Winter in the Twin Cities is long, properly cold and far more enjoyable than the forecast suggests, because the cities are built for it. Days are short, the lakes freeze and snow can arrive from late autumn into spring, but the downtown skyways, the museums and Mall of America keep visitors warm and busy. The trick is to plan your days around a few indoor anchors and give yourself an hour or two outdoors in the middle of the day, when it is lightest and usually mildest.
Dress like a local
Pack thermal layers, a windproof outer coat, a hat that covers your ears, insulated gloves and boots with real grip. Pavements can be icy, and wind off the river or a lake makes the same temperature feel much colder, so the bluff at Historic Fort Snelling or the Stone Arch Bridge needs more layers than a downtown street. Keep a light bag for the layers you will shed indoors, because shops, museums and hotels are well heated.
Use the skyways
Downtown Minneapolis is linked by enclosed second-floor walkways between buildings, so you can walk between hotels, shops, offices and restaurants without stepping outside. The skyway walking tour is a good first-morning orientation and works in any weather. Several downtown hotels, including the Marquette in the IDS Center and the Rand Tower, connect to the network, which makes a downtown base especially appealing in January. Skyway hours are shorter on weekends and evenings, so check before you plan a late walk.
Spend the cold days on art and history
Mia, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is free and huge, and it is closed on Mondays. The Walker Art Center beside the Sculpture Garden is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Weisman Art Museum, also free, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The American Swedish Institute is a warm mansion stop with a café, and its holiday exhibition typically opens in mid-November. In St. Paul, the Minnesota History Center has a weather exhibit that explains how people live with winters like this. The Science Museum of Minnesota and the Bell Museum, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, are strong choices for families.
Go indoors at Mall of America
The mall is a self-contained world of rides, an aquarium, a flying theatre, the Museum of Illusions and an escape room, with the light rail running to its door. It is open most days, but it is closed on Thanksgiving Day and opens early on Black Friday, so plan around those dates. Combine one or two ticketed attractions with a food-court lunch and you have a full winter day that needs no coat once you are inside.
Try one cold-weather outdoor thing
The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes becomes a winter playground when the ice is safe, with skating and walking, and conditions are posted by the park board, so check before you go and never assume the ice is safe. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and the Minnesota Zoo both offer winter visits, and a short walk around the zoo or the arboretum in snow is a pleasant way to see a different side of the area. Minnehaha Falls can freeze into an ice curtain in a hard winter, which makes it a rewarding stop for photographers who are properly dressed.
Sports and stages in the off season
U.S. Bank Stadium tours run Thursday through Sunday except on blackout dates, and the heated route makes them an ideal winter outing. Target Field offers an offseason tour while baseball is away. The Guthrie Theater runs its productions through the winter, with backstage tours on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. Paisley Park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Prince fans will find that a winter visit is quieter than summer.
Eat warm
Winter is the season for hearty food, from Nordic pastries and coffee at FIKA to Midwestern comfort dishes in the North Loop and St. Paul. A cheese curd, a bowl of soup or a coal-fired pizza is exactly right after an hour outside, and the North Loop food tour is a good way to find several warm places in one go.
Plan for travel disruption
Snow can slow roads and flights, so build slack into your first and last days, check the forecast for the route to the airport and take the light rail, which keeps running when roads are bad. Day trips such as Stillwater are lovely in winter but need a flexible schedule. Leave plenty of time for the drive back if snow is forecast.
A winter plan in three moves
On day one, do the skyway walk, then Mill City Museum and the riverfront for a short outdoor burst. On day two, spend the morning at Mia or the Walker and the afternoon at the American Swedish Institute. On day three, go south to Mall of America and finish with a cosy dinner. Add the History Center or the Bell Museum if you have more time, and keep a Plan B for every outdoor stop.
