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Top Attractions in Minnesota

Minneapolis

Minneapolis is the county seat of Hennepin County, and larger of the Twin Cities, the 14th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, containing approximately 3.8 million residents. As of 2014, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota and 46th-largest in the United States with 407,207 residents. Minneapolis and Saint Paul anchor the second-largest economic center in the Midwest, behind Chicago. Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the rivers confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the states capital. The city is abundantly rich in water, with twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. It was once the worlds flour milling capital and a hub for timber, and today is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle, with Minneapolis proper containing Americas fifth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. As an integral link to the global economy, Minneapolis is categorized as a global city. Minneapolis name is attributed to the citys first schoolteacher who combined mni, a Dakota Sioux word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city.

Mall of America

Mall of America (commonly, locally known as "MOA") is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb of the Twin Cities), southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and across the Interstate from the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport. Opened in 1992, it is the largest mall in the United States in terms of number of stores and total floor area. The mall is managed by the Triple Five Group (which in turn is owned by Canada's Ghermezian family, along with the West Edmonton Mall). 80 percent of visitors to the Mall of America are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas, Illinois, Ohio, and Canada. The mall's concept was designed by the Triple Five Group, owned by the Ghermezian brothers, who also own the largest shopping mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall. Mall of America is located on the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins played until the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome opened in 1982. A plaque in the amusement park commemorates the former location of home plate, and one seat from Met Stadium was placed in Mall of America at the exact location it occupied in the stadium, commemorating a 520-foot (160 m) home run hit by hall-of-famer Harmon Killebrew on June 3, 1967. In 1986, the Bloomington Port Authority signed an agreement with the Ghermezian organization. Groundbreaking for the mall took place on June 14, 1989. Organizations involved include Melvin Simon and Associates, Teachers Insurance and Annuity (a.k.a. TIAA), the Triple Five Group, and the office of architect Jon Jerde. In 1987, the Ghermezian brothers also met with Niagara Falls, New York officials with regard to building a similar "mega mall" in that city. Discussions lasted for several months but a suitable economic package could not be put together by New York officials. Mall of America opened its doors to the public on August 11, 1992. Even before opening, the mall had earned several nicknames, including "The Megamall", "Sprawl of America", "Hugedale"—in reference to the four major "dale" shopping malls within the Twin Cities: Rosedale, Southdale, Ridgedale, and (defunct as of 2010) Brookdale—and simply, "The Mall". Mall of America became the largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors in the United States when it opened. The Mall of America's 42 million annual visitors equal roughly eight times the population of the state of Minnesota. The mall employs over 11,000 workers year-round and 13,000 during peak seasons. During its run as an all-encompassing entertainment and retail venue, certain aspects, particularly its bars, have come under scrutiny. In early-2000 a Mardi Gras-themed bar, Fat Tuesday, shut its doors due to indecent exposure and alcohol-related offenses. In 2003, after a protracted six-year legal battle between Simon Property Group, the managing general partner of the property, and the Ghermezian brothers/Triple Five Group, over majority ownership of the site, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Ghermezians, effectively transferring control and planning authority of the mall back to the creator of the concept. The dispute stemmed from a 1999 purchase of Teacher's Insurance's 27.5% equity stake by Simon Properties, giving them majority ownership. The Ghermezians claimed they were never told of the deal and sued Simon, citing fiduciary responsibility. On November 3, 2006, the Ghermezians gained full control of Mall of America by spending US$1 billion. In 2007, there was an expansion plan called "Phase II". It will develop a large empty parcel of land (the site of the former Met Center indoor arena) north of the mall, and integrate an IKEA store built on a portion of the property in 2004. The project will also include a dinner theatre, ice rink, three hotels, and a waterpark, similar in design to the West Edmonton Mall. The cost of expansion was $2.1 billion and will double the mall's size with a 5,200,000-square-foot (480,000 m2) extension. Mall of America has signed contracts to bring in Great Wolf Resorts as the waterpark operator, as well as Bass Pro Shops and a Kimpton Hotel. The expansion section will connect to the mall on all four levels, and the adjacent IKEA store via a second level bridge. There will be fine art exhibits and an NHL-size ice rink for public and private skating. A new parking structure will be included, adding 8,000 spaces to the complex and two upscale department stores. Another considered plan would have seen fashion, architecture, and restaurants based on European styles. On May 18, 2008, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill granting the City of Bloomington the right to use $34 million in tax-increment-financing to pay for public infrastructure to support the MoA expansion. In early 2011, construction began on an expansion of the south side of the mall near Killebrew Drive, where the 506-room Radisson Blu hotel opened in March 2013. The addition of this hotel was for the purposes of increasing accessibility to the park and making the Mall of America a destination location for anyone. The addition of the lightrail between the airport and the Mall of America also enabled people with layovers in Minneapolis to spend a convenient afternoon at the Mall of America. On November 29, 2011, Google announced indoor maps for Mall of America along with several other places like airports, parks and public spaces. On March 24, 2012, the Triple Five Group announced the start of a $200 million expansion that would build into the north parking lot of the mall. Rather than the long planned Phase II expansion, this would be a step in building this expansion. The plans call for an additional hotel and an additional 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of retail space. In March 2014, ground was broken on the mall's north side for the $104 million, 14-story JW Marriott hotel, owned and financed by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. In winter 2012–2013, Mall of America hosted a 40 feet (12 m) tall ice castle made of icicles formed from 4 million gallons of water and then fused together. The castle joined 50 large ice towers together to create a series of shimmering archways, tunnels, walls and caverns.

