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    MSP Observation Deck

    4.0 (22 reviews)

    MSP Observation Deck Photos

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    Entrance
    Cindy W.

    Direction to get here: Concourse 4 in T1, near fate D5. Look for the stairs leading up to Observation Deck (the sign was partially blocked as the area is under some construction, see my pictures). It is nice and quiet up there, bring some food and drink before going up as there is nothing up there besides you and the runway!

    The day before Thanksgiving.
    Steve T.

    Two reasons I like this place. The first is a biggie: Freedom from the chaos. Unusual vantage point of the airport. Chill place to sit with piano music playing. Kick back. Relax. You'll appreciate checking this out. Anyone can appreciate it. The second? You can watch employees sleep their shifts away lol

    Josh B.

    It's nice to have a private relaxation area that not too many people appear to know about even though it's clearly labelled with a huge sign by the steps. There is no elevator and it's not handicapped accessible unless you don't mind walking up three flights of stairs all the while carrying your luggage and any tasty treats you've picked up along the way. It's the price you pay for a bit of serenity before your flight, especially if you get a little anxiety before flying. Anyway, it almost feels like you're in the air traffic control tower with a lot less stress and a bit closer to the ground. I always loved watching planes take off and land. It's just something majestic about the whole procedure. Flights coming in gently touch down and make their way to their respective gate and flights departing start at the end of the runway and quickly zoom about 3/4 of the way down and gently lift upward toward the sky. Big planes, little planes, cargo planes, and military planes use the runway and everything is timed just right. This observation tower is a quiet space to relax where you don't need a membership or sky miles or a certain credit card. It's just a free spot to just grab your zen (unless there are loud talkers or kids, businesspeople doing business on their cellphones, people playing games on electronic devices not on mute, or in my case an old man who actually laid down on the floor and was snoring). It is really basic though as there no bathrooms or water or vending machines or services, so keep that in mind before you ascend the stairs.

    View from the deck above Terminal D
    Scott W.

    Cool spot I just happened upon today down in D Concourse. There are just 2 rows of seats up there and weren't many people. Funny thing...they also had some mats and what looked like some used blankets from the airlines in case you want to nap and yes there was a dude up there snoring away!!

    Jessica A.

    i'm cringing to write this review, as I (very) selfishly don't want the word to get out too much about this secret haven of mine at MSP. :) But.... there's no other place like it. I've been here a few times when I have a longer than normal wait (as in International flights when you have to get to the airport even earlier). But it's usually pretty peaceful up here and typically 1 or maybe 2 other people; and when they do come up here, they're only up for a few minutes and then off to their gates. I like to watch the planes land and take-off here. Something so oddly peaceful about seeing a large, heavy metal object ascend into the air.

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    5 months ago

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    10 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Cool hide-away. Worth searching out if you have a long layover. Dark quiet, with some restful music. Hardly anyone here.

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    14 years ago

    Quiet place to kill time during a long layover.

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    15 years ago

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    Ask the Community - MSP Observation Deck

    Review Highlights - MSP Observation Deck

    Also seeing the planes takeoff and land gives them something to do.

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    Purple Rain House

    Purple Rain House

    4.5(10 reviews)
    4.0 miLongfellow

    It might look like a simple house at first, but once you realize what it is, it hits differently…read more Knowing this is the actual house from Purple Rain made it feel so special and almost surreal to be there. I had fun just standing there, taking pictures, and really taking in the moment. It honestly felt like I was stepping into something iconic. If you're a Prince fan, you'll understand. It's not just a house, it's a piece of history. Being there gave me that nostalgic feeling, like I was connected to the music and the movie in a real way. The area is quiet, so it's more of a quick stop, but I'm so glad I went. Sometimes it's the simple places that leave the biggest impression, and this was definitely one of those moments for me. Overall, I loved it. It was fun, meaningful, and something I'll always remember. If you're in Minneapolis, I definitely recommend stopping by especially if you love Prince

