Minnesota Travel Guide
The Minneapolis skyline. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes (actually 11,842) and the start of the Mississippi. The North Shore of Lake Superior is the great drive: Duluth's lift bridge, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse and the Boundary Waters canoe wilderness beyond.
The Twin Cities punch above their weight: Minneapolis's Guthrie Theater and sculpture garden, St. Paul's cathedral and Summit Avenue mansions, and the Mall of America, the largest mall in the US, in Bloomington.
Destinations in Minnesota
Boundary WatersThe million-acre canoe wilderness; permits required.
North Shore Scenic DriveDuluth to Grand Portage: waterfalls, the Split Rock lighthouse, Superior's cliffs.- Itasca State ParkWalk across the Mississippi at its headwaters.
- Minneapolis Institute of ArtFree world-class museum; the Period Rooms and Doryphoros.
- St. Paul Summit AvenueThe country's longest Victorian mansion street and the cathedral.
- Mall of AmericaThe largest US mall: 500+ stores and the Nickelodeon Universe park.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Minnesota
Regional food
- Walleye (the state fish, breaded and fried)
- Tater tot hotdish (the Lutheran-church-supper casserole)
- Juicy Lucy (the cheese-stuffed burger invented in Minneapolis)
Getting there
Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) is the gateway, on the Blue Line. The North Shore is a 2.5-hour drive from Duluth; winter is serious (pack accordingly).