain, lovingly and expertly tended to by volunteers, and both are open for rides. One portion is in Excelsior, on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The other runs here, between Lake Harriet and Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) in Minneapolis. The mile-or-so round-trip takes about 15 minutes. Trolleys board at the station (a faithful replica of one of the originals, rebuilt in 1990) and run through a glade of trees, under an old stone bridge, and past Lakewood Cemetery, until the track emerges opposite Bde Maka Ska. Then the car backs up along the same single track and returns to the station. Along the way, a volunteer in a conductor’s uniform tells the story of the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line, beloved in the Twin Cities for its scenic views and high speeds along dedicated rights of way. It was the last line to close when the streetcar system was dismantled in 1954. The current track, relaid by the train buffs themselves, follows the original line until it reaches the cemetery, which has since annexed part of the land where the trolley once ran.
sunset at Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun)
Three of the museum’s eight cars run on the line, including the all-wood No. 1300—the car that started it all. In the 1960s, trolley enthusiasts formed a nonprofit organization to save the car—an organization that later became the Minnesota Transportation Museum. One of only two of its type to survive (of 1,140 built by Twin Cities Rapid Transit), No. 1300 celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008. The museum’s car No. 322 is an art deco beauty. The all-steel body with clean, modern lines was created in the 1930s and 1940s to combat the streetcar’s reputation as an outmoded form of transport and to compete with the sleek automobiles and buses of the day. Vintage ads line the insides of both cars.
Take bus 6 to the Richfield Road and Trolley stop.
| Nordeast and Dinkytown |
28 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, 612/813-5300, www.womansclub.org; June-Aug. Sat.-Sun. 1pm-4pm; free
Sitting on an improbable patch of green amid the rising condos just across the river from downtown Minneapolis is an improbable little yellow house. This is the Ard Godfrey House, the oldest surviving wood-frame house in Minneapolis. In 1848, millwright Ard Godfrey, who supervised the building of the timber mill at St. Anthony Falls, built this house (originally at Main Street and 2nd Avenue, a couple of blocks closer to the river) with the first lumber sawed at the mill. Today the Women’s Club of Minneapolis operates the house as a museum, open in the summer and the holiday season. The 1.5-story house is decorated with period furnishings and photos. One fact you’ll be sure to learn is that gardeners of Minnesota have Ard’s wife, Harriet, to thank for the humble dandelion. It seems she missed things like dandelion bread, tea, and wine and had seeds shipped from Maine. The small park surrounding the house, Chute Square, is where the University of Minnesota got its start in 1851, before moving a couple of miles east.
Ard Godfrey House
Take bus 6 or 10 to the Central Avenue and University Avenue stop.
1 Lourdes Pl., Minneapolis, 612/379-2259, www.ourladyoflourdesmn.com; mass Mon.-Wed. and Fri. 12:05pm, Sat. 5pm, Sun. 8:30am, 11am, and 7pm
The skinny spire poking up behind the restaurants and bars of St. Anthony Main, just across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge from downtown Minneapolis, is on the oldest continuously operated church in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The building was built by the First Universalist Society in 1854 and later sold to the French Canadian Catholic community, which worships there today. The original part of the building, which faces the street, was built in the Greek temple style, and most of the stained-glass windows date to the early 1900s. The congregation’s claim to fame is its tourtierres, French Canadian meat pies, which volunteers make in great quantities both to raise funds for the continued refurbishment of the church and to feed the hungry. Pick one up at the parish house (Sun. 9am-4pm, $20, serves 6-8). Keep in mind that Our Lady of Lourdes is an active church, not a museum.
Take bus 4 or 6 to the Hennepin Avenue and 2nd Street stop.
612/625-5000, www.umn.edu
The University of Minnesota was founded as a secondary school in 1851, seven years before Minnesota became a state, and became a land grant university in 1869. Today, with more than 50,000 students, it is the fourth-largest university in the country.
The U of M, as it is known locally—or sometimes just “the U”—is divided between the St. Paul campus, where most of the agricultural disciplines are based, and the much larger and busier Minneapolis campus. The Minneapolis campus is further split by the Mississippi River into the West Bank, where the arts departments and law school are located, and the East Bank, the heart of the university. The U’s answer to the classic quadrangle is Northrop Mall, designed by the legendary architect Cass Gilbert in 1908. The broad lawn is headed by the stately columns of Northrop Memorial Auditorium and lined by classic physics, chemistry, and administrative buildings. Directly across Washington Avenue, accessible by a pedestrian bridge, is Coffman Memorial Union, the student activities center. A visitor who wants to get a small taste of life at the U would do well to start here and combine that with a trip to the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, the shiny metal maze on the banks of the Mississippi. The Weisman sits on Washington Avenue, where the Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge crosses the river to the West Bank. Walking or biking across the double-decker bridge, which is one-fifth of a mile long with a shelter running the length of the middle of it for pedestrians, is a daily part of university life for tens of thousands of students and faculty.
