Appreciated my friend and her husband spontaneously taking me here on our way home from dinner…read moretonight. Just outside the Walker Art Center, this Sculpture Garden is both a greenspace and a celebration of artistry. Some of the pieces are newer but a couple have been since the beginning like the Spoonbridge Cherry and the blue rooster. You scarcely notice the highway close by as you walk amongst rabbits and geese and robins and people walking their dogs. It's peaceful, and fun, and free (except for parking, which was $1). Well worth a visit!

To find a place like this across from a busy highway and near downtown Minneapolis is special…read more You see the images and think wow that's interesting, but once you're on premise and walking around the sculptures, it's a different experience. As you walk into the park, a beautiful glass house greets you, then a small community house with different languages stenciled on catches your eye. Walking towards the pound where the spoon and cherry bridge is, you pass a beautiful circle installation. Then when you get to the main attraction, you realize how big spoon bridge is and how awesome it looks from every direction. It helps that the cathedrals are in the skyline behind the art installations too as it adds a beautiful juxtaposition of art with urban. The other sculptures just look cool like the blue rooster, the liberty-ish bell, the steam punk swing. It's all a great experience. I'm glad the garden is there, really well maintained and free.

A lovely, adorable little spot near downtown Minneapolis, away from the city hubbub. At 15-acres,…read moreit's by no means a sprawling adventure, but it's incredibly peaceful and teaming with life. There's a one way road leading to the entrance, with a small standard parking lot (including a couple of handicap spots), but additional parallel parking available as overflow for busy days as well. There is also a walking path that can be followed to the sanctuary's entrance as well, as it is fully gated, and the entrance is down the steps from the parking lot. There is a volunteer booth just outside of it where you can grab a map if desired, as well as additional pamphlets with info about events taking place, charitable donations to the garden, etc. Depending on the hour, there may be a helpful volunteer there to answer any questions you may have. Once you step inside you'll be greeted by a path to the left and a path to the right. Immediately to the right are some privies (fairly primitive, but there is running water for the sink to wash your hands), which are all-gender. There are also benches here, as well as throughout the trails at quite regular intervals. This place is meant less for extensive hiking and more for soaking up nature (I recommend bringing a book, journal, or plan to meditate). The trails loop, with various off-shoots you can explore. The terrain has some mid-level elevation changes, and the paths are either a soft mulch or wooden boardwalk, which make for very pleasant walking on the feet. In particular, my favorite section was the sunnier wildflower segment, which had many pollinators (mostly bees) flying about. It was great for photos. Also neat is the nature center, which is a repurposed old house. Inside is a crafting table for kids to color, as well as additional info on the sanctuary and the kinds of birds and plants you'll encounter there. We encountered a number of volunteers/employees while there who were busy working to beautify the space or providing info to guests. Our visit only took around an hour, but I'm already planning to visit again, most likely in the fall when the leaves begin to change color. I'm certain it'll be even more gorgeous then!

Wow! Mother Nature was showing off here today! We "hiked" for about 1.5 miles. It was an easy…read morewalk with not much elevation changes, but the trail is not paved, and covered with leaves and hay, so it could be slippery after a good rain. The trails are well marked and there was even a volunteer at the entrance telling us all about the flowers and birds we could expect to see during our visit. It was lovely and I'm already planning to bring my family back here soon.

Got a couple of flowers for an outdoor planter, and considering it's mid June, I was happy to see…read moresuch variety. Regretfully I didn't go inside to check out the goods, but outside... there was an abundance of flowers, herbs, succulents, plants, small decor and others. Signage for price, clearance (in the back towards alley), and shaded plants were clearly marked. I appreciate that while the staff was kind, they weren't overbearing and allowed you to shop and your pace. I ended up needing advice and found someone who was very helpful. They have shopping carts (I didn't notice baskets), but the space is so tight, I didn't bother using one. As for parking, it's just street parking but I was able to find a spot on the parkway. Anyway, I've passed by so many times and don't know why it took so long to stop in, but glad I finally did.

Such helpful and knowledgeable staff! If you get overwhelmed, just ask! I stopped in to find a new…read morepot for a plant that was getting too tall, and one of the staff members spent 20 minutes with me pulling down pots to try and find the perfect one. Then, I asked what type of soil, and they looked up the plant in a database and and gave me a suggestion. I ended up getting my pots, soil, and a new plant (because of course) and they walked me to my car to help me carry everything even though it was cold out. Amazing service, great selection, and a gem of a small business!

Small but peaceful! First time visiting the Japanese garden and it didn't disappoint. Super well…read moremaintained and great walk space. Look forward to visiting again!

