20 Unmissable Things To Do In Minneapolis And St. Paul
Minneapolis and St. Paul aren’t just neighbors, they’re two wildly different personalities living under the same Minnesota sky.
One’s all modern art galleries and shimmering lakes, while the other whispers history through Victorian mansions and cobblestone streets.
Together, they create a playground of culture, nature, food, and quirky surprises that’ll keep you entertained whether you’re a museum nerd, outdoor enthusiast, or just someone who likes really good food and people-watching.
1. Minnehaha Park and Falls
Where water crashes down 53 feet of limestone drama, you’ll find one of the most Instagrammed spots in the Twin Cities.
Minnehaha Falls doesn’t care about your carefully planned itinerary, it demands a detour.
This natural wonder sits inside a park that feels like someone dropped a slice of wilderness right into the middle of urban life.
The falls roar loudest in spring when snowmelt turns them into a thundering spectacle.
Summer brings families with picnic baskets and dogs on leashes, all jockeying for the best view from the stone overlook.
Winter transforms everything into a frozen fantasy world where the falls become giant icicles that look like nature’s own chandelier.
Walk the trails that wind through the park and you’ll stumble upon hidden bridges and shady groves.
Longfellow himself wrote a poem about this place, which tells you it’s been turning heads for over a century.
2. Mississippi Gorge Regional Park
This park proves that Minneapolis knows how to work a river view.
Mississippi Gorge Regional Park, located at 3349 W River Pkwy, Minneapolis, stretches along the bluffs where the mighty Mississippi carves its way through the city like it owns the place (because it kind of does).
The trails here aren’t just paths, they’re front-row seats to geological history written in limestone and sandstone.
Bikers and hikers share the routes that wind above and beside the water, each turn revealing another postcard-worthy vista.
You’ll spot kayakers below, paddling past the same cliffs that Native Americans navigated centuries ago.
The park connects multiple neighborhoods, making it a green corridor that stitches the city together in the most scenic way possible.
Bring your camera for the overlooks where you can see the river bend and the Minneapolis skyline rise in the background.
Autumn transforms the trees into an explosion of reds and golds that’ll make you forget you’re still technically in city limits.
3. Hmongtown Marketplace
Did you know the Twin Cities have one of the largest Hmong populations outside of Asia?
Hmongtown Marketplace at 217 Como Avenue in St. Paul is where that amazing culture explodes into a sensory overload of sights, smells, and tastes that’ll transport you halfway across the world without a passport.
Weekends are when this place really comes alive, buzzing with families, vendors, and the kind of authentic energy that makes chain stores feel like sad, beige boxes.
Wander through stalls piled high with embroidered textiles that showcase needlework so intricate it should be in museums.
The food court serves up papaya salad, grilled meats, and noodle soups that taste like someone’s grandmother is in the kitchen (because she probably is).
You’ll find herbs you’ve never heard of, produce that looks like it came from another planet, and vendors who’ll happily explain what everything is.
This isn’t a tourist trap, it’s a genuine community hub where culture is lived, not performed.
4. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
However you feel about modern art, you can’t ignore a giant spoon holding a cherry.
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden sprawls across 11 acres next to the Walker Art Center, showcasing over 40 works that range from whimsical to “I’m not sure what I’m looking at but I’m intrigued.”
Located at 725 Vineland Place, this outdoor gallery lets you experience art without the stuffiness of museum walls.
The Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen is the star of the show, a shiny sculpture that’s become synonymous with Minneapolis itself.
Kids run around the installations while adults pretend they understand the deeper meaning of each piece.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you “get it”, the garden is gorgeous, the art is conversation-starting, and entry is completely free.
Summer concerts happen on the lawn, turning the space into a community gathering spot where culture meets casual hangouts.
Pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it.
5. Science Museum Of Minnesota
When you need to blow a kid’s mind (or your own), head to 120 W Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul.
The Science Museum of Minnesota is where dinosaurs, mummies, and hands-on experiments collide in a building that sits right on the Mississippi River like it’s showing off.
The Omnitheater alone is worth the trip, a giant dome screen that makes you feel like you’re flying through space or swimming with sharks.
Permanent exhibits cover everything from the human body to Mississippi River ecology, with enough interactive buttons and touchscreens to keep even the most fidgety visitors engaged.
The dinosaur fossils are legit impressive, including a Triceratops skull that makes you grateful you weren’t around 65 million years ago.
Traveling exhibitions rotate through regularly, so there’s always something new to geek out over.
The rooftop terrace offers views of the river and downtown that rival any fancy restaurant overlook.
