Minneapolis is the City of Lakes with a river’s soul: skyways over snowy streets, a golden bridge over the Mississippi, falls inside the city and a twin city across the river with gangster legends. This guide gathers the best of Minneapolis and St. Paul, with the places and tours our readers love most.
Downtown Minneapolis and the skyways
Start where the city tells its own story: Minneapolis Past and Present Walking Tour — The City’s Story From Mills to Modern Day. Minneapolis Skyway Walking Tour — Nine Miles Above the Streets, Perfect in Any Weather. Minneapolis Hop-On Hop-Off Tour — The City’s Greatest Hits From an Open-Air Bus.
Icons and the riverfront
The Mississippi made this city, and its banks are pure joy: Stone Arch Bridge — Minneapolis’s Golden Path Over the Mississippi. St. Anthony Main and the Riverfront — Where Minneapolis Was Born. Mill Ruins Park and the Riverfront Mills — Beauty From the Flour Era. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden — The Spoon, the Cherry and 60 Works of Joy.
Parks, lakes and the Grand Rounds
No American city does green like this one: The Chain of Lakes — Minneapolis’s Crown of Water. Minnehaha Falls — Minneapolis’s 53-Foot Urban Waterfall. Theodore Wirth Regional Park — Minneapolis’s Wild Green Giant. The Grand Rounds — America’s Most Beautiful Urban Drive.
St. Paul: Summit Avenue and the gangster era
Across the river, the twin keeps the wilder stories: Saint Paul Gangster Tour — The Original Ride Through Prohibition’s Wildest Capital. St. Paul Historic Cave Tour — Bullet Holes, Gangsters and a Casino Beneath the Streets. St. Paul Gangster Double Feature — Cave Tour and Gangster Tour in One Day. Spirits of Summit Avenue — Ghost Stories Among St. Paul’s Gilded Age Mansions.
Ghosts and true crime after dark
When the trolleys roll at night, the Twin Cities get spooky: Candlelight Ghost Trolley Tour — Minneapolis’ Most Haunted Night Out. Ghost Walking Tour in Minneapolis — Downtown’s Haunted History After Dark. Sinister Sins & Shadows — St. Paul’s Haunted Mansions Ghost Tour. Minneapolis “Shocking” True Crime Trolley Tour — You Be the Jury.
Food tours of the Twin Cities
Eat through both cities, one neighborhood at a time: Minneapolis Local Food Tour — North Loop Bites, James Beard Chefs and Upper Midwest Classics. Historic Downtown St. Paul Food Tour — Gangster-Era Streets, Gracious Eats. Minneapolis Local Bar Tour With Tastings — Neighborhood History, One Great Drink at a Time.
Family fun: Mall of America and immersive worlds
Bring the whole crew for the playful side: The Escape Game at Mall of America — Seven Epic 60-Minute Adventures. Crayola Experience at Mall of America — 25+ Hands-On Activities in a World of Color. Titanic — An Immersive Voyage in Minneapolis: Walk the Great Ship’s Story.