Shakopee

Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the State of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the "southwest" portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States with 3.3 million people. The population of Shakopee was 37,076 at the 2010 census. The river banks Shakopee Historic District contains burial mounds built by prehistoric cultures. In the 17th century, Chief Shakopee of the Mdewakanton Dakota established his village on the east end. Trading brought about the citys establishment in the 19th century and Shakopee boomed as a commerce exchange site between river and rail at Murphys Landing. Once an isolated city competing in the Minnesota River Valley, by the 1960s its economy shifted to the expanding metropolitan area. Significant growth as a bedroom community occurred after U.S. Highway 169 was realigned in 1996 toward the new Bloomington Ferry Bridge. The city is currently known for the Valleyfair amusement park and the Canterbury Park horse racetrack. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is associated with Shakopee though is located in nearby Louisville Township. Shakopee has an orderly annexation agreement for the entirety of the township with no definite timeline.

Duluth

Duluth is a seaport city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Saint Louis County. Duluth has a population of 86,110 and is the second-largest city on Lake Superior's shores, after Thunder Bay, Ontario; it does, however, have the largest metropolitan area on the lake. The Duluth MSA had a population of 279,771 in 2010, the second-largest in Minnesota. Situated at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes on the north shore of Lake Superior, Duluth is accessible to oceangoing vessels from the Atlantic Ocean 2,300 miles away via the Great Lakes Waterway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area. Duluth forms a metropolitan area with Superior called the Twin Ports. The cities share the Duluth–Superior harbor and together are the Great Lakes' largest port transporting coal, iron ore , and grain. A tourist destination for the Midwest, Duluth features America's only all-freshwater aquarium, the Great Lakes Aquarium; the Aerial Lift Bridge, which spans the Duluth Ship Canal into the Duluth–Superior Harbor; and Minnesota Point (known locally as Park Point), the world's longest freshwater baymouth bar, spanning 6 miles (9.7 km). The city is also the starting point for vehicle trips along Minnesota's North Shore. The city is named for Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, the first known European explorer of the area.

Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. It was established in 1975. The park's name commemorates the voyageurs, French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area. The park is notable for its outstanding water resources and is popular with canoeists, kayakers, other boaters and fishermen. The Kabetogama Peninsula, which lies entirely within the park and makes up most of its land area, is accessible only by boat. To the east of the National Park lies the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The park has several boat ramps and visitor centers on its periphery, though the main body of the park is only accessible by boat or, in the winter, by snowmobile, ski, or snowshoe. In 2011 the park hosted 177,184 visitors.

Red Wing

Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County. Red Wing is home of Red Wing Shoes, Riedell Ice and Roller Skates and Red Wing Stoneware. The Cannon Valley Trail has its eastern terminus in Red Wing. Treasure Island Resort Casino is on the nearby Prairie Island Indian Reservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Red Wing on its 2008 distinctive destinations list, which adds twelve communities annually nationwide. Red Wing was added for its "impressive architecture and enviable natural environment." Red Wing is connected to Wisconsin by Red Wing Bridge; it carries U.S. Route 63 over the Mississippi River and its backwaters. This city was named after the Sioux chief, Red Wing. He was one of a succession of Mdewakanton Dakota chiefs whose name "Red Wing" came from their use of a dyed swans wing as their symbol of rank. His Sioux name was Hupahuduta . He was an ally of British soldiers during the War of 1812, but after a vision where he saw the Americans driving out the British, he took a stance of neutrality. He later was known as LAile Rouge, by the French Canadians, and later still took the name Shakea, or "The Man Who Paints Himself Red" after passing the name Red Wing on to a successor. During his lifetime, there were few pioneers, and Red Wing was known as a firm friend of the United States, keeping peace with the settlers and trading for goods that were valued by his tribe. The city and the Chief may have been an influence on the name of the Red Wing

Grand Marais

Grand Marais is a city in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,351 at the 2010 census. It is also the county seat of Cook County. Grand Marais is French for “Great Marsh,” referring to a marsh, which in early fur-trading times was 20 acres or less in area, nearly at the level of Lake Superior, and situated at the head of the little bay and harbor that led to the settlement of the village there. Another small bay on the east, less protected from storms, is separated from the harbor by a slight projecting point and a short beach. In allusion to the two bays, the Ojibwe name for the area is Gichi-biitoobiig which means "great duplicate water," "parallel body of water" or "double body of water", a reference to the two bays which form the large harbor off Lake Superior.

