Location: Minneapolis
Top Things to do in Minneapolis
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What to do and see in Minneapolis, Minnesota (MN): The Best Nature & Parks
With its gleaming skyscrapers set amid glittering lakes, Minneapolis makes for an attractive and fun getaway. A truly year-round destination, the city offers activities for every season. In winter, one can explore the downtown area through more than seven miles of glass-enclosed skyways. In addition to keeping you warm, they create a lively thoroughfare filled with specialty shops, restaurants and services. Whether you want to escape the winter cold or the summer warmth, the Mall of America offers shopping, dining and entertainment options for any time of the year and every member of the family. Art lovers have plenty to see at the Minneapolis Art Institute, Walker Art Center and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, which all house world-renowned collections. The theater scene is thriving. With more than thirty theaters, Minneapolis has more seats per capita than any U.S. city except New York. See a Broadway show and enjoy dinner and live jazz at a fabulous restaurant. With kids in tow, check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, where visitors can produce their own video, or come face to face with a shark at the UnderWater Adventures Aquarium. In summer, the action moves outside. Known as "The City of Lakes," Minneapolis has 22 lakes located within city limits and many more in the surrounding area. In town, hordes of locals and tourists in-line skate or stroll around Lake Calhoun, stopping for ice cream along the way. Just outside of town, Fort Snelling State Park offers outdoor recreational activities from hiking to biking and golf to boating. No matter when you visit, Minneapolis offers lots for everyone to enjoy.
Restaurants in Minneapolis
1. Chain of Lakes
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 402 reviews
Three separate lakes (Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet) all surrounded by pedestrian paths.
Reviewed By jesseMN - Savannah, United States
Walk, jog, swim, hear a concert, rent bikes, roller skates, canoes...the chain of lakes is one of the many attractions of the excellent Park system - connected by trail and water to other parks - that attacts year 'round visitors. A cherished resource that is actually three interconnected lakes in the City. Accessable by public transit.
2. Fairview Park
3. Grand Rounds Scenic Byway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 150 reviews
40+ Miles Of Bike Trails Throughout The City
Reviewed By Blairian - Tucson, United States
Loved our trip around the Grand rounds. Rode with our bike group one Sunday in September. Reasonably well marked, but be sure to check the map at each of the gazebo like structures or run a map app on your phone. Beautiful ride.
4. Lake of the Isles
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 326 reviews
Reviewed By bethsA9826WF
Lake of the Isles is one of the chain of lakes in the heart of Minneapolis. It's winding shoreline has a well-card for walking path and showcases the lake's isles and varied shore environments. It's a 2.6 mile walk, and if you get tired of looking at the sun on the water, skyline in the short distance, lily pads, birds, and the many dogs with companions you'll meet, check out the gorgeous array of houses (some mansions) that surround the lake.
5. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,754 reviews
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is closed for renovation, and will reopen in June 2017. One of the crown jewels of the city’s park system, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden unites two of Minnesota’s most cherished resources—its greenspace and its cultural life. A partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, the Garden is a top destination for tourists to enjoy art like the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry in an outdoor park setting.
Reviewed By victoriavZ5721AB - Rochester, United States
Had to check out the Minneapolis sculpture garden to see the famous spoon and cherry. We parked in the $4 parking lot and enjoyed strolling through the walkways to see some interesting sculptures. The native landscape and wildflowers only added to the beauty of the art and the location in the city. Got some cool pics as well which I'm sure we'll cherish for a long time!
6. River Road Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
A 6-mile paved bike trail from Fort Snelling State Park to downtown Minneapolis.
7. Bde Maka Ska
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 607 reviews
Reviewed By CaptTrouble - Hudson, United States
This is a large and beautiful lake to walk around in Minneapolis. I would recommend walking on weekdays as it and the other lakes in the chain can be absolutely crazy busy on the weekends. My husband and I took a brisk walk around it in October to admire the sunshine and the fall leaves. Bde Maka Ska is now the official name of this lake; there is still a Lake Calhoun in Kandiyohi County. Bde Maka Ska is the largest lake in the City of Minneapolis with a size of 401 acres and a maximum depth of 87 feet. The name is a Dakota one, pronounced Be-DAY Me-KAH-Ska, which in English means Lake White Earth. The lake was given the name Calhoun in the early 1800's by the U.S. Army in honor of the United States Secretary of War while the Army was surveying the area for Ft. Snelling. Calhoun's history as a slaveowner and pro-slavery politician led to modern day questions about whether the lake was best named after him. In 2017 the Minneapolis Park Board voted to change the name back to the Dakota name Bde Maka Ska, with the Hennepin County Commissioners agreeing. In 2018 the MN DNR made it the official name in Minnesota. The State submitted materials to the federal government to change the name on the federal level, which was approved in June 2018. Signs were changed around the lake. On April 29, 2019, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the name could only be changed by legislation. The federal government has declined to change the name back and the Park Board has declined to change the signs back.
8. Loring Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By JenniB15 - John Day, United States
We went down to Loring park by walking the Greenway from our hotel. Friends had told us there was free skating and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the skates and the comfort of the warming house. Ice is created by flooding, so not perfectly flat and smooth, but they do a wonderful job with what they have. After the skating, we got lunch at the Holidazzle food vendors. It was lots of fun! Highly recommended.
9. Lake Harriet Rose Garden
10. St. Anthony Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 321 reviews
Waterfalls that once possessed religious significance for Native American tribes are today part of Minneapolis' historic district.
Reviewed By Deremy - Mukilteo, United States
If you dont look at the debris in the water. Great historiy esson provided by captain en route from the dock through the flour mills.