This is such a cute little place behind a community college located in Bloomington, Minnesota. We…read morevisited on a nice autumn day and it was perfect for a photo shoot. Once inside the garden, you feel like you're in a different country. They also have beautiful koi fishes in the pond that you can feed using the fish food you can purchase from the dispensers outside the gate. It's so unique! If you haven't gone, please do!

The refuge is a great place to explore nature. There are many trails to hike both short and long…read more The Visitor's Center has a wonderful display and activities. There is also a viewing area where there are bird feeders. A favorite is the turkeys that stop by! The staff here are helful and friendly. They also plan community events that are always fun and educational.

Hooray, I finally came here when the visitor center was open! I've been a couple of times in the…read morepast just to do some hiking on the trails, but I'd never gotten to see the inside as the hours are somewhat narrow being just Wednesday through Sunday. It looked really grandiose from the outside, so I'm unsurprised the inside was quite modern and comfortable. It's comprised of many available seating areas where you can sit and relax (I especially recommend the seating facing the bird feeders, though there's also a cozy fireplace), or simply wander and explore the exhibits they have up with information on them about the history of the refuge, the work its done and is doing, and the animals that inhabit it. This is important work! I'm so glad they're doing it. Unsurprisingly there is a gift shop with expected trinkets such as stickers, pins, patches, plushies, postcards, jewelry, hankerchiefs, and lots of books. So if you'd like to support the refuge and get a little something for yourself, that's a great way to do it. There is additionally an art gallery with revolving local Minnesota artists that take inspiration from nature, an auditorium playing a looped track, and plenty of space for kids to play (including corn hole and giant puzzles). There is a conference room (downstairs) and a community room (upstairs), and considerable office space (not open to the public, obviously). Two water bottle refill stations. Clean bathrooms (separated by gender, but there's also a bonus unisex, accessible one). These folks do LOTS of events throughout the year, most of them completely free to attend (some require RSVP, others don't), so I recommend keeping an eye out for something that interests you. Plenty of free parking is available on site. There are picnic tables around the visitor center, as well as an outlook with binoculars. If you go down along the left side the visitor center, it will take you to the trails if you're here to do some hiking. :)

I was here recently for a friends wedding, what an absolutely beautiful venue! It's right on the…read moreriver with lovely flowers and large old trees everywhere. Outside, there is a large patio and beautiful river bank seating that is large enough to accommodate a decent sized group while still feeling wonderful intimate. Inside, Leopold's over looks the river and provides a romantic indoor atmosphere. The cocktails were spot on with friendly and knowledgeable bartenders, and the food was absolutely delicious. I'm now trying to come up with a reason to host an event here!

Leopold's Mississippi Gardens: A hidden gem on the river. A wonderful classical music venue…read more(Vivaldi's Four Seasons + More) by a string quartet, open air, by candle light. We bought our tickets online & couldn't have been more pleased-even our $35 tickets gave us great seats and listening. The Leopold's Mississippi Gardens will be hosting live music and a food truck on Tuesday evenings (check the website for dates, musicians & food truck). It will open at 4pm, music 4:30-6:30. Bar closes at 7pm. Worth the trip, just for the view!

Friday night craving so I went out to find one of my favorites - pork in spicy garlic sauce. Picked…read moreup an order with fried dumplings. This pork in spicy garlic sauce had a little bite to it, good pieces of sliced pork (wasn't thinly sliced), good veggies especially celery for crunch but didn't have the stripped bamboo and cloud ear fungus I'm used to. Fried dumplings had a decent filling, dumpling skin not too thick and not over fried. It was ok.

Sauce on the entree was bland to my taste. You can definitely taste the spiciness! The complexity…read moreof the dish is well balanced with mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, scallons and dry peppers. The chicken wings were very tasty and hot. They were jumbo in size and not over fried! You must dip them in the duck sauce. Duck sauce is tart and tangy and goes well with the wings. My only complaint is the sauce. Besides that... it's Chinese food so what is there to expect!! Go try and enjoy what they have to offer!!

After comparison shopping for herbs and natives, they have the lowest price & healthiest. I love…read moretheir wide selection of natives, an easy-to-browse section with legible labels displayed on the shelves. I use it to identify plant leaves. There has always been someone readily available to answer questions and keep check-out moving. I've visited many times and always receive friendly assistance. As a consumer, I take responsibility for informing myself of a company's return policy before purchasing. I'm happy to support their business and their contributions to the community.

I love this garden shop!…read more They have vibrant indoor and outdoor plants, outdoor furniture and decor, seeds, art, and so much more. I really appreciate that everything is organic & grown local The staff is so helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Their love and support for the community is so special. They also host in-person workshops, you can find updates on their social media. Highly recommend checking them out for all things garden!