Brainerd

Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 13,592 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County, and is one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above said confluence. Brainerd is the principal city of the Brainerd Micropolitan Area, a micropolitan area covering Cass and Crow Wing counties and with a combined population of 91,067 as of the 2010 census. The Brainerd area serves as a major tourist destination for Minnesota, and Baxter is a regional retail center. Brainerd is the home to one of five medevac helicopter flight stations in the state for "AirCare," operated by North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, a Level 1 Trauma Center. This station covers the central part of Minnesota. The city is also known for the Brainerd International Raceway, which hosts races frequently throughout the year and has a national drag racing meet annually in August.

Mankato

Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the State of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located along a large bend of the Minnesota River at its confluence with the Blue Earth River. Mankato is across the Minnesota River from North Mankato. Mankato and North Mankato have a combined population of over 53,000, according to the 2010 census. It completely encompasses the town of Skyline. North of Mankato Regional Airport, a tiny non-contiguous part of the city is located within Le Sueur County. Most of the city of Mankato is located within Blue Earth County. Mankato is the larger of the two principal cities of the Mankato-North Mankato metropolitan area, which covers Blue Earth and Nicollet counties and had a combined population of 94,149 at the 2010 census. Mankato was designated a Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S. Census Bureau in November 2008. U.S. Highways 14 and 169 and Minnesota State Highways 22 and 60 are four of the main routes in Mankato.

Austin

Austin is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 24,718 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mower County. The southern part of the city is in Austin Township while the northern part is in Lansing Township; the city is politically independent of both. Austin is located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 218 in the southeastern part of the state. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and it has two man-made lakes called East Side Lake and Mill pond. The town was named for Austin R. Nichols, the first settler in the area. Hormel Foods Corporation is the largest employer in Austin, where its factory makes most of North Americas SPAM tinned meat. The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual Independence Day Freedom Fest. Austin is sometimes called "SPAM Town USA", as it is home to Hormels headquarters and is home to the SPAM Museum. Austin is also home to the Austin Bruins which are a junior hockey team in the NAHL.

Burnsville

Burnsville is a city 15 miles south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the State of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River. Burnsville and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the fifteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.6 million residents. According to the 2010 census, the population is 61,434. Burnsville has many attractions, including its regional mall, Burnsville Center. The city is also a recreational attraction with Alimagnet Dog Park, a section of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, and 310-foot vertical ski peak Buck Hill. Minnesota River wildlife is protected by the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Originally a rural Irish farming community, Burnsville became the tenth largest city in Minnesota in the 2000 Census following the construction of Interstate 35. Currently the ninth largest suburb in the metro area and a bedroom community of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the city was fully built by the late 2000s. Burnsvilles downtown area is called Heart of the City with urban-style retail and condominiums. The Burnsville Transit Station serves as the hub and headquarters of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, providing regional bus service to five other suburbs. The name Burnsville is attributed to an early Irish settler and land owner, William Byrne. His surname was recorded as "Burns" and was never corrected.

Bloomington

Bloomington is the fourth largest city in the State of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern metro area, 10 miles south of Minneapolis. The citys population is 86,314, according to the 2014 United States Census estimates. Established as a post-World War II housing boom suburb connected to the urban street grid of Minneapolis and serviced by two major freeways, Interstate 35W and Interstate 494. Bloomingtons residential areas include upper-tier households in the western Bush Lake area and traditional middle-class families in its rows of single-family homes in the central to eastern portions. Large-scale commercial development is concentrated along the Interstate 494 corridor. Besides an extensive city park system, with over 1,000 square feet of parkland per capita, Bloomington is also home to Hyland Lake Park Reserve in the west and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the southeast. Bloomington has more jobs per capita than either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, due to the United States largest enclosed shopping center, the Mall of America. The headquarters of Ceridian, Donaldson Company, HealthPartners and Toro, and major operations of Express Scripts, Seagate Technologies and Wells Fargo Bank are also based in the city. The city was named after Bloomington, Illinois.
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