Best things to do in Minneapolis-St Paul

Walker Art Center

Internationally renowned for its permanent collection of 20th century paintings, drawings, prints, photography and sculptures, the Walker Art Center is one of the country's leading contemporary art centres and is one of the most visited museums in the USA. It features works by top artists in a range of styles, utilising various multi-media installations and educational programs. Contemporary art can also be experienced here through theatre, dance, video, music, and film. Next door is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, with creative contemporary work spread across a huge area of parkland. It's one of the largest urban sculpture parks in the country and includes the colossal Spoonbridge and Cherry Fountain by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and Frank Gehry's Standing Glass Fish. Visitors can also cross the highway to Loring Park via the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, and enjoy the poetry written along the walkway.

Website www.walkerart.org

Mall of America

Located in the southern suburb of Bloomington, the futuristic superstructure of the Mall of America is recognised as the largest enclosed shopping and entertainment complex in the country. It welcomes more than 42 million visitors each year and is the fifth most visited attraction in the USA, thanks to its world-class shopping, family entertainment, nightlife, and numerous dining options. It's conveniently close to the airport, and some international tours are specially arranged for holiday shopping. There are more than 500 stores and specialty shops including the Lego Store, international department stores such as Bloomingdales, more than 70 restaurants and fast food outlets, cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, a wedding chapel, bowling alley, and a mini-golf course. Sea Life Minnesota is a massive aquarium with touch pools featuring sharks and stingrays, and glass-enclosed tunnels with moving walkways that go right through the aquarium. The Mall of America's famous centrepiece is Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor theme park with more thirty rides and adventures for children and adults.

Website www.mallofamerica.com

Valleyfair

Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in Minnesota and has 125 acres of rides and attractions ranging from high-speed roller coasters to midway games and an IMAX theater. It also has the Soak City Waterpark, which a variety of waterslides and pools, and Challenge Park, which features the RipCord SkyCoaster. The amusement park's most famous ride is the Wild Thing roller coaster, which travels at 74 mph (120kph) with a drop of 196 feet (60 metres). There's also a Berenstein Bears children's play area and a variety of restaurants and food court areas.

Website www.valleyfair.com

Target Field

Home to the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball team, Target Field was built in 2010 and is considered one of the most state-of-the-art baseball stadiums in the world. Minnesotans tend to be rather affectionate toward their team, and a day at the ballpark is a fun family activity for Minnesota tourists of all ages; an added bonus is that fans get a picturesque view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline. The stadium itself is beautifully and intricately constructed, and daily tours reveal hidden secrets such as the players' locker rooms, clubhouse, and the elaborate underground systems that both heat and irrigate the field.

Website www.mlb.com/twins/ballpark

Minnesota Zoo

A huge state-of-the-art zoo with over 40 acres of habitats housing more than 2,000 creatures of all kinds, the Minnesota Zoo is a fantastic attraction for those travelling with kids in Minneapolis. It features animals from every continent in large habitats that mimic their natural environments, and an enormous aquarium. Popular attractions include the gorillas, tigers, meerkats, and red pandas. Kids can interact with animals in the touch pool and petting zoo; the various themed trails of the zoo are long, and one can easily spend an entire day exploring them. The zoo has a food court and gift shop, and hosts concerts in the summer. A new attraction is the enormous carousel, which features 56 hand-carved animals representing zoo inhabitants.

Website www.mnzoo.com

Minnesota History Center

This large museum showcases everything about Minnesota's history, with interactive exhibits ranging from blizzard and tornado simulations to a grainbelt exhibit with slides and a 24-tonne boxcar. Ever-changing temporary exhibits as well as events and lectures mean there's always something new to learn. The museum is family-friendly, with plenty of activities and programmes for kids, including the Museum Theatre and History Players. Conveniently located in downtown St Paul, the Minnesota History Center is a must-visit for anyone interested in learning about the state's fascinating history.

Website www.minnesotahistorycenter.org

Minnesota Children's Museum

Children in the Twin Cities will love the Minnesota Children's Museum, which is aimed at kids who are six months to 10 years old. Fun interactive exhibits allow children to go ice fishing, operate a crane, shovel coal into a locomotive engine, burrow their way through a giant anthill, or create a thunderstorm. Having entertained more than five million children since the 1980s, the award-winning Children's Museum is a must for families in Minneapolis and St Paul.

Website www.mcm.org

Chain of Lakes

Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and there are plenty of lovely lakes within the Twin Cities for visitors to enjoy in the summers. Some of the best are located southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Bde Maka Ska (formerly called Lake Calhoun) has a few sandy beaches with lifeguards on duty, good for tanning, swimming, and volleyball, and a few good restaurants. The park offers canoe rentals and sailing lessons, and sailboarding is a popular activity here. Lake of the Isles is a great place for a family picnic, and kids will enjoy the excellent climbing trees in the park. There are no public swimming beaches, though visitors can access the lake on boats rented from the adjacent Bde Maka Ska. Lake Harriet has excellent bike and jogging trails around the lake, and an outdoor bandshell that hosts local musicians on weekends. A popular area for families, Lake Harriet has swimming beaches, and a marina with boat rentals. Lake Nokomis also offers a few swimming beaches and boat access. The park is conveniently located near shops along Cedar Avenue, making spur-of-the-moment picnics a fun option.

Minnesota Science Museum

The Minnesota Science Museum is a much-loved family tourist attraction in St Paul. Often called the most popular museum in the Midwest, the building is a state-of-the-art facility housing dozens of interactive exhibits, where children can learn about weather, biology, anthropology, paleontology, and many other branches of science. The museum is also home to a 3D laser theatre, and the Midwest's only Omnitheater, a movie theatre with reclined seats that shows stunning documentaries on its giant domed screen. Conveniently located near downtown St Paul, the Minnesota Children's Museum is an absolute must for those travelling with children in the Twin Cities.

Website www.smm.org

Minneapolis-St Paul

Things to do in Minneapolis-St Paul

Walker Art Center

Mall of America

Valleyfair

Target Field

Minnesota Zoo

Minnesota History Center

Minnesota Children's Museum

Chain of Lakes

Minnesota Science Museum

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Walker Art Center

Mall of America

Valleyfair

Target Field

Minnesota Zoo

Minnesota History Center

Minnesota Children's Museum

Chain of Lakes

Minnesota Science Museum