Minnesota Travel & Tourist Attractions
Carved by glaciers centuries ago, Minnesota is now known as the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. Eastlakes Minnesota borders Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Westlakes Minnesota is home to Bemidji, an old logging center with a historic downtown. The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota's capitals, are vibrant and alive with the cultural arts and a heavy emphasis on professional sports. The two cities have more theatres, dance companies, and concert venues per person than anywhere in the U.S., excluding New York City. America's largest shopping center, the Mall of America, is located in Bloomington. South Minnesota is primarily farmland on the edge of the Great Plains.
American Swedish Institute - The American Swedish Institute, founded in 1929 by Swan J. Turnblad, is a historic house/museum offering a variety of programs designed to celebrate Swedish culture. The Turnblad mansion, which houses the Institute, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only castle in the Twin Cities.
Bakken Library & Museum - At The Bakken museum the science of electricity and magnetism comes to life through history, the arts and exploration. The museum offers a variety of exhibits and education programs designed to spark the interest of children, youth, families and teachers. The Bakken is located on the west shore of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.
Bell Museum of Natural History - The Bell Museum's exhibits encourage exploration and convey the wonder of nature, the excitement of science, and the importance of research and conservation of the natural world.
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center - The center offers over 10 miles of grass or wood-chipped trails as well as an Interpretive Center which offers hands-on exhibits and live animals on display.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres - Chanhassen is the nation's largest professional dinner theatre, the largest restaurant in the state of Minnesota, and 13th largest in the nation. Critics from across the U.S. have hailed Chanhassen as 'one of the best dinner theatres in the country!' (Los Angeles Times), and 'the Cadillac of dinner theatre.' (Theatre Crafts Magazine).
Commonweal Theatre Company - The Commonweal Theatre Company is a non-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to delighting and challenging the audiences of their region. Run by a collective of theatre artists, they are committed to the values of collaboration, community, diversity, learning and artistic integrity, and to making live theatre accessible to as many as possible.
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center - The Duluth Entertainment Convention Centthe restored steamer S.S. William A. Irvin, former flagship of U.S. Steel's Great Lakes Fleet, Duluth OMNIMAX, Ship of Ghouls. The center is also home to a variety of concerts, movies, ballet, symphony, broadway shows and more.
End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum - A working railroad yard including a manual turntable still in operating, original CN and W depot, rebuilt enginehouse, watertower, foreman's house, coal bunker -- used as a picnic shelter and gift shop -- a general store and one room schoolhouse complete on the grounds. A model railroad display, in HO scale, is one of the highlights of the museum.
Forest History Center - Visit a recreated turn-of-the-century logging camp where you'll find the camp blacksmith, saw filer, clerk, cook and lumberjacks. Then, board the moored river 'wanigan,' a floating cook shack used when the logs and men headed downstream to the mills.
Fort Ridgley - Visitors can learn about the events that led up to the 1862 battle between the U.S. and Dakota in a short presentation at Fort Ridgely.
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum - The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum is located on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota, on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Founded in 1934, the museum currently holds a permanent collection of over 13,000 objects; its programs serve the University community and the general public.
Glensheen Estate - Glensheen is the 7.6 acre estate built between 1905-08 by Chester A. Congdon. Glensheen is historically important because of its original condition. A significant part of Duluth's history has been preserved at Glensheen and is available for you to experience.
Great Lakes Aquarium - Dive into the Great Lakes Aquarium, where exploring Lake Superior - and all the freshwater wonders of the world - is fun! The 62,000-square-foot aquarium showcases 70 species of fish, plus birds, reptiles, amphibians and river otters in five habitat exhibits around Lake Superior and 19 satellite tanks.
Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center - See how one man's dream became a reality. Photographs, recordings and an award-winning documentary chronicle the construction of the 76-foot, hand-built Viking ship Hjemkomst, and its incredible 6,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic in 1982. The ship is on display at the Center, along with other national traveling exhibits.
Headwaters Science Center - HSC is dedicated to science education and environmental awareness. It features hands-on exhibits, a live animal collection and special events and science-related programs and demonstrations.
Historic Murphy's Landing - Murphy’s Landing is a living history village of the 1800s. More than forty period buildings that were once in danger of being destroyed, have been moved to the Landing’s 88 acre site for their preservation and restoration, and the enjoyment and education of more than 40,000 visitor’s a year.
Hockey Hall of Fame - Since 1973, 103 great American hockey people with outstanding hockey achievements from all of the competitive levels of the game have been enshrined. Visitors experience the thrilling game action and inspiring achievements of players, coaches, builders and administrators through authentic, informative and entertaining displays and memorabilia.