The U’s oldest buildings are in the Old Campus Historic District, known to most as The Knoll, north of Northrop Mall. While the U got its start in 1851 on a patch of land now known as Chute Square, it moved to the current location a couple of miles to the west after the Civil War. Now 13 of the buildings in this part of campus, dating as far back as 1886, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pillsbury Hall (310 Pillsbury Dr. SE), with its two-tone sandstone and artful mix of Romanesque, prairie school, and arts and crafts elements, is a particular favorite.
To get here, take the light-rail Green Line, which stops at both the East Bank and the West Bank.
| Downtown St. Paul and West Side |
239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651/228-1766, www.cathedralsaintpaul.org; Sun.-Fri. 7am-6pm, Sat. 7am-8pm
Sitting on the highest point in downtown St. Paul, the Cathedral of St. Paul is the city’s most visible and memorable landmark. The beaux arts building is an especially impressive sight at night, when it is illuminated on all sides with electric lights. The cathedral itself gave the city of St. Paul its name. When Father Lucien Galtier arrived in the unfortunately named riverside settlement of Pig’s Eye, his first task was to build a log church, which he dedicated to St. Paul. It was Galtier who began writing “St. Paul” as the location on wedding certificates and other church documents. Three successively bigger cathedrals were built on different sites after that first humble building. The current building was built concurrently with the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and completed in 1915. Both buildings were designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray.
Cathedral of St. Paul
The cathedral is built as a symmetrical cross and topped by a copper dome. The massive open interior seats 3,000 and was designed to give everyone in the congregation a clear view of the altar. The interior of the dome is entirely open to view from the floor. At 96 feet in diameter and 175 feet high, it dominates the sanctuary. In recognition of the many immigrant groups that have come to Minnesota since that first humble log church, the six shrines behind the sanctuary are dedicated to the patron saints of various countries: Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy), John the Baptist (France and Canada), Saint Patrick (Ireland), Saint Boniface (Germany), Saints Cyril and Methodius (Slavic nations), and Saint Therese (protector of all missions).
More than 200,000 people a year take advantage of the free tours offered Monday-Friday at 1pm (call to arrange a private tour). While the building is open to visitors every day, tourists are asked to stay out of the main sanctuary (unless they are there to worship) and refrain from flash photography during mass and other ceremonies. Daily schedules are posted at the entrance.
The Cathedral Museum (open as volunteers are available; call for details) is in the lower level of the building. Photographs and documents from the cathedral archives are on display, along with occasional traveling exhibits.
Take bus 21 to the Selby and Summit Avenues stop, directly in front of the cathedral, or the light-rail Green Line to the Capitol and Rice stop, then walk 0.75 mile south, across Highway 94.
345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, 651/259-3000, www.minnesotahistorycenter.org; Tues. 10am-8pm, Wed.-Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm, Mon. (holidays only) 10am-5pm; $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $6 children 6-17, free Tues. 5pm-8pm
The Minnesota Historical Society formed nine years before the state of Minnesota itself, in 1949, but it moved into its impressive granite and limestone home on the hill across from the Minnesota State Capitol in 1992. The building houses the society’s administrative offices, massive collections, a research library, and a museum that offers an excellent introduction to Minnesota’s past, from distant prehistoric times to the recent development of the suburbs. Exhibits are designed to engage and teach all generations: In Grainland, children can climb through the kid-size model grain elevator for what seems like hours. In Weather Permitting, they can try on warm-weather gear from previous eras or sit in a re-created Minnesota basement during a simulated tornado. And in Open House, they can learn about the actual residents of a typical St. Paul home through several generations of immigrant families. The center’s two gift shops are excellent places to find Minnesota-themed souvenirs, and the café focuses on reasonably priced fresh, local fare.
Minnesota History Center
The historical society’s library (Tues. 9am-8pm, Wed.-Sat. 9am-4pm) houses over half a million books and 45,000 cubic feet of government records, along with maps, photographs, and more. The public is welcome to use the library free of charge, and it is a popular place to research family history.
Take bus 16 to John Ireland and Kellogg Boulevards or the light-rail Green Line to the Capitol/Rice Street station, then walk 0.5 mile south.
4th St. W. and Market St., St. Paul; daily 7:30am-9:30pm; free
Though tiny, Rice Park offers prime views of some of downtown St. Paul’s most pleasing architecture and public art. The irregular park is surrounded by beautiful buildings, including the Saint Paul Hotel, Landmark Center, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and the Central Library, as well as some of St. Paul’s finest restaurants. The centerpiece of the park is The Source, a fountain designed by the prolific Wisconsin-born sculptor Alonzo Hauser. A young woman cavorts in the center of the broad pool of water, invoking Minnesota’s beloved summers on the lake. But the park may be best known as the home of sculptures of Peanuts characters. While the sculptures are beloved by locals, it’s worth noting that Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was never particularly fond of his hometown, St. Paul. A bronze of F. Scott Fitzgerald also commemorates a native son with mixed emotions.
