13 Best Sights in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

The Cathedral of St. Paul, a classic Renaissance-style domed church in the style of St. Peter's in Rome, lies ¼ mile southwest of the capitol. Inside are beautiful stained-glass windows, statues, paintings, and other works of art, as well as a small historical museum on the lower level.

Southwest of downtown Minneapolis is the Chain of Lakes, popular with locals for walking, jogging, rollerblading, biking, fishing, and canoeing. Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, and Lake Harriet are always popular in good weather.

Uptown is a funky enclave of unique shops, restaurants, and bars.

The Walker Art Center has an outstanding collection of 20th- and 21st-century American and European sculpture, prints, and photography, as well as traveling exhibits and national and international acts. The Irene Hixon Whitney Footbridge, designed by sculptor Siah Armajani, connects the arts complex to Loring Park, across I–94.

Como Park has picnic areas, walking trails, playgrounds, and swimming facilities. The adjacent Como Park Conservatory, in a domed greenhouse, has sunken gardens, a fern room, biblical plantings, and seasonal flower shows.

Como Park Zoo is home to large cats, land and water birds, primates, and aquatic animals.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts displays more than 80,000 works from every age and culture, including French Impressionists, rare Chinese jade, and a photography collection from 1863 to the present. The building also houses the Children's Theatre Company.

Adjacent to the museum is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the nation's largest outdoor urban sculpture garden.

Minnehaha Park is the site of Minnehaha Falls, which was made famous by Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha. Minnehaha Parkway follows Minnehaha Creek, providing miles of jogging, biking, and in-line-skating trails.

Interactive exhibits at the Minnesota Historical Society show the story of the state from the perspectives of Native Americans, explorers, and settlers. A research library and museum store are on-site.

The Science Museum of Minnesota has exhibits on archaeology, technology, and biology and many hands-on exhibits for kids. In the McKnight Omnitheater 70mm films are projected overhead on a massive tilted screen.

The one-room Uptown Theatre is the place to catch independent and foreign-language films.

The most talked-about building on campus is the Weisman Art Museum, designed by famed avant-garde architect Frank Gehry. The permanent collection includes works and installations by American pop artists and modernists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Georgia O'Keeffe.