International Wolf Center - The International Wolf Center sits in the heart of the Superior National Forest in Ely, Minnesota. Go into the forest to howl to wild wolves, watch a pack of wolves eat dinner or enjoy a dog sledding adventure with the whole family.
Ironworld Discovery Center - Ironworld Discovery Center is where the heritage of northeastern Minnesota is preserved, celebrated and showcased for visitors of all ages. Hear stories from the past and experience a slice of life as pioneers and immigrants from 43 nations experienced it so many years ago. Don't forget to enjoy miniature golf, a scenic trolley ride, ethnic cuisine and traditional song and dance.
Jeffers Petroglyphs - Amid the prairie grasses are islands of uncovered rock, where American Indians left carvings —petroglyphs— humans, deer, elk, buffalo, turtles, thunderbirds, atlatls and arrows. They tell a story that spans 5,000 years.
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum - The Karpeles Manuscript Museum is one of the world's largest private holding of important original documents and manuscripts. The Museum features a rotating exhibit designed to focus on 26 documents at any one time. The documents are educational and entertaining. Topics are presented from the fields of history, music, science, literature and art.
Lac Qui Parle Mission - At the church and on self-guided trails, learn about daily life at this mission and the nearby trading post, how the Dakota alphabet was developed, and how missionaries translated the bible from French into Dakota. Walk or bike the trail and learn the past and present environmental impact of human habitation along the Minnesota River.
Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center - Film shows, model ships and exhibits featuring the commercial shipping of Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor. At Canal Park you are within yards of giant lake carriers and foreign ships as they pass under the world-famous Aerial Lift Bridge.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum - Climb up into the cab of one of the world's largest steam locomotives and take the throttle of the Yellowstone Class Mallet. Take in the view from the cupola of a wooden caboose. Imagine what dining on the rails was like as you marvel at one-of-a-kind dining car china and table settings displayed in a restored, turn-of-the-century coach.
Lake Superior Zoo - The Lake Superior Zoo is located in the beautiful lakeside city of Duluth. Visitors can see animals from around the world and peer curiously into the naturalistic exhibits surrounded with majestic pines and a waterfall cascading into Kingsbury Creek and the lush growth of wild flowers.
Landmark Center - Landmark Center was built in 1902 and originally served as the Federal Court House and Post Office for the Upper Midwest. Today, Landmark Center serves as a cultural center for music, dance, theater, exhibitions, public forums, and special events.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum - Walnut Grove was the childhood home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Visitors can experience the story of the Ingalls family at the Wilder Museum and annual Wilder Pageant.
Mall of America - Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex, located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mall of America is the country's most visited destination, attracting more than 42.5 million people each year.
Minnesota State Capitol - See the legislature in action in the historic House and Senate chambers. Original furnishings and vivid colors of the restored Senate, House, Supreme Court and Rathskeller cafe add to your experience of this working masterpiece by acclaimed architect Cass Gilbert.
Museum of Questionable Medical Devices - Dubbed ""The Quackery Hall of Fame"" by the Copley Wire Service, the museum is the world's largest display of what the human mind has devised to cure itself without the benefit of either scientific method or common sense.
Minnesota Museum of American Art - The Museum's permanent collection represents over 40 years of collecting and over 130 years of making art in America.
Mille Lacs Indian Museum - The Mille Lacs Indian Museum offers exhibits dedicated to telling the story of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe American Indians. Trace their journey to settle in Northern Minnesota, learn about their fate during a period of treaties made and broken, and follow their story up to the present.
Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center - Learn about agriculture including the family farm, the land, and the people who developed that land into Minnesota's most important industry. Experience 150 years of agriculture as you travel around the Time Lane Road-beginning with the 1850s settlement farm through to the present into the future.
Minnesota Children's Museum - Minnesota Children's Museum is where kids can touch, climb, splash, crawl, push, pull, and press it all! Children ages 6 months through 10 years and their adult guests can explore six galleries packed with extraordinary hands-on adventures.
Minnesota Fishing Museum and Education Center - The Minnesota Fishing Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the heritage and history of freshwater fishing in Minnesota. Exhibits include lures and tackle, historic boats native to Minnesota and a display of historic motors that includes the first electrified boat motor, circa 1902.