Adjacent to Rice Park (you may not even notice it’s a separate tract of land) is Landmark Plaza, an elegant public art installation, where documents reproduced in the pathway ask visitors to consider some tough questions: “What are you willing to do for your country?” “What are the true costs of war?”
Take the light-rail Green Line to Central station and walk three blocks west, or ride bus 64 or 70, which stop right on the corner of Rice Park.
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, 651/296-2881, www.mnhs.org/capitol; Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Sat. 10am-3pm, Sun. 1pm-4pm; guided tours Mon.-Fri. 10am-2pm on the hour; free, $5 suggested donation for guided tours
St. Paul’s native son, architect Cass Gilbert, wowed the local crowds and observers around the country when the new State Capitol was unveiled in 1905. The most remarkable feature of St. Paul’s capitol is its gleaming white dome, the second largest self-supporting marble dome in the world. Local stone was used in the steps and interior, which is rich with carvings, portraits, and sculptures by some of the favorite artists of the early 20th century.
Minnesota State Capitol
Renovations completed in 2017 polished and shined the whole place up, from the quadriga—the gold leaf-covered horses on the roof—to the Rathskeller Café in the basement. The decorations were all restored to their original 1905 look. Guided tours include a chance to walk out on the roof and see the quadriga up close, weather permitting.
There are several memorials worth visiting on the 18-acre State Capitol grounds, including statues of several former governors and the Norse explorer Leif Ericson. Minnesota’s veterans are honored in several memorials as well, including the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which opened in 1992. The memorial is just south of the capitol building itself and behind the Veterans Administration building. It includes elements evocative of home for all Minnesotans and a wall inscribed with the names of Minnesota’s fallen fighters. The Minnesota Korean War Memorial includes evocative twin sculptures of a young soldier and an empty silhouette. A spiral of obelisks memorializes local civil rights leader Roy Wilkins, who led the NAACP for 22 years. And a stark arch, the Minnesota Peace Officers Memorial, honors law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Take the light-rail Green Line to the Capitol/Rice Street Station.
387 Marion St., St. Paul, 651/290-0921, www.publicartstpaul.org; daily dawn-dusk; free
The 4.5-acre park just west of the Minnesota State Capitol grounds is perhaps one of St. Paul’s best-kept secrets. Shady, intertwining paths lead visitors to 20 large-scale sculptures, most of which were created by local sculptors, both established and emerging. Perhaps the most prominent are Grace à Toi, by Mark di Suvero, a tripod of leaning I-beams with eerily moving parts suspended overhead, and Walking Warrior I, by Melvin Smith, a solemn black metal human figure. Families have fun with Frame, by Shaun Cassidy, which is just what it sounds like: a large, cheeky white frame. Neighbors and visitors make use of the volleyball court and playground as much as they enjoy the art.
To get here, take the light-rail Green Line to the Capitol/Rice Street station, then walk a third of a mile west and south, or take bus 16 to the Marion Street and Fuller Avenue stop, right at the park.
80 4th St. W., St. Paul, 651/265-5500, www.jjhill.org; Mon.-Thurs. 10am-5pm; free
Railway baron James J. Hill gave much to this area: a rail connection to both coasts that turned both cities into 19th-century boomtowns, the magnificent Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, and the James J. Hill Reference Library, one of the foremost collections of business literature in the country. Although Hill first envisioned it as a more general collection, the library decided to focus on business references in the 1970s as a tribute to Hill’s legacy. The building, completed in 1921, has been called one of the finest examples of beaux arts architecture in Minnesota, and the striking Great Reading Room is a popular spot for weddings and receptions. Today the library is heavily used by students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and others, but visitors are welcome to look around respectfully as well, free of charge. If you need a space to work or meet with others while you’re in town, the Hill welcomes you (and your coffee mug) with open arms. The Hill Center is connected to the equally beautiful George Latimer Central Library (Mon. noon-8pm, Tues.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm, Sat. 11am-5pm, Sun. 1pm-5pm), also worth a stop.
James J. Hill Center
Take the light-rail Green Line to Central station, then walk three blocks west. Buses 64 and 70 stop right on the corner of Rice Park.
15 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, 651/266-8266; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4:30pm; free
This stunning example of art deco architecture represents an unusual case of a city benefiting from the Great Depression. The money for the building was approved in 1928, before the 1929 Black Tuesday crash. Even though the costs of materials and labor dipped dramatically, the city let the original $4 million appropriation stand, ensuring a building that was, and remains, truly opulent inside and out. The strong vertical lines of the 21-story exterior stand out in a city that has very few examples of this style of architecture. Inside, the 3-story Memorial Hall is an art deco marvel, rich with mirrors, inlaid wood, and black marble. The room is dedicated to Ramsey County soldiers who died in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and Grenada. Their names are inscribed on the walls. The centerpiece of the hall is Vision of Peace, by Carl Milles, the largest white onyx sculpture in the world. The massive sculpture depicting Native Americans smoking peace pipes (it was originally called The Indian God of Peace) rotates on its motorized base once every 2.5 hours. Visitors are welcome to take self-guided tours and view the distinctive details, right down to the elevator doors and the door handles. Ask at the front desk about drop-in guided tours, or call 651/266-8000 to schedule a tour. Be sure not to miss the views from the 18th-floor law library of the Mississippi River, Cathedral of St. Paul, and the State Capitol.
