Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, along with its sister city St. Paul, makes up the largest metro area in Minnesota. But what really put the Twin Cities on the map is the Mall of America. Where else in the world are you going to find over 500 stores, an amusement park, an aquarium, a dance club and countless restaurants? If you're still up for some more shopping, check out Nicollet Mall! Four blocks of pure shopping -- what could be better than that?
If shopping doesn't hold your interest, Minneapolis is filled with museums and historic sites that can keep you busy for days. Go back in time to visit a working farm from the mid 1800s, take a tour of the home of the first governor of the territory, or wander along an 1880s stone bridge. Numerous cultural and arts offerings can be found every day of the year.
Minneapolis loves its sports, too. Minneapolis is home to major league baseball's Minnesota Twins and the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings. So before you the leave the Twin City, try to take in a game. But make sure you are prepared for cold weather walking to watch the Vikings in the Dome, because highs in January average only 20 degrees F.
Alexander Ramsey House
265 S. Exchange Street
Paul, MN 55102
651-296-8760
Take a tour of this exquisite Victorian home, the former residence of the first governor of the territory, Paul Ramsey. More Info
Bell Museum of Natural History
University Ave. SE and 17th Ave. SE
10 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-7083
The most popular spot in the museum is the Touch and See Room. Here you can try on deer antlers and sheep horns. Anything you want to know? Just ask one of their knowledgeable staff. The mission of the museum is to educate about natural history using their collections and research. More Info
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum
333 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-9494
In 1934, Lotus Coffman, the former president of University of Minnesota envisioned: "This is a dream of long-standing on my part... I would have every student at the University of Minnesota and every individual in this community, exposed as frequently as possible to the things that make life worth living, to the cultural inheritance of the human race." Completed in 1993, Mr. Coffman's dream had come true. The Weisman Art Museum is now home to the largest collection of American painters Marsden Hartley and Alfred Maurer. Also on display are works by Georgia O'Keefe and Max Weber among others. More Info