Minnesota History Center - At the History Center’s museum, enjoy lively exhibits that feature such varied objects as an authentic birch bark canoe, a printing press from the early 1800s, Minnesota Twins’ World Series memorabilia, Burma Shave signs, a recreated barbershop and a windmill straight off the farm.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts - The Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses more than 100,000 objects from diverse cultural traditions spanning 5,000 years of world history. The Institute is a comprehensive and encyclopedic fine arts museum serving the Twin Cities and the Upper Midwest and is recognized internationally as one of the great museums in America.
Minnesota Orchestra - The 95-member Minnesota Orchestra performs more than 200 concerts each year. The Orchestra reaches annual audiences of over 400,000, as well as a vast broadcast public in well over 100 cities, and more than 50,000 students through its Young People's Concerts and school projects. With numerous commissions in its history, the Orchestra nourishes a strong commitment to contemporary music.
Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM) - MTM operates steam and diesel trains. Visitors can ride one of three streetcars, plus visit the depot museum and car barn.
Minnesota Zoo - The Minnesota Zoo is situated on 500 acres in Dakota County. The zoo features about 2,300 animals, with 105 animals representing 15 species on the United States Endangered Species list.
Niagara Cave - Niagara Cave is one of the most fascinating and unique geological attractions in the Midwest. During the one-hour guided tour, visitors will witness a waterfall, nearly 60 feet high, stalactites both delicate and massive, calcite flowstone, fossils that have been dated to over 400 million years old, and a wedding chapel in which over 300 weddings have been performed, plus much more.
North West Company Fur Post - Explore the North West Company Fur Post and an Ojibwe wigwam with costumed guides.
Oliver H. Kelley Farm - Step onto a working 1860s farm. Pick heirloom vegetables from the garden, visit the farmhands and animals at the barn, or churn butter and see what's cooking in the farmhouse.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - A world class performing arts center, the Ordway produces new musicals, presents classical music, operas, Broadway musicals, educational programs, and worldwide theatre, dance, and music.
Renegade Comedy Theatre - The only professional theatre company in the Northland devoted exclusively to fun & laughs! Renegade offers original comedy revues every summer & winter, a Comedy Spook Show every Halloween season, and comic productions by established playwrights like Durang, Kling & Simon anda full season of Renegade Children's Theatre.
Saint Louis County Heritage and Arts Center - You haven't seen Duluth until you've explored the Saint Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, better know as the Depot. This former Union Railroad Depot was built in 1892. The historic part of the building houses exhibits by four different museums and its theater wing functions as a studio and administrative home to five performing arts organizations.
Science Museum of Minnesota - The Science Museum of Minnesota is one of the Midwest's most popular museum attractions, offering visitors the chance to enjoy breathtaking large-format films, wonder at one of the world's only complete mounted Triceratops, create and destroy a tornado, and examine an authentic Egyptian mummy.
Sheldon Theatre - Red Wing's turn-of-the-century Sheldon Theatre showcases the best in arts and entertainment from Minnesota's heartland and beyond. It operates year-round, presenting a broad range of touring events - including music, theatre, dance, comedy, films, lectures and more.
Sibley House Historic Site - Tour the 1836 Sibley house, home to Henry Hastings Sibley, a man whose life and career were at the center of Minnesota’s territorial and early statehood era. Unravel stories of the fur trade, uncover memories of changes to the structures, and browse through furnished mid-19th century interiors and exhibits.
Spam Museum - Just as every Elvis fan longs to visit Graceland, SPAM fans worldwide now have their own pilgrimage to make. In Austin, Minnesota a 16,500 square-foot SPAM Museum opened in September 2001. Museum visitors will be welcomed to the world of SPAM luncheon meat with a variety of interactive and educational games, fun exhibits and remarkable video presentations.
Stearns History Museum - Two floors of exhibits provide the visitor with an entertaining learning experience. Discover the legend of controversial auto maker Sam Pandolfo and see a 1919 Pan Automobile. Peruse an 1850 natural environment and examine Ojibwe and Dakota summer lodges. Enter a dairy barn and see milking as it was done 100 years ago.
Valleyfair - Splash into fun on refreshing water rides. Enjoy the scenery from a chugging steam-powered train. Catch the view from the Ferris Wheel. Explore family fun in Berenstain Bear Country, and many other activities for the whole family.
Walker Arts Center - The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences. Focusing on the visual, performing, and media arts of our time, the Walker takes a global, multidisciplinary, and diverse approach to the creation, presentation, interpretation, collection, and preservation of art.
Wild Mountain Waterpark - The Wild Mountain Water Park, Alpine Slides & Go-Karts are located just 7 miles north of Taylors Falls, MN. A great park for the whole family! There are activites that will get you wet, and some that will allow you to stay dry!
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