Location: Minneapolis
Top Things to do in Minneapolis
What to do and see in Minneapolis, Minnesota (MN): The Best Hidden Gems Things to do
With its gleaming skyscrapers set amid glittering lakes, Minneapolis makes for an attractive and fun getaway. A truly year-round destination, the city offers activities for every season. In winter, one can explore the downtown area through more than seven miles of glass-enclosed skyways. In addition to keeping you warm, they create a lively thoroughfare filled with specialty shops, restaurants and services. Whether you want to escape the winter cold or the summer warmth, the Mall of America offers shopping, dining and entertainment options for any time of the year and every member of the family. Art lovers have plenty to see at the Minneapolis Art Institute, Walker Art Center and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, which all house world-renowned collections. The theater scene is thriving. With more than thirty theaters, Minneapolis has more seats per capita than any U.S. city except New York. See a Broadway show and enjoy dinner and live jazz at a fabulous restaurant. With kids in tow, check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, where visitors can produce their own video, or come face to face with a shark at the UnderWater Adventures Aquarium. In summer, the action moves outside. Known as "The City of Lakes," Minneapolis has 22 lakes located within city limits and many more in the surrounding area. In town, hordes of locals and tourists in-line skate or stroll around Lake Calhoun, stopping for ice cream along the way. Just outside of town, Fort Snelling State Park offers outdoor recreational activities from hiking to biking and golf to boating. No matter when you visit, Minneapolis offers lots for everyone to enjoy.
Restaurants in Minneapolis
1. Magical History Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 431 reviews
See the city on a Segway! Human On A Stick Segway Tours, owned by Mobile Entertainment LLC, was the first Segway tour operator in the country when Segway launched in 2003, and have been Minnesota's top-rated tourist attraction for over 10 years! We take you on a thrilling journey through the past, seeing the sights and hearing the tales of the Historic Riverfront, beautiful Summit Avenue, or larger than life Sculpture Garden. Book a tour today athttps://www.humanonastick.com.
2. Bitter Minnesota Brewery Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 221 reviews
Bitter Minnesota is an all-you-can-drink craft beer tasting & brewery tour service in Minneapolis, MN. Our guided tours take adventurous people interested in tasting flights of locally produced craft beer to several of Minnesota's best local craft breweries and brewpubs. Whether you are a visitor, a local, new to craft beer, or a full-on craft beer connoisseur, we promise a great craft beer tasting experience.
3. Escape MSP
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,298 reviews
Clocks, locks, and secret passages. You and your team are locked in a room with 2 objectives, find hidden pieces of evidence and escape the room within 60 minutes before your cover is blown! To win you must use your wits, teamwork, and a little bit of luck!
Reviewed By JoB144
My friends and I visited escape for a birthday. It was a lot of fun for a bunch of seniors. There was 7 of us. we were kept busy trying to solve the mystery. This is a great activity for family, for friends getting together and a great way to learn team work. We will go back we learned a lot great fun .highly recommend
4. Norseman Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 96 reviews
Daily Tours, Bottling parties, Daily venue rental. Norseman Distillery, the first micro-distillery in Minneapolis, was founded with principles of using the very best local ingredients to produce small batches of exceptionally fine spirits. From our micro-distillery in northeast Minneapolis, we hand craft each batch with the hopes of inspiring legendary cheer in those who drink it.
5. Trapped Puzzle Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 261 reviews
TRAPPED is a team-based experience game in Minneapolis & St. Paul! Our puzzle rooms require ingenuity, wit, and a sharp eye! More than just a real escape game, each room tells a story and holds a mystery for you to uncover. Can you solve the puzzles and escape the room? There's only one way to find out...
Reviewed By lauragR2212PC
Yesterday, my friend Melanie had her birthday party here - and it was an absolute BLAST! I’m not going to give anything away, but the puzzles were so much fun! It is completely worth the money, and the fun that you will have! Especially if you’re a Harry Potter fan, get over there ASAP! :) Definitely a highlight of my year! :)
6. The Bakken Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 117 reviews
The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. A beautiful Gothic and Tudor Revival-style mansion, unique artifact and book collections, dynamic exhibits, and rich education experiences - we have something for every member of the family.
Reviewed By Doxiemama3 - Cambridge, United States
I had never even heard of Bakken Museum and was invited to join a group of other families with special needs kids. It was fantastic. The staff were accommodating, everything is handicapped accessible, the tour guide was incredibly interesting and made learning fun. I would recommend it for any age from 5-105. Fascinating!
7. Minnehaha Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,453 reviews
One of the city's oldest and most popular parks.
Reviewed By Sandita_travels - Minneapolis, United States
This is a fabulous gem in south Minneapolis - it's got the attraction of the Minnehaha Falls (fabulous all year round), some nice walking trails and the wonderful Sea Salt restaurant (summer only)…. be sure to get in line early! Summer time often has free concerts in the park - this is a great place to go explore on your own or with people. A family and dog friendly park!
8. Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 102 reviews
Reviewed By pnhoj88 - Minneapolis, United States
This is a stunning space in early spring, summer and fall (closed in winter). Highly educational and well designed. You'll be surprised at how much time you might spend there.
9. Lakewood Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
One of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country
Reviewed By JohnAnnColumbia_MD - Columbia, United States
Four of us visited the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN on Sunday 30 June 2019. The highlight is visiting the Lakewood Memorial Chapel with spectacular mosaics covering its domed ceiling and walls. When completed in 1910 it was the only building in the US with an authentic mosaic interior. The stunning Byzantine mosaics of 12 winged angels cover the dome and four seated virtues, Love, Hope, Memory and Faith, cove the four corners of the interior space are based on the interior of the San Marco Cathedral in Venice. They are made from more than 10 million mosaic pieces, called tessellae, made in Venice from silver, marble, colored stone, and glass fused with gold. See photos. We had reservations for the periodic Trolley Tour listed on their website under Up Coming Events. It starts at the Memorial Chapel. At $10/person, its an informative 1 hour ride through the cemetery with an interpretive guide that enhanced our visit. Free do it yourself walking tours and brochures are available online and at the Administrative Building and chapel. Did this review earn your "Thankful" vote?
10. The Museum of Russian Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 384 reviews
The Museum of Russian Art is the only museum in North America devoted to preserving and presenting all forms of Russian art and artifacts. Housed in a beautifully renovated historic building, the Museum’s multi-level galleries provide a tranquil and intimate setting for TMORA’s exhibitions and educational events. Now on view: Women in Soviet Art: focusing on the representation and self-representation of women in Soviet art, this exhibition explores the roles and perspectives of women under the Soviet system from the 1950s–1980s.Jewish Life in the Russian Empire: Exhibited for the first time in 1867 at the seminal ethnographic exhibit in Moscow, the photographs depict a unique record of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia. It tells the story of Jewish communities within the Pale of Settlement, a region where permanent residency of Jewish peoples was allowed. Jewish Life in the Russian Empire will be on display in the lower gallery.
Reviewed By JenniB15 - John Day, United States
We went to see a special exhibit of Soviet posters, and decided to do the tour with a museum docent at 2pm. Wow, she knew her material! This added so much to our understanding of the background behind the poster art, as well as the "Christmas with the Romanovs" display. Highly recommended.
