Exploring my own backyard: Things to do in Minnesota

First of a series: Things to do in Minnesota – the land of 10,000+ lakes and more 

If you’re looking to stay closer to home this year in Minnesota on a staycation, the land of 10,000+ lakes offers something from everyone – from lake activities to shopping to waterfalls to lighthouses to sculpture gardens to hiking to biking to historical landmarks.

---

This post contains recommended links to products and services. While you will not accrue any additional costs to support my blog, I may receive compensation if you purchase these products and services. All images are taken by kmf (except where noted) and available for digital download.

---

I’ve called Minnesota home since 1993 and spent last summer exploring the beauty of the land of 10,000 lakes. I finally visited the headwaters of the Mississippi River (where you can actually walk across the mighty river) during my Minnesota summer staycation.

With so many unknowns surrounding the pandemic and social-distancing guidelines, I’m hearing that many families are planning to stay closer to home. So I’m excited to share some of my favorite things to do in Minnesota on a staycation.

---

---

First in a series: Exploring my own backyard on a Minnesota staycation

This is a first in a series where I’m highlighting a few of my favorite things to do in Minnesota from a local’s perspective.

---

Things to do at Mall of America other than shopping

If you’re a first-timer, the Mall of America (or MOA as we locals call it) can be daunting and overwhelming as the 5.6 million-square-foot mall features more than 500 stores. Located in Bloomington, Minn., it’s only a few miles from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

MOA is the #1 attraction with more than 40 million visitors annually.

Then there’s this seven-acre amusement park in the center of the Mall of America. Nickelodean Universe the largest indoor theme park in the U.S. In all, the Mall of America features 27 rides and attractions, including the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium.

Check out how four of us hockey moms experienced the Mall of America, Sea Life and more. Special thanks to the Mall of America for hosting us.

If you’re visiting with children, see my related post on navigating the MOA with teenagers as well as a few sanity-saving tips for parents (including parking).

Adults only? Then you’ll want to read my insider’s guide to 17 grown-up things to do at the Mall of America, including classes offered at the Apple Store and Microsoft Store.

And if you’re looking for a place to stay, the Mall of America offers two hotels that are attached directly to the mall: Radisson Blu and JW Marriott Minneapolis. And the Great Wolf Lodge and Indoor Water Park is less than a mile away. Several others are located right across the street.

---

---

How to get there: There’s plenty of parking at Mall of America (see my blog post for parking tips). Or you can take the blue line on the light rail from downtown Minneapolis or the MSP Airport.  

---

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Go jump into one of Minnesota’s 10,000+ lakes 

With 11,842 lakes, you’ll never be at a loss on water activities in Minnesota – from fishing to boating to paddleboarding to tubing to swimming. Here are a few popular lake destinations. Also see my related post on some of my favorite lakes in Minnesota.

Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park – Located right in Minneapolis; this park includes Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet, with trails connecting them.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area – Looking for a place to completely unplug that’s pretty easy to accommodate social distancing? Boundary Waters Canoe Area is the place. Located in the northern part of Minnesota, this wilderness area covers more than one million acres and features 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 12 hiking trails. The Boundary Waters is a fairly rugged area so probably not suitable for younger children.

Lake Minnetonka – At more than 14,000 square feet, this is the largest lake in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that boasts fun activities for the entire family. Here’s one of my most popular Minnesota posts: 20 facts that may surprise you about Lake Minnetonka.

Lake Mille Lacs – a popular family vacation destination, it’s one of the state’s largest lakes where you can enjoy activities year-round.

Last summer, my friends invited me to stay at their cabins on Lake Osakis, Minn. and Hand Lake, Minn.

---

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Miles and miles of bike and hiking trails

Minnesota offers 4,000 miles of paved bike trails with many created from former railroad beds in scenic areas. Check this rails-to-trails site for locations, trail terrain, length and reviews. Hiking trails are also quite abundant with various degrees of difficulty – from paved paths to steep rocky climbs. Check this site for details on everything from easy daytrips to multi-day backpacking adventures. These resources are also good in determining age-appropriateness.

---

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Stroll through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Things to do in Minneapolis, Minn: The iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture is just one of the many works of arts you’ll find at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Download the interactive self-guided tour experience.

