We had driven by this museum countless times over the years and were so glad to finally check it…read moreout. The museum used to be an old San Antonio mission style church constructed in the 1920's. It was really cool how it was converted into a museum. The museum houses art from both pre and post Soviet Era. They had a really amazing visiting exhibit called the Violins of Hope that featured violins crafted and played by Holocaust Jews. It was a great day to spend the morning.

I have had this museum on my list for a long time. My first visit was on my own and I brought my…read moresketchbook. My second was with the Urban Sketchers group. It's an old church redesigned as a museum so the architecture is open and airy. When I visited, nesting dolls were the main feature. So many dolls. I appreciated being able to play with some on my own. A special exhibit of botanical mushrooms were an outstanding display of watercolors. In the lower level, the Milkmaids Novela is a wonderful painting. Three milkmaids are enjoying a break from work and huge laugh. It made me so happy I couldn't stop looking at it. There is a parking by lot across the street for free parking and there was also plenty of street parking. Staff was wonderful. So glad I finally visited.

I went later at night on a Tuesday. Tickets are $5.50 on Tuesdays which is nice. They have actual…read moreticket stubs, which I like. They have Kiosk you purchase your tickets from - 1 was down. Even if you purchase tickets online they want you to scan them in on the kiosk. Concessions seemed to be closing down as I got there. There were 2 employees just standing around. My movie was in screen 3 upstairs, I took the escalator up, but needed to use the bathroom before the movie started, which the sign said was upstairs. If you take the escalator up you have to go back down stairs to the bathroom - it's halfway between floors I guess. The upstairs is 'The Shining themed'. Very cool. When I walked into the theater I had to double check my ticket. It was so messy, popcorn all over the floor, under seats, on seats, left behind trash, just a mess. Looked like they hadn't cleaned all day or a few days.. that's crazy before it's only like 4 screens here. The seats are upgraded to heated recliners which is nice but I found that you really had to look up because the seats are on a slant vs risers. But super grateful for the comfortable seats.

I like these places. I've seen many movies there and they were mostly pretty nice and had good…read morecustomer care.

This is such a fun activity to do as part of an outing to Lake Harriet, especially with kids! While…read moreit's only a 15 minute activity, it's a TON of fun, and both of our kids loved every minute. It was also really neat to learn more about the streetcar lines from the volunteers, and to see a little bit of the area that's hard to visit on bike or foot. The price is super reasonable at $3 per person (babies are free). While I would not make a special trip here just to ride the street car, it's an awesome additional activity to eating at Bread and Pickle, walking around the lake or kayaking/boating on it, or playing in the playground!

Disclaimer: I am an (unpaid) volunteer streetcar operator (i.e. driver) for the Minnesota…read moreStreetcar Museum. The actual Museum is in Excelsior, but there are two locations that have a streetcar you can ride. If you would like to be transported back in time, I recommend a ride on a streetcar at either Lake Harriet (the "Harriet-Como Line") or in Excelsior. I can speak to the streetcar experience at the location at Lake Harriet, since that's where I volunteer. The ride starts and stops near the lakeside pavilion, at 42nd Street and Queen Avenue South. There is train depot from which you can buy tokens (currently $2.50 for a round trip -- kids under four are free), souvenirs, and some candy. You can use a credit card to pay, but cash is not accepted. There are currently two Streetcars in operation. One was built in 1908 and was used until the Streetcars were discontinued in 1954 in favor of buses. The more "modern" streetcar was built in 1947. The Excelsior location has other models. The best part about driving a streetcar is to see the smiles on the faces of the children. Parents and grandparents delight in sharing this experience with younger people and also enjoy a cool breeze on a hot Minnesota day. This ride is something that routinely surpasses the expectations of riders. Round trip tokens can be purchased at the Depot (called the Linden Hills Station), and they are the original tokens used when the streetcars ran. Drop your token into the faire collector box by the driver and pick a seat. The trolly goes to Lake Bde Maka Ska and back. Feel free to depart at Bde Maka Ska and return later (no extra charge). You will then continue back past the Depot and stop at the "Car Barn" where the streetcars are parked at night). It will then return to the Depot for the end of the ride. A ride is approximately 20 minutes long.