Take bus 62 or 75 to the Wabasha and 4th Street stop, or the light-rail Green Line to the Central stop, then walk one block south and west.
214 4th St. E., St. Paul, www.uniondepot.org; daily 24 hours; free
St. Paul’s neoclassical Union Depot, with its severe columns, was completed in 1923, after the original 1871 depot burned down and World War I delayed reconstruction. In its heyday, it saw 282 trains and 20,000 passengers coming through every day. But passenger rail service abandoned Union Depot in 1971, when Amtrak moved to a train station in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood. The massive building didn’t sit empty, however, and wasn’t allowed to fall into disrepair, but it was, sort of, forgotten, sitting on a far edge of St. Paul’s downtown. The U.S. Post Office used the concourse area for mail handling, private offices and condos moved in, and a couple of restaurants filled up the lobby.
In 2012, after a $250 million renovation, Amtrak brought train service back, and Union Depot is once again a transportation hub and an architectural jewel welcoming visitors and locals alike. Stroll through at your leisure, or take an hour-long tour every other Tuesday at 11am. Meet under the clock in the eastern end. Tours are free, but you can secure a space through a reservation form on its website.
The Amtrak train the Empire Builder stops here twice a day (once headed east, once west); the light-rail Green Line, connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul, stops here, and long-distance Greyhound, Megabus, and Jefferson Lines buses use the building as a hub. As part of the building’s gold LEED certification, ample bike parking and storage, a Nice Ride bike rental station, and electric car charging stations were included.
Union Depot is the last stop on the light-rail Green Line.
215 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul, 651/292-1220, www.wabashastreetcaves.com; hours vary; cave tours $8-10
This complex of caves on St. Paul’s West Side has lived many lives: Originally silica mines, the caves have also housed a mushroom farm, a nightclub that saw figures famous in the jazz world and in the underworld, and, currently, an event space specializing in themed tours. The nightclub Castle Royal, which opened in 1932 and closed in the 1960s, is reputed to have welcomed both Cab Calloway and John Dillinger. Today, swing-dancing parties on Thursday nights (6pm-10pm, $8) bring the big hardwood dance floor back to life. Popular 40-minute cave tours (year-round Thurs. at 5pm, Sat. and Sun. at 11am, plus Memorial Day through Labor Day Mon. 4pm, $8) feature a little bit of history mixed with a little bit of sass. Learn all about the various otherworldly sightings in the caves on the Lost Souls Tour (last Sun. of the month, 12:30pm, $10). The caves also host Halloween- and Christmas-themed events.
Wabasha Street Caves
Take bus 62 or 75 to the Wabasha and Vision Loss Resources stop.
10 Mounds Blvd., St. Paul, 651/632-5111, www.ci.stpaul.mn.us; daily sunrise-11pm; free
The first European explorers to come to this part of the Mississippi marveled at the mysterious symmetrical mounds they found high up on the bluff overlooking the river. These burial mounds predate even the Dakota tribes, who had been living in the area since sometime before the 17th century, and may be as old as 2,000 years. Historians and archaeologists believe the mounds were built by the Native American tribes known collectively as the Hopewell culture, who traveled north up the Mississippi around that time. As many as 37 mounds in two locations were mapped out by 19th-century scientists, on what is now Dayton’s Bluff and Indian Mounds Park. All of these were destroyed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries except for the six that are now the centerpiece of the park. Much of what we know about the mounds comes down from T. H. Lewis, who excavated the mounds, sometimes at breakneck speed, in the early 1880s. He found bones, masks, pottery, and other artifacts, as well as graves created in a variety of ways, indicating that the mounds had been in use over a very long period of time. Unfortunately, nearly all these items have now disappeared.
Indian Mounds Park
The remaining mounds—the largest of which is 260 feet in circumference and 18 feet high—are fenced off but visible within the park, with a few interpretive signs nearby. The park is also a popular recreation area and offers fantastic views of the river and downtown St. Paul. Visitors are asked, however, to respect the fact that the mounds are grave sites.
Take bus 70 to the Burns Avenue and Earl Street stop to get here.
| Summit-University and Mac-Groveland |
Summit Ave. between Selby Ave. and Mississippi River Blvd.