It’s educational without feeling like homework, which is a rare and beautiful thing.
6. Guthrie Theater
This isn’t your high school auditorium production of Oklahoma.
The Guthrie Theater at 818 S 2nd Street is a architectural marvel wrapped around world-class performances that range from Shakespeare to bold new works that make you rethink everything.
The building itself, a deep blue structure jutting out toward the Mississippi, looks like someone challenged an architect to design something impossible and they said “hold my blueprint.”
Three stages host productions that attract theater lovers from across the country, with acting so good you’ll forget you’re watching people pretend.
The Endless Bridge is a public space that extends out from the building, offering stunning views of the river and Stone Arch Bridge below.
You don’t even need a ticket to walk the bridge and soak in the scenery, though you’d be missing out on the real magic inside.
Pre-show dinners at the in-house restaurant turn the whole experience into an event.
Dress up, dress down, the Guthrie doesn’t judge, it just delivers unforgettable performances.
7. Walker Art Center
Are you ready to have your perception of art completely rearranged?
The Walker Art Center at 725 Vineland Place doesn’t do boring, predictable exhibitions, it showcases contemporary art that challenges, provokes, and occasionally confuses in the best possible way.
This is where you’ll find installations that use light, sound, video, and materials you didn’t know could be art.
The permanent collection includes works by big names like Andy Warhol and Kiki Smith, but the real thrill is discovering artists you’ve never heard of who’ll become your new obsessions.
Rotating exhibitions keep the experience fresh, covering everything from design to performance art to multimedia pieces that blur all the boundaries.
The building itself underwent a major expansion that added sleek galleries and public spaces perfect for contemplating what you just saw.
Connected to the Sculpture Garden, you can easily spend an entire day immersed in art both indoors and out.
The Walker is proof that Minneapolis takes its cultural scene seriously.
8. Chain Of Lakes
Though Minneapolis is landlocked, it acts like a beach town thanks to its Chain of Lakes.
Lake Calhoun (now officially Bde Maka Ska), Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar Lake form an interconnected system of urban oases where Minneapolitans go to pretend they live in a resort town.
Each lake has its own personality and loyal following of regulars who stake out their favorite spots.
Miles of paved trails circle the lakes, packed with bikers, runners, rollerbladers, and people pushing strollers who all somehow manage not to crash into each other.
Rent a kayak or paddleboard and get out on the water where the city skyline creates a backdrop that reminds you you’re still urban exploring.
Lake Harriet features a bandshell that hosts free concerts all summer, turning Sunday evenings into community gatherings with music floating across the water.
Winter doesn’t stop the fun, ice fishing shanties pop up and cross-country skiers glide where sailboats were just months before.
These lakes are Minneapolis’s beating heart.
9. Mill City Museum
When Minneapolis was the flour milling capital of the world, these ruins at 704 S 2nd St, were ground zero.
Mill City Museum rises from the remains of what was once the world’s largest flour mill, destroyed by fire and now transformed into a fascinating look at the industry that built this city.
The building itself tells a story, preserved limestone walls stand next to modern glass additions in a architectural conversation between past and present.
The Flour Tower ride is part elevator, part time machine, taking you up through eight stories while showing how wheat became the gold that powered Minneapolis’s early economy.
Interactive exhibits let you try your hand at milling tasks while learning about the immigrant workers who made it all possible.
The rooftop observation deck offers panoramic views of the riverfront, Stone Arch Bridge, and the city that flour built.
Located right on the Mississippi River Heritage Trail, you can easily combine this with other riverfront attractions.
It’s history that actually feels relevant and engaging instead of dusty and boring.
10. Como Park Zoo And Conservatory
How often do you find a quality zoo that won’t charge you admission?
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory at 1225 Estabrook Drive in St. Paul operates on donations, making it one of the most accessible family attractions in the Twin Cities.
The zoo houses everything from polar bears to primates, all in habitats that prioritize animal welfare over cramming in as many species as possible.
The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is where things get really magical, a Victorian glasshouse filled with tropical plants, a sunken garden, and seasonal flower shows that explode with color.
Walking from Minnesota winter into the humid, green paradise inside feels like teleporting to the equatic.
The bonsai collection alone could keep you mesmerized for an hour, each tiny tree a masterpiece of patience and pruning.
Como Park also features an amusement park, golf course, and beautiful walking paths around Como Lake.
It’s a St. Paul treasure that proves the best things in life really can be free (or donation-based).
11. Stone Arch Bridge
Where else can you walk across a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark while getting the best views in the city?