    This is probably not the house that you are thinking about. This is the house from the movie Purple…read moreRain that Prince lived in. Don't mistake it for Paisley Park, the actually place that prince lived in and recorded. It is just a little old house, that is not very well maintained and looks vacant. It is locate in a event neighborhood, located just outside of downtown. You can easily find street parking available near or in front of the house. As a Prince fan, and a huge lover of the movie, I just had to check it out. I will probably have to review the movie though and compare the house now to when it was in the film. The rumor is that Prince had secretly purchased the house before his death. It do not know if it is true or not. What is true is that there are no special markings placed in front of the house letting you know its significance. It is just plain. For me I would have normally given it two stars, but out of respect for the Purple On, I bumped it up to three. I will be honest, I would not have known this was the house from the movie other than a Google search and would have passed it by many times without even knowing. If you do make it here, this is definitely not a long stop. I would say about 5 minutes tops. Also, remember to be respectfully of. The neighborhood's residents, as the house is not on a movie set, but in an actual neighborhood.

    Photos
    Purple Rain House
    Purple Rain House
    Purple Rain House

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    St Paul - University and Raymond

    St Paul

    4.5(4 reviews)
    2.6 miHighland

    Saint Paul. I abbreviated it for the longest time until I realized that it's officially spelled out…read morein full. So, I do just that until I get tired of the extra keystrokes. When I lived in Rochester, MN, and travelled to and from Winnipeg, I rarely cut through Saint Paul. The shortest route was highway 52, Interstates 494, 94, and 29, and kept on going until it was highway 75 past the US-Canadian border. Minneapolis got more of my attention back then. Out of curiosity, I took the longer route back to Rochester one time and stopped at a gas station in Saint Paul. It was my first introduction to the city. I knew that I needed to get a better understanding of the city than a gas station. A year after getting laid off and having moved back to Winnipeg, I returned to Saint Paul to see John Mayer at Xcel Energy Center. I got to soak in the riverfront, which is the Mississippi River. The show was fantastic, which introduced me to Guster, a band that I have followed and love to this day. I got to grab some dinner nearby before the show. I loved the casual vibe and how relaxed everyone was around me. I also visited the Minnesota State Capitol, which is in Saint Paul. Parking was crazy, but it was worth seeing for the first time. I'll need to revisit it. Saint Paul has grown on me. I am probably in Saint Paul a lot more these days than Minneapolis. I find the former charming and comfortable. For the last three years or so, I have returned to the Twin Cities to take in Minnesota Wild games. I park at RiverCentre's ramp and make my way over to Xcel Energy Center. I have parked once by the Science Museum of Minnesota, which is next to RiverCentre's parking ramp. I have probably seen more NHL games at Xcel Energy Center than any other arena in my life. There isn't a bad seat in the place. The Wild get better over time. The food is yummy. The staff are friendly. I can also get sucked into getting Wild gear at the Hockey Lodge. Normally, an airport tends to be in a suburb of the city that it's named after. Toronto Pearson International Airport, for instance, isn't in Toronto. It's in Mississauga. Many folks can't spell or know where it is, so they give up. The cool thing about Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport is that it's in Saint Paul. It's convenient to get to. The shopping there is fantastic, especially when you have a layover and have nothing better to do. Every time I return to Saint Paul, I am always discovering something new. I never grow tired of it. On my last trip in late December-early January, I found Shepard Road, which hugs the Mississippi River and, in turn, has a bunch of bridges. My quick photo that I snapped doesn't do justice to how gorgeous the bridges and views are as the sun sets. It's incredibly picturesque and enjoyable to drive along the road. I am thankful to be able to rediscover Saint Paul years after having moved back to the GTA. I enjoy returning as a tourist and honourary Minnesotan. It does feel like my home away from home whenever I visit. (87)

    Minneapolis maybe more renowned around the country, but St. Paul holds down the fort. It has plenty…read moreto offer in the way of parks and eateries and should not be overlooked.

