Destination attractions things to do in minneapolis and st paul

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have a reputation for being cold and wintry, but the summers are quite warm. The Cities, as they are commonly referred to, are not usually viewed by tourists as vacation spots, but there is a plethora of fun things to do outdoors and indoors, in every season.

ART

The Walker Art Center is an exciting contemporary art museum with a large collection of modernist works. They also feature events such as artist talks, plays, and film screenings in the Walker Auditorium. Free on Thursdays and the first Saturday of every month.

Also, be sure to check out the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a joint project of the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Park Board. The largest outdoor sculpture garden in the nation, it contains the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, which is often used as a symbol of the city on postcards and the like.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is a nationally-recognized art museum with an extensive permanent collection and many traveling exhibits. Some galleries overlook the beautiful Fair Oaks Park, and at least one has a great view of the Minneapolis skyline. Free admission, except for one special exhibit gallery.

The Frederick R. Weisman Museum on the University of Minnesota campus is a unique design by Frank Gehry, made of aluminum and overlooking the Mississippi River.

The Warehouse District, located just outside downtown Minneapolis, is full of clubs, bars, and art galleries/studios. One exceptional gallery is the House of Balls, owned by sculptor Allen Christian. His chief medium is the bowling ball, giving way to numerous quirky heads and beings.

OUTDOORS

Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", but it actually has at least a thousand more than its catchphrase proclaims, so it's no surprise that waterskiing was invented there in 1922. The seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area contains over 25 lakes, so there is no shortage of space for aquatic fun.

Within the city of Minneapolis, there is the Chain of Lakes, made up of Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, and Lake Calhoun, all of which are popular spots for walking, running, and inline skating. Canoers enjoy rowing the two miles from Lake Calhoun to Brownie Lake. Lake Harriet is especially popular because of its bandshell with free concerts, its bird sanctuary, peace gardens, and rose gardens.

The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul each have over 150 parks, and Minneapolis has 12 large gardens, as well as a number of smaller gardens.

Also, check out Lake Nokomis, a beautiful lake located in South Minneapolis. Or, walk the trails along Minnehaha Parkway, which leads to Minnehaha Falls. Both the Parkway and the Falls are part of the Grand Rounds, a 50-mile loop of trails and roads.

In winter, the trails are not as populated, but are still used, especially for cross-country skiing. Inline skaters can go to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, usually home to the Twins and Vikings, but opened for skating once a week. In the Minneapolis park system, there are also many areas for sledding, tubing, snowshoeing, and skating, and many areas allow rentals. Since Minnesota winters can be harsh, the citizens of St. Paul have created a winter carnival that has been going on for over a century. Every January or February, the famed carnival takes place for about a week, and a giant ice castle is constructed. There are a few places for downhill skiing in the area, including Hyland Ski and Snowboard in Bloomington (just south of Minneapolis), Buck Hill in Burnsville (southern suburb), and Afton Alps in Afton (eastern suburb). For the hardiest of cold-weather lovers, ice fishing is a common pastime on any of the lakes, but be sure to check ice depths before walking out on a lake.

DOWNTOWNS

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have vibrant downtown areas. Minneapolis' is much larger, but St. Paul's has more historic buildings, including the capitol. Walk around downtown to check out the skyscrapers, or walk the skyway systems if it's too cold outside. Minneapolis' downtown contains Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian shopping area; the Hennepin Avenue theater district, home to some of the 100+ theater companies in the metro area; Orchestra Hall, home of the Minnesota Orchestra; and a number of music venues, including rock clubs First Avenue and The Quest, and hip jazz club The Dakota Bar and Grill.

Check out the Nicollet Mall farmers' market on Thursdays during the warmer months. Or, learn about Minneapolis' history at the new Mill City Museum located on the Mississippi riverfront, a great place to learn about the history of its St. Anthony Falls, first discovered in 1680 by Father Louis Hennepin. The Como-Harriet streetcar is another way to learn about history, covering a wider area in a short time.

In St. Paul's downtown you can visit Minnesota's capitol; the Harriet Island park on the Mississippi River; the Xcel Energy Center, home of Minnesota's hockey team the Wild; the Ordway center for Performing Arts; the Science Museum; the Children's Museum; the Minnesota History Center; and Rice Park, where the Winter Carnival takes place. On the edge of downtown is the famous Mickey's Diner, an old dining rail car that sits along the road, open 24 hours.

OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS

Uptown Minneapolis has been known as a hotspot for young professionals, but it has something to offer every age group. Chock full of restaurants, clubs, theaters, and shops for those in search of something common or something obscure.

The neighborhoods near the University of Minnesota (Dinkytown, Stadium Village, and Cedar/Riverside on the West Bank) are filled with restaurants, bars, and music venues, as one would expect in a college area. For the night owls, the Hard Times Cafe, a punk cafe on the West Bank is open late, and attracts a diverse array of people. The West Bank and East Bank portions of the campus are connected by the Washington Avenue footbridge, which is filled with painted advertisements for student organizations. On the south side of the bridge, approaching the West Bank, there is a tree which, many years ago, someone decided to throw their shoes in. This tree has developed a reputation over the years, and is now filled with hundreds of pairs of shoes! Some other fun places near the U are the Cedar Cultural Center, the Kitty Kat Club, the Bell Museum, and the Oak Street Cinema.

Of course, for the shopaholics, there is the world-famous Mall of America, which has over 500 stores, a central amusement park called Camp Snoopy, an aquarium, a college, a chapel, a 15-screen movie theater, and a number of nightclubs, attracts 40 million visitors per year.

This is just a sampling of the major places to visit when you visit the vibrant Twin Cities. If you come to visit, you will surely discover many more!