For most of its 150-year history, Summit Avenue has been among St. Paul’s most sought-after addresses. Even for those who can’t quite afford one of the stately homes, a stroll or a jog along the broad, elm-lined boulevard in the center of the avenue is among the chief pleasures of living in or visiting St. Paul. The 4.5-mile avenue stretches from the edge of downtown St. Paul in the east to the Mississippi River in the west. The entire length is part of one of two National Historic Districts and includes fine examples of nearly every type of residential architecture from the past century.
The parklike divided boulevard begins at the intersection with Lexington Avenue and continues west. But the stretch of Summit Avenue east of Lexington is rich with interesting historical homes, especially as the street starts to curve and climb up tony Crocus Hill. This neighborhood remains largely as it was in the early 1900s. At 312 Summit Avenue, the oldest extant house on the avenue and one of the oldest in St. Paul is the Stuart House. It, like most of the buildings, is a private residence. Other private buildings of interest include 516 Summit, where Minnesota author Sinclair Lewis lived for a time, and 599 Summit, where local boy F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his first published novel, This Side of Paradise. The governor’s residence—not open to the public—is at 1006 Summit, near the intersection with Lexington. You can tour the museum in the James J. Hill House, the largest single-family residence in Minnesota. You can also peek inside the Germanic American Institute (301 Summit Ave., 651/222-7027, www.gai-mn.org; Mon.-Thurs. 9am-5pm, Fri. 9am-4pm; free).
James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue
The only park along the length of Summit Avenue is Lookout Park (also called Summit Overlook Park), a neat little triangle of land with benches and tidy gardens at the intersection with Ramsey Street. Here you can enjoy views from the Mississippi River bluffs that once belonged to rail and timber barons.
Take bus 21 from Summit and Cretin on the western end to Selby and Summit on the eastern end.
| Como and St. Anthony |
The nearly 400-acre Como Park has been a center for recreation and family fun in St. Paul since the late 1800s. Today more than 2.5 million people come to the park every year to picnic, walk, run, bike, ski, fish, and visit the attractions: the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Cafesjian’s Carousel, Como Town, and the big pool and water park, with its aquatic zipline and lazy river. Bus 3 stops right in the park.
Cafesjian’s Carousel in Como Park
1225 Estabrook Dr., 651/487-8200, www.comozooconservatory.org; Apr.-Sept. daily 10am-6pm, Oct.-Mar. daily 10am-4pm; free
The Como Zoo holds a treasured place in many Minnesotans’ hearts—so much so that Apple Valley’s larger Minnesota Zoo, built in 1978, is still occasionally referred to as “the new zoo.” Como’s history goes back much longer than that, all the way to 1897, and several of the buildings were built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. Generations of Minnesotans have come to see tigers, wolves, penguins, gorillas, giraffes, and more, as well as the beloved seal and sea lion shows. One of the newest and most up-to-date areas is the spacious, naturalistic Polar Bear Odyssey. The Tropical Encounter in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is an innovative collaboration with the zoo. Visitors see fish, birds, and other small animals interacting with the tropical plants almost as they would in the wild. A sloth even wanders freely, if slowly, throughout the “tropical forest.”
1245 Midway Pkwy., St. Paul, 651/489-4628, www.ourfaircarousel.org; May-Labor Day Tues.-Fri. 11am-4pm, Sat.-Sun. 11am-6pm; Sept.-Oct. Sat.-Sun. 11am-4pm; Memorial Day and Labor Day 11am-4pm; $2
Cafesjian’s Carousel was built on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 1914. In 1988, when owners unexpectedly announced plans to close the beloved annual attraction, a group of neighbors banded together to save it. The carousel operated for 10 years in downtown St. Paul and moved to Como Park in 2000. Gerard Cafesjian, for whom the carousel is named, donated $1.2 million to finance its restoration and move in the late 1990s. Its new home, a beautiful copper-roofed pavilion, has massive doors that can open on summer days and close to extend the season in the fall. Sixty-eight hand-carved horses in four rows ring the carousel, which is 50 feet in diameter. A restored Wurlitzer band organ, while not original to this carousel, sounds appropriately old-fashioned as it calls out across the park, playing paper rolls of classic carousel tunes.
1301 Midway Pkwy., St. Paul, 651/487-2121, www.comotown.com; Jun.-Aug. Sun.-Thurs. 10am-7pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-8pm, May and Sept. limited hours; free admission, rides $0.75-3
Como Town offers pint-size excitement, with rides and play structures for toddlers through tweens and one or two rides for adults to enjoy as well. Most rides are old-school, like the teacups, the swings, and the train, but all is not passive entertainment: Kids can climb, swing, explore, and dig in Hodge Podge Park. Como Town’s size and energy level are well suited to the littlest ones, who will be able to take it all in without getting overwhelmed. Opening hours are shorter in May and down to weekends only in September, after which the park closes for the winter.
| Greater Twin Cities |
60 Broadway E., Bloomington, 952/883-8800, www.mallofamerica.com; stores Mon.-Fri. 10am-9:30pm, Sat. 9:30am-9:30pm, Sun. 11am-7pm
Visitors come to the Mall of America to gawk, to say they’ve seen the largest mall in the United States, and, yes, to shop. There’s no reason to be intimidated by the mall’s layout: Stores are arranged on three levels of an oval, with three large department stores anchoring the corners (Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, and Sears, with L.L. Bean in the fourth corner). The sides are all labeled north, south, east, or west, so if you know what side and what level you’re on, there’s no way to get lost.