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Take a nature break at Minnehaha Falls

Things to do in Minneapolis: One of Minneapolis’ oldest parks features the 53-foot Minnehaha Falls waterfall right in the heart of the Twin Cities. And if visiting late spring to early fall, be sure to stop at the nearby Sea Salt Eatery, one of my favorite al fresco restaurants in Minneapolis.

---

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Take the scenic drive along the North Shore to Gooseberry Falls

Top things to do on the North Shore in Minnesota: If you love waterfalls, take a three-hour drive north of the cities along Lake Superior and visit the beautiful Gooseberry Falls. The whole family can enjoy an easy hike on a paved trail around the falls top to bottom.

---

---

Top things to do in Minnesota: Tour the historic Split Rock Lighthouse

Things to do on the North Shore in Minnesota: Drive seven miles north of Gooseberry Falls to tour the beautiful and historical Split Rock Lighthouse that sits above Lake Superior in Two Harbors, Minn. If you don’t mind stairs (there’s a lot of them), you can check out the lighthouse from the shores of Lake Superior. Take caution as it is very rocky and can become dangerous during inclement weather.

---

---

Things to do in Minnesota: Lutsen Mountains offers year-round activities

Things to do on the North Shore of Minnesota: Take a scenic road trip another 45 miles north on the scenic highway 61 and visit Lutsen Mountains. This area offers year-round activities including hiking trails, a gondola ride, alpine slide and skiing. The Lutsen Mountain gondola ride is especially incredible during leaf-peeping season. Check out my related post on the best places for fall foliage in Minnesota.

---

---

Top things to do in Minnesota: Visit Duluth – the gateway to Lake Superior

Top things to do in Minnesota: I plan to write a series on all the great things to experience in Duluth, one of my favorite places in Minnesota.

For now, you can read about my experience at the beautiful and historic Glensheen Mansion. Special thanks to Glensheen for hosting me.

My son recently graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth (Go Bulldogs!) so we visited often (about a 2.5-hour drive from the Twin Cities – depending on weather and construction, of course). And we will continue to do so as there are so many cool things to do in Duluth in all seasons.

---

---

Here’s an abbreviated list of top things to do in Duluth.

• Lake Superior Lakewalk and Boardwalk – a paved 7.5-mile trail where you can enjoy lake views, shopping and restaurants; and can walk up to the harbor lighthouse during the summer
• Aerial lift bridge – Duluth’s most famous landmark – stay long enough to watch it rise to let boats and even ships through (here’s a ship schedule)
• Glensheen Mansion tour – this historic two-acre estate overlooks Lake Superior and features gardens, bridges, and a 39-room mansion
• Great Lakes Aquarium – features animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes Basin as well as animals from other freshwater ecosystems such as the Amazon River
• Scenic drives – Duluth offers several beautiful drives in the area
• Brewery tours (21+) – if you’re a fan of craft beer, check out one or more of their local brewery tours
• Bentleyville Tour of Lights – America’s largest free walk-through lighting display during the winter holiday season

---

Top things to do in St. Paul: Take a family day at the Science Museum of Minnesota  

Top things to do in Minnesota: The Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul is one of our favorite places to visit especially when my two young nieces visit, but we adults also love it.

---

Top things to do in Minnesota: Visit the Minnesota Zoo – from tigers to exotic fish to butterflies

---

Top things to do in the Twin Cities: Open 365 days a year, the Minnesota Zoo is a fun family destination. And while the zoo features many animals, birds and sealife from around the world, my favorite is the Butterfly Garden. The Minnesota Zoo is also a great way to eliminate cabin fever during the winter months.

---

Special events in Minnesota: I was super excited when the Minnesota Zoo hosted me during the Halloween season to experience their family-friendly Jack-o-lantern Spectacular.

These are just a few of my favorite things to experience in Minnesota, and is not an exhaustive list. See my related posts section below for more great experiences and top things to do such as the top 10 walking tours of the Twin Cities.

For more amazing destinations and experiences, refer to Explore Minnesota – a great resource to discover Minnesota. 

Pin it for later

---

Related Posts

Here are my other posts in this Exploring My Own Backyard series.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

To discover the best of other states, please visit, loveinjune16 for her Best of U.S. series (where a version of this post was first featured).

---