Our trip to Minneapolis and St. Paul surprised me in the best way. I expected a pleasant city getaway, but the Twin Cities offered so much more: grand historic landmarks, beautiful architecture, quirky local icons, and memorable food. From the trolley tour to the skyways to one very oversized mall, this visit had a relaxed rhythm and plenty of moments that made me understand why the Twin Cities have so much charm.
Minnesota Trolley Tours
We started with Minnesota Trolley Tours, which turned out to be an easy and enjoyable way to get our bearings. Our tour guide, John, shared interesting facts and fun bits of history as we rode through Minneapolis. As we passed historic neighborhoods, landmarks, and local favorites, we learned the story of how the city developed.
Minneapolis grew along the Mississippi River around St. Anthony Falls, where the rushing water helped turn it into the Flour Milling Capital of the World. It was the birthplace of food manufacturing giants like General Mills and Land O’Lakes.
Nearby St. Paul was the northernmost navigable port for steamboats and became a bustling transportation hub and later state capital. Both cities are connected but still have their own history and vibe.
Minneapolis Parks
One thing I loved learning was how intentional Minneapolis has been about its parks. The city’s park system was shaped in a big way by Theodore Wirth, who became park superintendent in the early 1900s and helped expand the system with lakes, parkways, playgrounds, gardens, golf courses, and green spaces woven right into everyday neighborhoods. His goal was that residents should never be far from a park, and Minneapolis still feels built around that idea today. In fact, one of the city’s proudest claims is that everyone is within about six blocks of a park, which helps explain why the city feels so open, active, and connected even when you are right in the middle of an urban area.
State Capital
The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul was one of those places that was even better in person than I expected. Designed by architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1905, the building has a grand look from the outside, with bright white marble, wide stairways, and a dome you notice right away. Inside, it felt part government building and part art museum, with historic chambers, murals, decorative details, and a beautiful rotunda.
Outside, the gilded Quadriga sculpture, called “The Progress of the State,” sits above the entrance and adds a dramatic finishing touch. The capital was beautiful, interesting, and definitely worth taking the time to see.
Mary Tyler Moore Statue
We also had to stop by the Mary Tyler Moore Statue in downtown Minneapolis. It is near Nicollet Mall and 7th Street and shows the famous hat-tossing moment from the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Since the show was set in Minneapolis, it was fun to see that little piece of TV history right in the middle of the city. which is sometimes exactly what you want from a travel moment.
Mary Richards worked at the fictional WJM-TV station, and several real Minneapolis spots showed up in exterior shots, including the house at 2104 Kenwood Parkway, Nicollet Mall, the IDS Center’s Crystal Court, and Riverside Plaza. I grew up watching the show and seeing the statue made me smile, which is sometimes exactly what you want from a travel moment.
Downtown Skyways
The downtown skyways were one of my favorite surprises in Minneapolis. At first, they just seem like a practical way to get around, but once you are inside, they feel like this whole hidden walkway system above the streets. Spanning about 10 miles, the enclosed pedestrian footbridges connect buildings in 80 full city blocks. The second-level paths connect office buildings, hotels, restaurants, shops, and public spaces, so you can move around downtown while staying warm, dry, and comfortable. It makes total sense once you think about Minnesota weather. I liked watching the rhythm of it all, with people moving from building to building overhead while traffic kept going below.
Foshay Tower
After wandering through the skyways, we made a stop at the Foshay Tower, which felt like the perfect way to see downtown from a totally different angle. The building has that classic Art Deco look and was built in 1929 by Wilbur Foshay as a nod to the Washington Monument. At the time, it was the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast. The little museum gave us some background on the tower’s big, dramatic history – it opened with a lavish 3-day celebration with 25,000 guests but then weeks later Foshay’s empire was destroyed by the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Foshay Tower is now a historic icon where you can step out and get a wide-open view of Minneapolis from above.
Great Lunch Stop
Lunch at Manny’s Steakhouse was a great break in the middle of the day. It has that classic steakhouse feeling: lively, polished, and a little fancy, but still fun. Manny’s is known for big portions and excellent beef, and it definitely felt like the kind of place where you want to slow down and enjoy the meal. It was nice to take a break from sightseeing, sit down somewhere with a lot of energy, and have a lunch that felt like part of the day instead of just a stop for food.
Mall of America
We ended the trip at the Mall of America in Bloomington, which is honestly a lot to take in. It opened in 1992 on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, where the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings used to play, and it has become one of Minnesota’s best-known attractions. It feels less like a mall and more like an entire day of entertainment under one roof. There are more than 500 stores, lots of restaurants, Nickelodeon Universe in the middle, and the SEA LIFE aquarium, so everywhere you turn there is something else going on. It was busy, huge, and a little over the top in the best way. As a final stop, it was a fun and memorable experience.
By the end of the trip, the Twin Cities felt like the kind of place I would happily tell friends to check out. We saw historic landmarks, found a few local icons, wandered through skyways, had a great steakhouse lunch, and ended up in a mall big enough to feel like its own adventure. Minneapolis and St. Paul were relaxed, interesting, and full of character. It was a good reminder that a fun trip does not have to be complicated. Sometimes you just follow the route, enjoy the stops, and let the city surprise you.