The Nickelodeon Universe theme park (952/883-8800, www.nickelodeonuniverse.com) occupies the center, with a full-size Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and log chute, as well as milder rides that thrill little ones with references to Dora the Explorer and Diego. Other thrilling experiences in the mall include Flyover America (5120 center court, www.flyover-america.com; Mon.-Sat. 10am-9:30pm, Sun. 11am-7pm; $19 ages 13 and up, $15 children 12 and under), a virtual aerial tour of the country’s landmarks; Smaash (E402, www.smaaashusa.com; Mon.-Thurs. 11am-11pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-midnight, Sun. 10am-10pm; prices vary), a collection of virtual reality experiences and games; and the Crayola Experience (S300, www.crayolaexperience.com; Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. 10am-7pm; $21, children 2 and under free), where you can play with colors in myriad ways.
Nickelodeon Universe inside Mall of America
If you see a large blue shark wandering the mall, it’s advertising Sea Life (952/883-0202, www.visitsealife.com/Minnesota, Mon.-Thurs. 10am-7pm, Fri. 10am-8pm, Sat. 9:30am-8pm, Sun. 10am-6:30pm; $24.25 ages 13 and up, $17.25 ages 3-12), a full-size aquarium located under the mall. Walk through a 300-foot glass tunnel under sharks and rays, pick up starfish and coral in touch tanks, and learn about endangered turtles.
While sheer density makes the mall a shopper’s mecca, you won’t necessarily find any particular deals or very many shops outside the usual mall standards. For Minnesota souvenirs like Minnetonka Moccasins and wooden loons, check out Love from Minnesota (W380, 952/854-7319, www.lovefrommn.com) and Minnesot-ah! (E157, 952/858-8531, www.lovefrommn.com). Nonshoppers enjoy combining a nice dinner with a movie on one of 13 screens at the CMX Mall of America (612/263-9302, www.cmxcinemas.com) on the fourth floor. You can stay at the Radisson Blu or JW Marriott, attached to the mall. The mall, in fact, is on an expansion and redevelopment tear; watch for even more retail, hotel, office, and exhibit space in years to come.
The west side of the mall opens at 6am every day of the week so mall walkers can get a few laps in before the stores open (one pass around the first level is 0.57 mile). Keep in mind that after 4pm on Friday and Saturday, everyone age 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Mall security guards aren’t shy about asking for ID.
The light-rail Blue Line ends at the Mall of America.
3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska, 952/443-1400, www.arboretum.umn.edu; daily 8am-8pm or sunset, whichever comes first; $15 adults, children 15 and under free
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest: a massive and varied collection of display gardens as well as cultivated and wild landscapes. Beyond allowing visitors to wander beautiful paths among well-labeled flowerbeds, the arboretum curates innovative exhibits that combine gardening with sculptures, activities, mazes, and more. Nearly every exhibit includes a component to engage children. The arboretum was established as part of the University of Minnesota’s horticultural department in 1907 and has produced such objects of Minnesotans’ undying pride as the Honeycrisp apple, a cold-hardy—and very tasty!—variety. Many visitors choose to wander the gardens nearest the welcome center on foot. The herb gardens, annual and perennial demonstration gardens, and Japanese gardens, for example, can all be easily taken in by walking a less-than-two-mile loop. Others like to drive a three-mile loop through prairies, woodlands, and marshes. (Guided tours are available for an additional fee.) While the grounds are open long hours every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving, the hours of the conservatory and welcome center, including the cafeteria and gift shop, are shorter (Mon.-Sat. 8am-6pm, Sun. 10am-6pm). Admission is free on the third Monday of the month 8am-5pm. In the winter, November-March, buildings close at 4:30pm.
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
No public transportation runs to the arboretum.
Water St. and George St., Excelsior, 952/922-1096, www.trolleyride.org; May-early Sept. Sat. 10am-4pm, Sun. 1pm-4pm, Tues. 2pm-6pm (through Oct.); mid-Sept.-mid.-Oct. Sat. 11am-3pm; $2.50
On the shores of Lake Minnetonka, one of the vestiges of the Twin Cities’ once-vast streetcar line still operates. The same volunteers who work tirelessly on the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line also run four trolleys on a short stretch of track in pretty downtown Excelsior. The conductor is sure to tell you stories about the days when everyone rode the trolleys and will give you a tour of the car barn where they keep and restore the trolleys if you ask. Combining a ride with a round-trip ride on the Steamboat Minnehaha (952/474-2115, www.steamboatminnehaha.org, $15 adults, $5 children), which once ferried trolley commuters and vacationers across the lake and now docks near the Old Excelsior Road end of the trolley line, is a great way to spend a summer weekend afternoon.
