Location: Saint Paul
Top Things to do in Saint Paul
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The 10 Best Things to Do in Saint Paul, United States
Saint Paul has been called the last city of the East primarily because early developers built it to fit Eastern standards: city squares or parks, towers and turrets, lofty arches, Baroque domes and elaborate adornments abound. Ideal for families and those who like to explore on foot, the capital of Minnesota offers big city attractions with small town manageability. It's an easy and scenic stroll along the banks of the Mississippi River from the Children's Museum to the Science Museum. The kids (and the young at heart) will love them both. Nearby are the grandiose State Capitol, designed by esteemed architect Cass Gilbert and the historic Como Park, which includes lovely picnic areas, a zoo and a conservatory. Also in the mix are modern museums, stately old mansions, interesting natural wonders and unique shops to browse around. Be sure to check out the stellar collection of contemporary works by local artists at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. From four-star luxury to affordable and family-friendly, Saint Paul offers a variety of lodging and dining possibilities making it a great destination for all tastes and budgets.
Restaurants in Saint Paul
1. Candyland
Overall Ratings
5 based on 92 reviews
Reviewed By HisQueen R
I reward myself here often with a cashew turtle I love them! The service is great there sometimes it’s busy but the line moves fast so no worries about waiting too long they have great candy I recommend it and will be back soon"Cashew Turtle a Day keeps the Doctor away"?! Okay maybe not, but they're soo delicious & we're so happy you enjoy them! Thank you for the tremendous review & we'll see you when you POP! in soon!
2. Cathedral of Saint Paul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 823 reviews
This Classical Renaissance-style Cathedral dating back to 1915 features a splendid interior of six chapels, imported marble columns, large statues of the four evangelists and beautiful rose windows.
3. Minnesota State Fair
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 940 reviews
Always 12 days of fun ending Labor Day, the Great Minnesota Get-Together welcomes nearly 2 million guests annually to a world-class showcase of livestock, agriculture, horse, art, talent and creative activities competitions; 500 food items; 900 free entertainment shows; the Mighty Midway and Kidway; Grandstand concert series; 1,000 vendors; exhibits for kids and adults; and more!
Reviewed By Beth P - Saint Paul, Minnesota
The MN State Fair, also known as the Great MN Get Together, is a fun experience with something for everyone. Great food (even some gluten free options), love the parade, the buildings with educational and inspirational information, the animals and of course the variety of shows, many that are free.
4. Science Museum of Minnesota
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 976 reviews
The Science Museum of Minnesota is well-known for its hands-on approach to science learning and entertainment. It features the popular Experiment Gallery, an Egyptian mummy, an authentic Mississippi River towboat, a convertible-dome Omnitheater and interactive exhibits for all ages!
Reviewed By World_traveler_mamma - Ames, Iowa
My son is an avid learner and for his 12th birthday we took him to the Science Museum of Minnesota. He loved the third floor with the interactive experiments. He loves dinosaurs but he just walked through that room quickly because the physics and chemistry experiments outside were irresistible! We watched the IMAX movie 'Dream Big' and it made me want to become a civil engineer!
5. Summit Avenue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 336 reviews
Old, wealthy St. Paul neighborhood with Victorian mansions.
Reviewed By traveltheworld012 - Rochester, Minnesota
We love driving down or strolling this avenue. Great majestic homes, most well kept or very nicely restored. Large shady trees grace both sides. F. Scott Fitzgerald once lived here, Garrison Keillor now does. The Minnesota Governor's home is here as well. Summit Avenue parallels Grand Avenue mecca of urban shopping. There is also a bike lane along Summit so the pleasure on a bike can be had as well.
6. Minnesota History Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 505 reviews
An interactive museum with both permanent and changing exhibits, the Minnesota History Center hosts concerts, lectures, family days and other special events throughout the year. The building is also home to the Minnesota Historical Society library and archives, a research destination for schoolchildren, family historians and academics.
Reviewed By VikkiBee - Houghton-le-Spring, United Kingdom
This is a very interesting museum with some fascinating exhibits! I actually entered on the second floor and I thought it was a free museum as I couldn’t find the admissions desk – it turns out it’s on the first floor. I walked up to the desk and was greeted by Patrick who surprisingly knew all about me. I was a little taken back at first when he said ‘you’re the girl with the blog travelling all around America’ – it turns out the staff at the State Capitol building had contacted him on my short walk down to the Minnesota History Centre! I started chatting with him telling him about my trip and he actually let me in the museum for free! And what’s even more amazing is that he gave me some admission passes to get into two other attractions I was planning to visit for free! What a nice guy! As it turns out, the museum along with other museums, centres and buildings throughout the state of Minnesota belong to the Minnesota Historical Society. Whilst admission is reasonably priced, you can actually get an annual membership which lets you into any of their 26 attractions! I would love to visit some of the others in the northern part of the state if I wasn’t on such a tight schedule.
