My family and I will be in Minn/St. Paul for a few days. Besides visiting the Megamall, we have no plans.

I would like some ideas on unusual or unique things to do and/or see in the area.

Any help, anyone?

Even if you're not the sort of group that thinks of itself as being turned on by churches (we certainly aren't in usual cases), plan to visit the St. Paul Cathedral - it is truly impressive. And the site high on a hill makes it worthy of a stop as well.

To get an overview, try one of the "Trolly" tours. There are several tours, depends on how much time you have. We got on at the Convention Center in Minn.Took us all around the city and over to St. Paul with a stop at St. Paul's . Gives you history and interesting facts of the area.
Good luck

If you're there during the Renaissance Festival, spend an entire day there. Great fun and entertainment; MUCH better than the Mall of America.

For something unusual, check out the murals at Univ of Thomas Aquinas; an unusual blend of classic themes in modern dress.

The local zoo is also quite good.

- The Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley (just south of Mall of America) is quite impressive, even in the winter. They have a great dolphin exhibit and tropical forest where kids will watch the monkeys for hours! They also have a IMAX theatre if you'd like to be inside for a while.
- If you like museums, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (close to downtown) is free admission and has some great collections, especially of Asian art. In addition, the Children's Theatre is connected to the museum and always stages some great family-oriented productions.
- The Minnesota Twins are winning right now, and have some great family packages if you'd like to take in a ballgame!
- The Science Museum of Minnesota - in Dtown St. Paul - has very interesting exhibits, an Omnitheater, and a great view of the Mississippi. There are also some great restaurants in the area now that the hockey stadium is there.
- There are always some great theatre/orchestra productions showing in the Twin Cities.
- If it's nice you might want to take in some of the great parks and lakes that are in the area. All have walking trails and some have boats you can rent.
Hope this helps!

The Minnesota Histoical Society musuem in St. Paul is excellent and only a short stroll from the aformentioned Cathedral. Also worth seeing is the sculpture garden near the Walker art center. St. Anthony Falls is another must see.

No, No, No! Why does everyone want to go to the Megamall? Is it a big mall and all that, but who wants to take a vacation and spend all their time in a mall?

Sorry, Bob. I just had to vent. I hope you have a great time at the mall. I've lived here for years and only gone once. But, please do some of these other things:
1. Take a walk around the lakes by Uptown. Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, or Lake Harriet are each about 3 miles around and great for a nice day if you want to be active.
2. Go downtown St. Paul. The cathedral and capital are very nice, and the Ordway has some very impressive shows. Make sure you take the kids to our brand new Science Museum in St. Paul.
3. If you like the Arts, go to the Orpheum or Guthrie for a show. The Guthrie does a nice job of offerring enough for the whole family.
4. You can go to a renaisance festival in any big city. Don't waste your time.

The Weisman Art Museum - on the east bank of the Mississippi, near the University - is worth seeing, even if you don't go inside! It looks like something from Barcelona, except it has a reflective, stainless-steel exterior.

Go to http://hudson.acad.umn.edu for more info.

For photos of the building, go to: http://hudson.acad.umn.edu/WAMbldg.html

We enjoy walking (or skating or biking) around the lakes (especially Harriet, Calhoun or Lake of the Isles). Also can walk around the Uptown Area - sometimes there are art fairs and other things going on. It is also fun to go out around Lake Minnetonka or to Stillwater and to wander around there.

When are you going? Lots of the above suggestions are very good ones. If you happen to be there late August, consider going to the State Fair in St. Paul. Enjoy!

I don't want to be a killjoy, but I have to speak up on the subject of the Mall of America. I have escorted countless friends and relatives on their first pilgrammage to MOA and EVERY single person eventually said, in effect, "what's the big deal?"

Frankly, the Mall of America is great if you haven't seen a Gap store. If you have, then what's the point of seeing nine of them?

Yup, it's big. And crowded. And golly gee, there's a so-so roller coaster in the middle. But it's just a mall, for goodness' sake and you have lots of them at home.

As a native, I am always amazed that people will bypass the truly worthwhile aspects of Minneapolis and St. Paul in order to spend yet another day slogging through Old Navy, Sears, Cinnabon, or Marshalls. As Charles Schultz once said, "Good Grief!"

[It's worth noting Charles Schultz, father of the "Peanuts" comic strip, is a St. Paul native and is being honored this year with dozens of decorated Charlie Brown statues positioned throughout St. Paul. Of course, nobody from out of town will see the statues because they'll all be shopping at Gap.]

Well Tom, I'm with you on this one. I visited the MOA the very first week it was open. And while it is a spectacle in terms of sheer size, the stores are ubiquitous throughout every mall on Mainstreet USA it seems.

One thing I do appreciate, though, is that there are some people who are simply nuts about malls in general, and for them, the MOA is like visiting Mecca (you even used the word 'pilgrimage').
Just one of those individual things, like people who love collecting dolls or coins or guns or whatever.
Or people who travel extensively but always want to eat the food they're familiar with from home.
Things that make you go Hmmmmm.

I shepherd out of town visitors all around Minneapolis/St. Paul and every single one has been impressed with some aspect of The Mall of America. Yes, there's a Gap store and many other recognizable shops, but there is also a marvelous aquarium in Underwater World, a lot of fun for kids at Camp Snoopy, places to eat that you don't find in other malls - like dining on an African safari or underwater at Cafe Odessy (good food and reasonable prices). There are beautiful unique shops that aren't found anywhere else, like the Dept. 56 shop full of Christmas villages. There is Macy's, Nordstrom's and Bloomingdales - the only ones in the Twin Cities and I think the only ones in the midwest. I used to think that the shopping thing was something useless for visitors until many from small towns marveled at all the wonderful shops we have available. I think we "city people" take for granted shopping. If you live in a small town where Wal-Mart is the biggest outlet, a day at The Mall is a real treat.

50th and France area in Edina has fun shopping too - much more quaint that the MOA. Just head north on France Ave. off of 494 which runs through Bloomington. Linden Hills neighborhood is very cute for little shops and cafes. Both areas are very close to the Mpls lakes area (lake harriet in particular).

Why would anyone go to Minnesota for a vacation at all???? I lived there for 9 years and I have one word to describe the entire State - BORING!!!

I guess everyone has different things and places that they like and we like Minnesota a lot! We lived there at one time and loved it and the people and quality of life and now go back as often as possible and still find it a great state. I think you get out of an area what you put in. If you decide you won't like it - you won't. We have lived several places and usually find something special everywhere we live or travel.

I recommend attending a St. Paul Saints baseball game. My whole family attended a game last summer when visiting my brother. It was a great! You can tailgate in the parking lot and the game itself is a riot. The announcers are hilarious and make the game really fun!

I've gotten a lot of great ideas from this forum on visiting Minneapolis. I'm going the end of August with my 8 year old daughter. Yes, we will be going to the "Mall," but we'll also be spending more time in Minneapolis, around the lakes, and museums. We hope to have a well rounded trip (4 days). We're from Chicago and enjoy doing the same things here but are looking for a change of pace for our end of summer fling. As I'm sure people enjoy going to Water Tower Place in Chicago, we are looking forward to the Mall. Water Tower Place sure doesn't have a roller coaster!