Commuter bus lines 670 and 671 run to Excelsior, but only for the afternoon commute.
1 Valleyfair Dr., Shakopee, 952/445-7600, www.valleyfair.com; mid-May-Aug. daily 10am-10pm, summer Fri.-Sat. 10am-11pm; $35-55, with discounts for seniors and anyone under 48 inches
Valleyfair prides itself on being the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest, with 75 rides on 90 acres. Popular thrillers include the spinning RipTide, the Xtreme Swing (which launches riders into the air), and the wooden roller coaster Renegade. Tickets include unlimited rides and as much time as you want to spend in the 3.5-acre Soak City Waterpark, with five water slides and plenty of other soaking wet fun. (Swimsuits are required; changing facilities and lockers are provided. Soak City opens later and generally closes earlier than the rest of the park.) Challenge Park lets visitors indulge their competitive spirits with a zip-cord ride, minigolf, go-carts, and bumper boats, all for an additional fee. The park also puts on one of the area’s most popular haunted houses, dubbed “Valleyscare.” Note that Valleyfair’s hours vary, with the park staying open until 11pm a few weekends in late summer and closing between 5pm and 10pm on weekdays at the beginning and end of the season. Discounts are available after 4pm. Call ahead or check the website.
Commuter bus 499 stops at Valley Industrial Boulevard and Valley Park Drive.
13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley, 952/431-9200, www.mnzoo.com; year-round daily 9am-4pm; extended hours (9am-6pm) Labor Day-Memorial Day and weekends in May and Sept.; $18 adults, $12 seniors and children 3-12, free for children 2 and under
The Minnesota Zoo offers a wide variety of experiences for all sorts of animal lovers. In the outdoor exhibit, the Northern Trail, the animals are all native to climates very similar to Minnesota’s own, from the native moose to the Siberian tiger. Most have plenty of room to roam (and hide from visitors) in enclosures spread wide across the zoo’s 500 acres. The Northern Trail loops around the grounds and leads to the Family Farm, where cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and sheep live. The farm is especially popular in the spring, when baby animals draw tens of thousands of visitors.
Inside the zoo building, you’ll find the Tropics Trail, with a collection of very different animals, from the rare sun bear to ring-tailed lemurs from Madagascar. The Minnesota Trail starts with our very own raccoons and includes everything from walleye to wolves and from eagles to lynx. In Discovery Bay, a massive tank of sharks and other large fish stops kids cold. Charming Hawaiian monk seals have taken over the living space that opened up when the zoo chose to stop exhibiting dolphins. African penguins live near the south entry in a very informative display.
The zoo’s most stunning exhibit is Russia’s Grizzly Coast, with 3.5 acres representing three distinct landscapes of Russia’s far east: the Pacific coast, the volcanic Kamchatka Peninsula, and the taiga forests of Primorsky Krai. Visitors get an amazing up close look at northern sea otters, brown bears, wild boars, and vanishingly rare Amur leopards in a beautifully designed space.
Buses 440 and 475 run directly to the zoo.
Hwy. 5 and Hwy. 55, 612/726-1171, www.historicfortsnelling.org; Memorial Day-Labor Day Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm; Sept.-Oct. Sat. 10am-5pm; $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $6 children 6-17
Fort Snelling marks the beginning of an important era in Minnesota’s history. The U.S. military arrived here in 1819 to wrest control of the increasingly lucrative fur trade from the British. Construction on the fort at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers began in 1820 and was completed in 1824. The soldiers themselves, far from the relative civilization of the East Coast, needed to be self-sufficient and so began much of the development that led to the establishment of Minneapolis at St. Anthony Falls, building mills and roads. The fort even played a bit part in American civil rights history as the home of Dred and Harriet Scott while they lived in Minnesota, forming the base of their claim that they should be allowed to live as free citizens.
Fort Snelling continued to be an active military base, including housing the Military Intelligence Language School during World War II. It was decommissioned in 1946 and started to fall into disrepair, a process Minnesotans are still fighting to reverse. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed Fort Snelling’s Upper Post on its list of America’s Most Endangered Places.
Today the fort sits within the Fort Snelling Unincorporated Area, bordered by both Minneapolis and St. Paul (as well as three suburbs) but inside neither city. The Minnesota Historical Society operates the fort as a living history center, where costumed guides help visitors imagine the year is 1827. The guides act out both military and everyday life, from musket drills to mending clothes, with plenty of hands-on activities for the whole family.
Fort Snelling Military Cemetery is adjacent to the fort and open to visitors. Fort Snelling State Park (www.dnr.state.mn.us), surrounding the fort, includes 5 miles of paved bicycle trails, 12 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, a nine-hole golf course, and swimming, boating, and fishing opportunities on Snelling Lake.
The Fort Snelling Station on the light-rail Blue Line is about two-thirds of a mile from the park itself. Bus 7 stops right in the park parking lot.