The Stone Arch Bridge, at 100 Portland Ave, curves gracefully across the Mississippi River, connecting downtown Minneapolis to the riverfront in a structure that’s been standing since 1883.
Originally built for trains, it’s now a pedestrian and bike path that offers front-row seats to St. Anthony Falls and the city skyline.
The 23 arches that give the bridge its name create a rhythm as you walk across, each stone placed by hand over a century ago.
Photographers flock here at sunset when the light turns the river golden and the city glows behind you like it’s putting on a show.
The bridge sits at the perfect spot where you can see Mill City Museum, Guthrie Theater, and the historic mill district all at once.
Events like the Stone Arch Bridge Festival turn the span into a massive art fair every summer.
It’s functional, beautiful, and a reminder that infrastructure can be inspiring when people actually care about design.
12. Minneapolis Institute Of Art
Are you sitting down? Because this world-class art museum at 2400 3rd Avenue S is completely free.
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia to locals), located at 2400 3rd Ave S, houses over 90,000 works spanning 5,000 years of human creativity, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary installations that were created last year.
You could visit weekly for a year and still discover new favorites in galleries you somehow missed.
The collection is genuinely impressive, European masterworks hang near African sculptures, Asian art fills entire wings, and American pieces tell the story of this continent’s artistic evolution.
Special exhibitions rotate regularly, bringing in works from other major museums and private collections.
The period rooms let you step into fully furnished spaces from different eras, like time-traveling through interior design history.
Unlike some stuffy institutions, Mia feels welcoming and accessible, with labels that explain without talking down to visitors.
The restaurant serves surprisingly good food if you need to refuel between galleries.
Free admission means you can pop in for an hour without feeling like you need to see everything.
13. Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway
However you like to explore a city, this 46-mile loop has you covered.
The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway connects Minneapolis’s best parks, lakes, and natural areas in a route that you can drive, bike, or walk depending on your ambition level and available time.
It’s the only urban byway in the National Scenic Byway system, which tells you Minneapolis takes its parks seriously.
The route passes through the Chain of Lakes, along the Mississippi River, through Minnehaha Park, and around Theodore Wirth Park, basically hitting every major green space worth seeing.
Biking the entire loop is a rite of passage for locals and a fantastic way to understand how Minneapolis is laid out.
Each section offers different scenery, one minute you’re cruising past lakes with sailboats, the next you’re in dense woods that feel miles from civilization.
Well-maintained paths and clear signage make navigation easy even for first-timers.
Pack snacks and water because 46 miles is no joke, though you can always tackle it in sections over multiple visits.
14. Mall Of America
This isn’t just a mall, it’s a small city disguised as a retail experience.
Mall of America in Bloomington (technically outside Minneapolis, but everyone counts it) sprawls across 5.6 million square feet, containing over 500 stores, an indoor amusement park, an aquarium, and enough dining options to eat somewhere different every day for months.
Located at 60 E Broadway, it’s become a destination that people actually plan vacations around.
Nickelodeon Universe sits in the center, a full amusement park complete with roller coasters operating inside climate-controlled comfort.
SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium lets you walk through an underwater tunnel while sharks and rays glide overhead.
The sheer scale is overwhelming in the best way, you’ll need a map and comfortable shoes because you will walk miles just browsing.
Beyond shopping, there’s mini golf, escape rooms, and an events calendar that includes everything from book signings to live performances.
Love it or hate it, the Mall of America is an experience that epitomizes American retail culture taken to its logical extreme.
15. Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival
When spring arrives, film lovers descend on the Twin Cities for one of the region’s premier cultural events.
The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival is held at MSP Film at The Main, located at 115 Main Street, and showcases films from over 70 countries, transforming local theaters into windows onto the world’s most exciting cinema.
For two weeks, you can see documentaries from Iran, dramas from Finland, and experimental works from emerging filmmakers who’ll be famous in five years.
The festival doesn’t just screen films, it brings directors, actors, and producers for Q&A sessions where you can ask about that confusing ending or learn what inspired the whole project.
Multiple venues across both cities participate, creating a film festival atmosphere that energizes the entire cultural scene.
Passes sell out fast because locals know this is their chance to see films that might never get theatrical distribution.
Even if you can’t attend every screening, grabbing tickets to a few films gives you conversation material for months and expands your cinematic horizons beyond Hollywood blockbusters.
It’s proof that the Twin Cities punch above their weight culturally.
16. Summit Avenue
Where Minneapolis goes modern, St. Paul goes historic, and nowhere is that more obvious than Summit Avenue.
