Map view
Artist Point, Grand Marais
![Photo of Grand Marais](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1542349388.dAjDBQGP_2u808C.avif)
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
![Photo of Minneapolis](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_777190714.7Q3WTHJ5_CkWpo.avif)
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
![Photo of Nickelodeon Universe](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1554325031.Oc09_vei_Z1dmVgj.avif)
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
![Photo of Fort Snelling State Park](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1818482771.QR2vilr4_pkhdH.avif)
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
![Photo of Jay Cooke State Park](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_2014577519.C8wZNrr8_ZLKykv.avif)
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
![Photo of Mall of America](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_147970367.ivl2qTiS_80qbB.avif)
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
![Photo of St. Paul](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_722438143.xzdYU9ET_1oB4yq.avif)
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
![Photo of Voyageurs National Park](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1497747437.nTvzAVdU_TUkO5.avif)
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
![Photo of Minneapolis Institute of Art](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1210778236.ZkUBHRxb_10kN39.avif)
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
![Photo of Walker Art Center](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1215430249.hqj1xvrj_Zhd8fP.avif)
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
![Photo of The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_444971056.vtLsWQA3_ZhECEY.avif)
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
![Photo of Minnehaha Falls](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_140447605.nMePgtHb_5VrCi.avif)
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
![Photo of Science Museum of Minnesota](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1608772393.M3wFRtkZ_Z23uCQM.avif)
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
![Photo of Itasca State Park](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_1088015321.J77iiCrj_ZApsey.avif)
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
![Photo of Weisman Art Museum](https://media.shannonobrientravel.com/_astro/shutterstock_717376615.sr21Pjd3_22SQ9p.avif)
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