Various locations: Downtown Minneapolis meeting/sales point 125 Main St. SE, Minneapolis, 952/888-9200, www.humanonastick.com; Downtown St. Paul meeting/sales point St. Paul Curling Club, 470 Selby Ave., St. Paul; Mar.-Oct. daily; $90
Ride a Segway on a three-hour Minneapolis tour following a seven-mile loop from St. Anthony Main to the Stone Arch Bridge, past the Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum, and up to Boom Island and Nicollet Island. The similar-length St. Paul tour spins over downtown and the State Capitol. A third tour, also leaving from Minneapolis, covers the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. For all three, knowledgeable guides introduce you to the highlights of the area’s history and the beauty of the sites. Plus, you get to say you rode a Segway. All tours start with training, and helmets are provided. Riders must be 13-80 years old and weigh less than 280 pounds. (The human-on-a-stick joke, by the way, refers to Minneapolis’s beloved State Fair, where all manner of edibles are served impaled.)
Downtown Minneapolis: 952/888-9200, www.thefittourist.com; $38
The best way to see downtown Minneapolis is under your own power. The Fit Tourist leads walking and biking tours that, despite the name, aren’t too strenuous. Two walking tours, about 2.5 hours long, cover highlights in downtown’s Mill City and downtown core areas. Reserve online to get exact information on meeting places.
Downtown St. Paul and West Side: Landmark Center, 75 5th St. W., St. Paul, 651/292-3225 ext. 4, www.landmarkcenter.org; free
An ideal place to start your exploration of St. Paul, the Landmark Center offers free public tours Thursdays at 11am and Sundays at noon. Most tours leave from the Landmark Center foyer, but on the first Wednesday, tours meet at Upper Landing Park, near the Science Museum of Minnesota, and explore the river’s influence on the city. Check the Landmark Center’s schedule for occasional specialty tours or call to schedule a private Gangster Tour with two weeks advance notice.
Downtown Minneapolis: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd St. S., Minneapolis, 612/341-7555, www.millcitymuseum.org; June-Sept. most Thurs., Sat., and Sun.; $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children 5-17
On most summer Saturdays and Sundays, and a few Wednesdays and Fridays as well, you can leave the Mill City Museum for walking tours directed by capable and enthusiastic guides from the Minnesota Historical Society. The tours cover downtown’s riverfront district, focusing on historical topics from women’s work to railroad history to geeky engineering details. See the website for a full schedule and to book online.
Various locations: airport 612/229-9945, downtown Minneapolis 612/232-7814, www.exploreminnesota.com; $27.50 per audio rental (usable by two people)
If you’ve got a three-hour layover in Minneapolis, you’ve got enough time to see at least a little bit of the city. MSP Tours offers three self-guided tours ranging from two hours to half a day. You don’t even need a car: These tours are all based around stops on the light-rail and bus systems, which, fortunately, include so much of what makes Minneapolis a great place to visit, from Minnehaha Falls to the Mall of America and the Mississippi River. Pick up maps and audio devices in Terminal 1 of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (along the main mall) or in downtown Minneapolis (220 6th St. S.) and return them to the same location when you’re done. It is recommended to reserve in advance. For an additional fee, audio devices can also be delivered to your hotel. The price includes tickets for the Hiawatha light-rail line, which leads from the airport to downtown Minneapolis.
Downtown St. Paul and West Side: meeting point 215 Wabasha St. S., St. Paul, 651/292-1220, www.wabashastreetcaves.com; May-Sept. Sat.-Sun. noon; $27
Your guide, “Dapper Dan Hogan,” leads the two-hour bus tour in character as the proprietor of a real 1920s joint called the Green Lantern. Prohibition was authored by teetotalers in St. Paul’s Landmark Center, and its eventual passage left a brutal mark on the city: an extensive kickback and protection racket involving the St. Paul police, shootouts with John Dillinger, and a whorehouse rumored to be connected to the State Capitol by a secret but well-traversed tunnel. The tour, by air-conditioned coach, includes parks and facades around St. Paul (where, often as not, villainy of some sort once happened) and also covers a general history of the city through the mid-20th century. Reservations are required. The company also offers a more detailed tour of historic Summit Avenue and a Minneapolis Gangster tour, as well as specialty seasonal tours.
Various locations: 612/280-4851, www.tastetwincities.com; costs vary depending on tour, generally $40-130
The Twin Cities are a fantastic place to enjoy great food and, believe it or not, pretty good local wine. You could go it on your own and do pretty well, or you could entrust yourself to local experts. Taste Twin Cities leads walking tours through downtown Minneapolis, the skyway system, and northeast Minneapolis. Tours take about three hours, including plenty of walking and about five stops for food (plenty to fill you up like a real meal). If you’d rather drink than walk, there are five-hour bus tours of wineries just outside the Twin Cities or breweries within the cities. Buy tickets in advance online.