Map view
Artist Point, Grand Marais
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Grand Marais is a city on Lake Superior's North Shore
- Before it was settled by French Canadians and before Minnesota's statehood, it was inhabited by the Ojibwe.
- Grand Marais Harbor is protected by Artist's Point, a barrier island formed by lava that was connected to the mainland by gravel deposited by lake currents, forming a tombolo
Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Former railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis
- It is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi River
- It is the second oldest bridge on the river next to Eads Bridge
- The structure is now used as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge
Nickelodeon Universe
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Indoor amusement park located at Mall of America in Bloomington that consists of attractions and rides based on Nickelodeon’s popular franchises
- Rides and attractions include roller coasters, thrill rides, family rides, as well as, the option to meet Nickelodeon characters
#17 in Best Theme Parks in the USA
Pike Island Loop, Fort Snelling State Park
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Pike Island is an island at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, managed as part of Fort Snelling State Park
- For centuries, Dakota people have considered the area of the island to be a sacred place where they moved with the seasons to find food and resources
- The bulk of the state park preserves the bottomland forest, rivers, and backwater lakes below the river bluffs
Silver Creek Trail, Jay Cooke State Park
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- State park protecting the lower reaches of the Saint Louis River
- The western half of the park contains part of a rocky gorge that was a major barrier to Native Americans and early Europeans traveling by canoe, which they bypassed with the challenging Grand Portage of the St. Louis River
- Today Minnesota State Highway 210 runs through Jay Cooke State Park, which include the Rushing Rapids Parkway, a state scenic byway
Mall of America
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Large shopping mall located in Bloomington, opened in 1992
- It is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the eleventh largest shopping mall in the world
- In addition to the inside of the mall, outside of the mall are additional hotels, kiosks, restaurants, and stores
Cathedral of Saint Paul, St. Paul
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Roman Catholic cathedral in Saint Paul, and the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, along with the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis
- It is dedicated to Paul the Apostle, who is also the namesake of the City of Saint Paul
- The current building opened in 1915 and is the third-largest Catholic cathedral and sixth-largest church in the United States
Blind Ash Bay Trail, Voyageurs National Park
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- National park established in 1975, whose name commemorates the voyageurs—French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area
- Notable for its outstanding water resources, the park is popular with canoeists, kayakers, other boaters, and fishermen
- The park has several boat ramps and visitor centers on its periphery, though the main body of the park is only accessible by boat
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Art museum located in Minneapolis, home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history
- Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United States
- The museum has seven curatorial areas: Arts of Africa & the Americas; Contemporary Art; Decorative Arts, Textiles & Sculpture; Asian Art; Paintings; Photography and New Media; and Prints and Drawings
Walker Art Center
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Multidisciplinary contemporary art center in Minneapolis, and one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the U.S.
- The museum's permanent collection includes over 13,000 modern and contemporary art pieces, including books, costumes, drawings, media works, paintings, photography, prints, and sculpture
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Wilderness area within the Superior National Forest, which is a mixture of forests, glacial lakes, and streams
- Preservation efforts began in the 1900s, and today it is a popular destination for canoeing, hiking, and fishing
Minnehaha Falls Track
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- City park in Minneapolis, and home to Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek
- The park was designed by landscape architect Horace W.S. Cleveland in 1883 as part of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway system
- Preserved structures include the Minnehaha Princess Station, a Victorian train depot built in the 1870s
- The central feature of the park, Minnehaha Falls, was a favorite subject of pioneer photographers, and continues today to be the most photographed site in Minnesota
Science Museum of Minnesota
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Museum focused on topics in technology, natural history, physical science, and mathematics education, founded in 1907
- Exhibits include a dinosaurs and fossils gallery, the human body gallery, and the Mississippi River gallery
Mississippi Headwaters Trail, Itasca State Park
Walk difficulty: Easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Itasca State Park is a state park that contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River
- Itasca State Park was established in 1891, making it the first of Minnesota's state parks and second oldest in the United States, behind Niagara Falls State Park
- Residing among the many trails in the park are over 60 types of mammals including beaver, porcupine, black bear, and timber wolves
Weisman Art Museum
Best time to visit: June-Aug
Cost: $
- Museum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, founded in 1934, and widely known as a modern art museum
- Its 20,000+ acquisitions include large collections of Native American Mimbres pottery, and traditional Korean furniture