    Photos
    St Paul
    St Paul - By Dual Citizen

    By Dual Citizen

    St Paul - By Dual Citizen

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    By Dual Citizen

    Minneapolis Skyway System

    Minneapolis Skyway System

    4.2(54 reviews)
    7.0 miDowntown Minneapolis

    The skyway system in Minneapolis is so very cool. With over 10 miles of connecting walkways, you…read moreare able to traverse all of downtown without ever stepping outside. It's a shame they close it on weekends. You can go from an office to a hotel, a restaurant to a convenience store, a sewing studio to a massage pop-up... I even saw connection to a church. It is very helpful to have a map. There are signs directing you where to go, but it can be kind of confusing if you don't know the streets/building names well. People are friendly and happy to provide directions. Whether you feel like a rat lost in a maze, or a productive ant part of a communal tunnel system, you have to admit this is a very unique method of transportation. Many other cities could benefit, but I can only imagine the cost and time it took to plan and build this. I did notice a number of vacant spaces inside the Skyway system, and I noticed that the streets of the city seem really quiet because so much activity is happening on the second floor. I hope that the city can invest in bringing small businesses to the skyway and keeping it open for locals and tourists alike.

    Minneapolis is a great example of smart urban design. The Skyway System is one aspect of this…read more Considering their winters in that area, it make so much sense to have this interconnected skybridge system that allows for people to traverse that 80 block area in a climate controlled environment all year round. It was so easy to walk to places via the Skyway.

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    Minneapolis Skyway System
    Minneapolis Skyway System
    Minneapolis Skyway System - They keep them clean!

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    They keep them clean!

    Lake Street - Settle down France

    Lake Street

    5.0(2 reviews)
    6.0 miUptown

    Setting for the book "Lake Water For Chocolate", and I hope it's not too late to write this review…read moreof Lake Street. I also hope it's not too choco-late. Minneapolis is a hell of a city and a good City for food. I think it's underrated as a city in general, but for food people actually realize that it is a pretty special place. It's sort of in the same school as Detroit and Chicago and Milwaukee in this regard, with Chicago being the granddaddy and standard-bearer, and the others being exceptional if somewhat smaller. Buffalo and Cleveland could also be considered in this group. All of them lakeside, brutally cold Great Lakes cities and all of them with incredible ethnic food choices as well as amazing and unique American food. Lake Street is one of the crown jewels of the MPLS scene. It has masses of great little ethnic places to eat and the two shining examples of what Minneapolis has been and can be are along this street. The first is the Mercato Central which is a real and amazing Latin food court with every kind of Mexican and Salvadorian shop you can imagine. It's very special and knowing some Spanish will help you a lot in here. It's been around for a long time. It is to the Latin Community what the Hmong Town Center is to the Vietnamese. Then there is the Midtown Global Market. This is much more geared towards hipsters and tourists and college kids and so-called Foodies. It's a little bit artificial but still contains a lot of cool stuff. Many of the things in here are actually Minneapolis area restaurants that decided to have an additional stall in here. There are some gems hidden amongst the cliches. Both markets are spectacular and must be visited. Almost gave it 4 stars because of traffic issues in the Midtown area, so hopefully they'll figure that out. Put in some roundabouts or something. Traffic circles, for the uninitiated. Now I'm Lake for my next review, and then I have to meet Barbie, who says she wants to show me her Lake, so I can sample her Lake's-treat.

    My favorite street in the entire Twin Cities. I especially like East Lake Street for its…read morehigh-density of Mexican restaurants, but all of Lake Street is fine by me. I would never live more than walking-distance away because I have everything I need right in my own neighborhood.

    Photos
    Lake Street
    Lake Street - I lake what they did here

    I lake what they did here

    Lake Street

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    MSP Observation Deck - localflavor - Updated June 2026

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