TWIN CITIES: MINNEAPOLIS
AND ST PAUL
Best Time Visit Minnesota
St Paul - the capital of Minnesota - and Minneapolis - the largest city in Minnesota - are just a twenty minute drive away from each other. Both are top travel destinations in the Midwest, with exceptional cultural and recreational opportunities. The Mall of America, just 20 miles south of these cities, in Bloomington, is a major attraction in the region.
See:
Best time to travel to Minneapolis and St Paul
When not to go to Minneapolis and St Paul
What to visit in the Twin Cities
Hotels and flights to the Twin Cities
See also:
Best time to visit Minnesota
Best time to visit Northern Minnesota
Best time to visit Southern Minnesota
Best time to visit Bloomington and the Mall of America
Central and southern Minnesota Map
Northern Minnesota Map
WHAT TO VISIT IN THE TWIN CITIES
The Twin Cities are a recognized cultural center, with strong traditions in music, theatre, dance and visual arts...
St Pauls and Minneapolis' downtown areas offer a wide range of attractions. In St Pauls downtown you will encounter the Science Museum of Minnesota, with the worlds biggest Triceratops and outdoor mini-golf. But there are many other top attractions: the Minnesota History Center, the Minnesota Children's Museum, the Ordway Music Theatre, the Park Square Theatre, the Xcel Energy Center, etc.
Outside St Pauls downtown, the Minnesota Zoo is a major travel attraction, with more than 2,000 wild animals, a lush tropical and boreal forest, a marine center and a family farm.
Minneapoli's downtown is less historic than St Pauls, but it's livelier, with dozens of lakes and parks (featuring plenty of entertainment), and also more cultural sites: the Walker Art Center, the Sculpture Garden, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the American Swedish Institute, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum, etc.
BEST TIME TO VISIT THE TWIN CITIES
If you want animation, outdoor activities, festivals and non-winter sports, then Summer is the best season to visit the Twin Cities. July is the season for the Minneapolis Aquatennial, a celebration of the lifestyle in the lakes; in the end of August and Early Fall you can look forward to the St Paul's State Fare, and from late June to July 4 it's time for the annual Taste of Minnesota (a food festival), also in St Paul.
There are, however, some non-summer festivals and events, such as the Hockey Season, the Winter Carnival (late January and early February) or the Minneapolis' Holidazzle (Christmas).
Minneapolis' winters (and many Springs and mid-late Falls) are extremely harsh, with snowstorms, intense rainfalls and chilly temperature. Snowstorms are usual in December, January and February and you may want to avoid the winter time, unless you intend to enjoy mostly indoor activities or snow sports.
WHEN NOT TO GO TO SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS
You may want to avoid the winter months, when temperatures attain very low levels, and snowstorms strike Minnesota.
For low accommodation rates avoid July and August.
See the Twin Cities Weather Map below, for details on the weather.
Twin Cities (St Paul and Minneapolis) Weather Map
HOTELS AND FLIGHTS TO ST PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS
St Paul's and Minneapolis' downtowns offer a wide range of hotels, but you may look for cheaper accommodation in the surrounding areas. There are dozens of cheap hotels near the airport (Bloomington) or in Stillwater (a riverside village 25 miles from St Paul).
Minneapolis and St Paul are served by the Twin Cities International Airport, in Bloomington, just ten miles south of both cities.
