Minnesota
Minneapolis and St. Paul sit on either side of the Mississippi River, two very different cities that visitors simply call the Twin Cities.
Minneapolis is the glassy, outdoorsy one, with a downtown laced together by enclosed skyways, a riverfront of flour-mill ruins and the Stone Arch Bridge, a 53-foot waterfall in Minnehaha Park, and some of the best free art in the country at Mia and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, home of Spoonbridge and Cherry. St. Paul is the stately, older sibling, crowned by the great copper dome of the Cathedral of Saint Paul and the mansions of Summit Avenue. South of both, beside the airport, Mall of America is a destination in its own right, with an indoor theme park, an aquarium, a flight ride and a museum of illusions under one roof, all reachable by light rail. West of the city, Prince’s Paisley Park opens its studios to fans. This guide picks what to book, flags the November details, from Thanksgiving closures to the cold that makes the skyways and the mall so welcome, and matches you to a hotel, from a five-star tower with two pools to a rooftop sauna in the North Loop.
Cathedral of Saint Paul
The great domed cathedral on Cathedral Hill above downtown St. Paul, with a soaring interior, intricate stained glass and dome artwork, at the head of historic Summit Avenue. This page links to the official self-guided tour with audio guide on Tiqets.
Paisley Park
Prince’s home, studio complex and creative sanctuary in Chanhassen, southwest of Minneapolis, now open for guided tours of the studios, sound stage and his archive of costumes, instruments and awards. Official tickets only.
Nickelodeon Universe
The indoor theme park at the heart of Mall of America, with more than two dozen rides and attractions under a glass roof, from gentle family rides to roller coasters. This page links to the Tiqets any-day unlimited ride wristband.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden & Walker Art Center
The free sculpture park home of Spoonbridge and Cherry, open daily from early morning until midnight, beside the Walker Art Center, one of the leading contemporary art museums in the United States.
America’s most famous mall, in Bloomington beside the airport, with hundreds of stores, an indoor theme park, an aquarium, a flight ride, a museum of illusions and mini golf, all under one heated roof and on the light rail line.
The aquarium on the lower level of Mall of America, with a 1.2-million-gallon walk-through ocean tunnel, sharks, sea turtles and stingrays, and thousands of marine animals. This page links to the Tiqets entry ticket.
The indoor theme park at the heart of Mall of America, with more than two dozen rides and attractions under a glass roof, from gentle family rides to roller coasters. This page links to the Tiqets any-day unlimited ride wristband.
A playful, hands-on museum of optical illusions inside Mall of America, built for photos and brain-teasing fun, with long evening hours that make it an easy add-on to a mall day. This page links to the Tiqets entry ticket.
A flying-theatre ride at Mall of America that lifts you in front of a giant screen to soar over famous American landscapes, with motion, wind and mist effects. This page links to the Tiqets entry ticket with a pre-flight briefing.
The great domed cathedral on Cathedral Hill above downtown St. Paul, with a soaring interior, intricate stained glass and dome artwork, at the head of historic Summit Avenue. This page links to the official self-guided tour with audio guide on Tiqets.
Prince’s home, studio complex and creative sanctuary in Chanhassen, southwest of Minneapolis, now open for guided tours of the studios, sound stage and his archive of costumes, instruments and awards. Official tickets only.
The free sculpture park home of Spoonbridge and Cherry, open daily from early morning until midnight, beside the Walker Art Center, one of the leading contemporary art museums in the United States.
FreeOne of the great encyclopedic art museums of the United States, with more than 100,000 works spanning about 5,000 years and six continents, and free general admission every day it is open.
A museum built inside the ruins of a flour mill on the Mississippi riverfront, with a Flour Tower elevator show, hands-on labs and a rooftop deck overlooking St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.
FreeA free 53-foot waterfall in a wooded regional park in south Minneapolis, with a glen trail down to the Mississippi, paved paths kept open through winter and the falls freezing into ice sculptures in the cold months.
A three-hour small-group walking tour of downtown Minneapolis that uses the city’s famous enclosed skyways to stay warm, with stops from First Avenue and the IDS Crystal Court to the Stone Arch Bridge and the North Loop. This page links to the Viator tour.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$North Loop
A characterful boutique hotel in an 1897 brick warehouse in the North Loop, with the wood-fired Tullibee restaurant and a rooftop with a year-round sauna and spa pool, refreshed throughout in 2026.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$$Downtown Riverfront
The city’s most luxurious hotel, opened in 2022 on Hennepin Avenue near the river, with 222 rooms and 39 suites, Gavin Kaysen’s Mara restaurant, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools and a skyway connection.
Rates on Expedia →Downtown St. Paul (Rice Park)
St. Paul’s grand historic hotel, open since 1910 and overlooking Rice Park, with The St. Paul Grill, The Drake for breakfast, a lobby bar and the Ordway Center a short walk away.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Bloomington (Mall of America)
An upscale hotel attached directly to Mall of America in Bloomington, with an indoor heated pool, fitness centre, Cedar and Stone Urban Table restaurant and a lobby lounge, around six miles from the airport.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Downtown East
A playful, good-value Marriott hotel across from U.S. Bank Stadium in Downtown East, with check-in at Bar Moxy, a 24-hour gym, free Wi-Fi and the light rail on the doorstep.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first visit to the Twin Cities: what to book ahead, getting around by light rail and skyway, how many days you need, and where Mall of America, the riverfront, the art museums, the Cathedral and Paisley Park fit.
How to choose your base in the Twin Cities, from a warehouse hotel with a rooftop sauna in the North Loop and a five-star tower by the river to a grand hotel on Rice Park, a hotel attached to Mall of America and a budget base by the stadium.