This 4.5-mile stretch claims to be the longest avenue of intact Victorian homes in America, and walking it feels like stepping into a time machine set for the Gilded Age.
Starting at the Cathedral of Saint Paul and stretching west, the street showcases how the wealthy lived when flour and railroads were making fortunes.
The Cathedral itself dominates the eastern end, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece with a copper dome that’s visible across the city.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthplace sits along the avenue at 481 Laurel Avenue, marked by a plaque for literary pilgrims.
The James J. Hill House at 240 Summit Avenue offers tours through a mansion so opulent it makes modern McMansions look like sad attempts at grandeur.
Autumn is prime walking time when the massive trees create a canopy of gold and red overhead.
It’s free entertainment that offers architectural eye candy and a glimpse into how the other half lived 150 years ago.
17. Mississippi Riverfront
Did you know both cities have spent decades transforming their riverfronts from industrial wastelands into vibrant public spaces?
The Mississippi Riverfront now features miles of trails, parks, restaurants, and gathering spots that reconnect residents with the waterway that gave birth to both cities.
What was once dominated by mills and warehouses is now where people go to walk, bike, eat, and watch the river flow like it has for millennia.
Minneapolis’s side features Mill Ruins Park where you can see the remains of the flour industry that built the city, all preserved as outdoor museums you can explore for free.
St. Paul’s riverfront includes Harriet Island Regional Park, which hosts concerts and festivals all summer with downtown as the backdrop.
Water taxis and tour boats operate during warm months, offering a completely different perspective on the cities.
Public art installations dot the trails, and restaurants with river views let you turn a walk into a full day out.
The riverfront revival is one of the Twin Cities’ great success stories, proving urban planning can actually work.
18. Minneapolis Lookout
Though finding the perfect view in Minneapolis requires some insider knowledge, the Minneapolis Lookout delivers skyline vistas that’ll make your camera roll.
This scenic overlook sits at 3045-3109 Ridgway Pkwy, a spot where you can see the entire downtown core rising from the prairie, with lakes glittering in the distance and the sky stretching forever above.
It’s the view that makes you understand why people actually choose to live somewhere with six-month winters.
The lookout is particularly stunning at sunset when the glass towers catch the light and turn into glowing columns of gold and orange.
Photographers and proposal planners favor this spot for its blend of natural and urban beauty.
Unlike some cities where you need to pay for rooftop access, this view is public and free, available to anyone willing to seek it out.
Bring a jacket because it can get windy at elevated spots, but the fresh air and expansive views are worth a little wind-blown hair.
It’s the perfect spot to pause and appreciate the Twin Cities from above before diving back into street-level exploring.
19. Witch’s Hat Water Tower
When someone decided to design a water tower in 1913, they apparently thought “practical infrastructure” was boring and went with “whimsical fairy tale” instead.
The Witch’s Hat Water Tower at 55 SE Malcolm Avenue, Minneapolis, looks exactly like its name suggests, a stone tower topped with a steep, pointed roof that could house a storybook witch.
It’s been a quirky Minneapolis landmark for over a century, proof that utility and charm can coexist.
Climb to the top during open house events, and you’ll get 360-degree views of both Minneapolis and St. Paul spread out below.
The surrounding park offers green space perfect for picnics, with the tower standing guard like a medieval sentinel transported to the Midwest.
It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which gives this oddball structure some serious historical credibility.
The neighborhood around it maintains that same quirky character, filled with artists and people who appreciate that not everything needs to look like it came from a corporate development plan.
It’s weird, wonderful, and very Minneapolis.
20. Open Streets Festivals
However you feel about cars, you’ll love them gone during Open Streets events.
Multiple times each summer, the Twin Cities close major streets to vehicles and hand them over to people on foot, bikes, skateboards, and anything else human-powered.
What emerges is a spontaneous block party atmosphere where neighborhoods come alive in ways impossible when traffic dominates.
Vendors set up along the routes selling food, art, and crafts while musicians perform on corners and front yards transform into gathering spots.
Kids ride bikes down the middle of streets usually too dangerous to cross, and adults remember what public space feels like when it’s actually public.
Events like Open Streets West Broadway bring communities together across lines that normally divide, creating genuine connection through shared space.
Each festival highlights a different neighborhood, so attending multiple events gives you a tour of the cities’ diverse communities and cultures.
Bring your bike, comfortable shoes, and an appetite because you’ll want to try food from every vendor.
It’s urban planning at its most joyful and community-focused.