I can find no references to this particular streetcar line on Yelp. I consider that a real omission…read morethat I hope this review might remedy and be the first of many. I will admit that an uncle-in-law is heavily involved in driving and maintaining this historic, scenic if far too short line. Running seasonally from the south side of Bde Maka Ska to around Late Harriet (see brochure for times etc) I think is a great experience. Without getting into details (see the website if interested) the Twin Cities had a streetcar service rivaled by few. At it's peak (c1920) Twin City Rapid Transit had ~900 cars, ~525 miles of track and served ~200million riders per year. It makes our current light rail system pale in comparison. Regardless, I think that this ride into the past is well worth your time. If you have the chance and are so inclined, hop aboard!

I absolutely adore The Warming House. This small venue hosts around 150 events a year. There are…read moreopen mic nights (even for kids), various "jams" (Uke jam, Americana, Community Sing), and so many other great shows that happen. Seeing a show at The Warming House is like being at home. You'll find couches and folding chairs and a gorgeous plank wall...okay I don't have a plank wall at home, but it is so homey and comfortable there you'll want to keep coming back. Plenty of street parking available and wonderful staff. Like I said, it is a small venue (capacity is 40 people), so tickets tend to go fast here. You'll find The Warming House downstairs in the Farmstead Bike Shop building. There's a side entrance that will take you directly to the stairs. I highly recommend catching a show here!

Unwelcoming rude staff. I was the only person of color too which made me feel extra un-welcomed…read morehere.

What a great "first time" experience; I cohosted my vehicle with Brit and Kyle who were gracious…read morehosts. They explained the process and walked me through the cohosting arrangement making me feel I was with a trusted colleague. I left my vehicle with The Slow Club for eight weeks and was very impressed with communication and results, earning hard cash to augment our income while I did not need the vehicle! Kyle and Brit me and the vehicle better than when we began.

From the owner: Premium vehicle storage, full service auto repair and maintenance, social clubhouse, and event…read morespace for the discerning automotive enthusiast.

I've been intrigued by the Paint Nite concept for a while now, and I'm glad I finally was able to…read moreexperience it. The first thing to know is DONT PAY FULL PRICE. These are always on sites like Groupon, and you can probably find coupon codes online for their website as well. The event I attended was at the Big Thrill Factory in Minnetonka, and due to the ambient noise from the rest of the building, I wouldn't highly recommend this venue. But the food looked good, and the wine/beer options were reasonable. There were parts of the instruction that I thought went too fast, and other parts that went way too slow. The beginning was a little stressful for me, in part bc I've never painted on canvas before. I am a pretty crafty person in general, but my skills are more from years of summer camp. Our instructor had music playing, and at times it was distracting and very loud. She also kept encouraging us to drink, which I didn't mind but I think some people will find excessive. Our instructor was cheerful, but there are things I think she should have repeated or emphasized more (like using a lot of water mixed with the paint for the first step, and how to do blending better. I have no idea how to do a lot of shading, or work with light) If the idea of painting appeals to you at all, I think you'd have a good time at a Paint Nite event, no matter what your skill level. I can see why some people go again and again! We were there for almost 2 1/2 hours. I wish she hadn't taken such a long break before the final part of the painting, bc I would have liked to stay longer to add more details during the last step, or allow parts of my canvas to dry before adding more things on top.

My cousin took me here for a my birthday gift. She got a Groupon deal, so there was some type of…read morediscount. Initially, we went online together to pick a date with a painting subject that we liked. I think it would be fun to paint with friends, but even better if I actually want to hang up the art piece on my wall! Paint Nite seems to hold all of their classes in restaurant party rooms. There were about 40 people in the class held at Andiamo in Apple Valley. We had our own server in the back private room for drinks or food. Drinking was encouraged, as that likely loosens up some of the anxious people who want to paint perfectly! People were encouraged to use their creative spirit and paint what they feel in the mood to make. Our instructor was named Lisa and she did a wonderful job. She took her time to go through the steps slowly, offered help as needed and had some music playing while the paint dried. Bring a few friends, have a wild time and go home with a handmade creation!