The museum itself is located on the third floor and on my way up to it, I started chatting with a girl who was manning the Minnesota State symbols booth. What started as a quick chat about the local area and symbols turned into an hour long conversation about the difference in our cultures!
The museum has several interesting exhibits including Minnesota’s Greatest Generation which focuses on the baby boom after World War 1; kids who were born and raised during the great depression and enlisted to fight in World War 2.
For me personally, one of the best exhibits is the Weather Permitting area which is only small but focuses on tornadoes, specifically the F4 tornadoes which hit Fridley in 1965. A short video plays whilst a simulator takes you back in time to experience that night! It’s nothing fancy but for a weather nut like me, it was fantastic! I didn’t even realise Minnesota got tornadoes but they actually get about 18 per year!
Other exhibits include the Then Now Wow area which is the largest in the museum and focuses on the growing changes in Minneapolis/St. Paul’s history. They also have a special exhibit on at the minute called 1968 which focuses on the events of that year including the Vietnam War, Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Presidential race, Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and the anti-war demonstrations. It was quite interesting learning about a lot of the events – I knew about them beforehand but I never realised they all happened in the same year!
On my way out of the museum, I thought I would swing by and thank Patrick again for the free admission tickets. I started chatting with him and state security officer A.C. Jarosh. I ended up chatting with them both for another 20-30 minutes. The staff at this museum are absolutely fantastic! I've never met such lovely people who take an interest in their visitors as much as the staff do here! I would definitely recommend this place as a must see attraction whilst visiting St. Paul!
7. CHS Field
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By blehnert - Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota
We eventually got to the 1:00 p.m. game in the fifth inning. This Included driving around looking for a parking ramp and when we found one, driving up and down it's seven levels found none. Eventually, we joked about parking at the Minnesota Science Museum and hailing a cab. Then it was not a joke, it is what we did. The cabbie who turned on his meter charged about $7.50 for the ride. The ride back was with a cabbie who did not turn on his meter and asked for $5.00. The Saints lost. Spouse loved the seats and requested season tickets.
8. James J. Hill House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 422 reviews
Rugged stone, massive scale, fine detail and ingenious mechanical systems recall the powerful presence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway. Guides lead tours that help you imagine family and servant life in the Gilded Age mansion, the setting of the public and private lives of the Hill family. The James J. Hill House is a National Historic Landmark. The home also includes an art gallery, which features work from the Minnesota Historical Society's collections.
Reviewed By VikkiBee - Houghton-le-Spring, United Kingdom
The house was built for James J. Hill who developed the Great Northern Railway which connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from coast to coast right through St. Paul! When he and his wife Mary were middle aged with 10 children, they built the house which cost $1 million dollars which is roughly $25-30 million in today’s money. The house is stunning with glorious wood carvings, fireplaces and chandeliers and it definitely has some history to it!
The tour of the house lasts for 75 minutes and it’s really interesting learning about how the rich lived back then. It was estimated James was worth $63 million back then which is maybe about $2 billion in today’s money. It’s interesting because both James and his wife were Irish immigrants and were poor growing up. The tour itself costs about $10 and is entertaining throughout thanks to the staff. I would definitely recommend it if you’re in the area!
9. Historic Fort Snelling
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 170 reviews
With a human history more than 10,000 years in the making, the area today known as Fort Snelling means different things to different people. Explore the past through tours, demonstrations, and conversations that expand the diverse stories of the women, men, and children who crossed paths here—from the Dakota, who call the land Bdote, to other Native American groups who lived and worked here, to enslaved people, immigrants, fur traders, and soldiers. The site reopens for its summer season on June 9, 2018.
Reviewed By Deon W
toured this attraction on a Sunday afternoon. Was very impressed with the detail put into the video and displays / guide information throughout the site. The Japanese Interment exhibit was very informative with first hand accounts of of a very sad part of American History. The illegal use of slavery and how army officers profited from it as well as the role the Fort played in the Dred Scott decision was eye opening to put it mildly.
10. Xcel Energy Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 572 reviews
Reviewed By Nodaksx6 - Bismarck, North Dakota
We watched the Stars play the Wild the other night. Our seats were on club level, section 8. The club level was excellent and highly recommended with some great food and drink options. Parking was close although somewhat expensive. Signage within the arena could be better...it was our first time there and I had to ask someone how to get to our seats. Overall though, a great venue for watching hockey.
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