Double check their hours on the Meet Minneapolis Visitor Center web page as the ones listed on Yelp…read moredid not seem accurate, at least when we visited in June 2024. On their web site they are listed as Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. (NOTE: Closed Sunday and Monday). As tourists staying in M'polis for a week we tried to visit this visitor center twice, but it was closed. The third time was a charm, but that was already halfway through our trip. It would have been nice to have been able to visit at the beginning of our stay when we needed information. We also found their 10-4 hours a little inconvenient as we like to get up and out early while on vacation. Besides that, the staff were very friendly and the store/info center is nicely appointed, if a little sparse. They do sell postcards if you're looking for some. Located near the Nicollet Metro station.

I'm a first time visitor to Minneapolis, and their flyer in the airport offering a free tote bag…read morewas a good enough incentive for me to walk over from my hotel. They sell souvenirs - including some from local artists. But the tourist information with maps of the metro, downtown, and tour info was what I needed. Thanks to the helpful staff, I learned about a Twin City Highlights bus tour that I'll take tomorrow. I loved the accents of the staff too! (I have a strong Boston accent.)

This is probably the only visitor center in the state park system to have it's own Yelp page…read more That's because it's the premier center for a busy park and is open from 8-4. There is a larger gift and clothing center, helpful information from a friendly employee, maps. A good place to stop before and after your park activities.

Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center is situated near the Mississippi River, historic Fort Snelling, and…read moreseveral trails. The building is beautifully crafted, so it blends in perfectly with its surroundings. The bathrooms are clean and they are open after the lobby closes.

Located in Science Building to the right as you enter. Small area but full of information and…read moreactivities for the kids. It shares the space with Science Museum, no cost for National Park exhibits, but it does cost to go inside the actual Science museum. You can walk around lobby and see some additional cool stuff for free. The restrooms are clean. Parking can be rough & somewhat confusing. We parked over by Square near Public Library (also worth a visit). The square area park is also very nice with some sculptures of beloved "Peanuts" characters. The 5 "Star" Rating is mainly based on interaction with Ranger Nathaniel. He was awesome, very informative and showed us on the map areas that would be of interest based on our conversation. All his suggestions were spot on "Thanks Nate". We found the Heron Rookery. Ranger Nathaniel was fantastic & made our visit very rewarding.

Out of the way visitor center in the lobby of the science museum. I'd never have even noticed it…read morewas here if it wasn't for the sign. It's a small one-room exhibit that had a couple exhibits for kids and adults might enjoy reading some of the information about the river. I wouldn't make a special trip to check it out but it's okay if you're already in the area.

Fun place to walk the dogs and to try a new park. Plentiful parking, a nice building to learn more…read moreabout the area. Easy trails and fun to see the water pouring over the dam. There were some spots that fisher people had left miles of line and hooks - not great for walking dogs. I picked those up and put them in the line and hook receptacle which was an easy walk from all the fishing leftovers I picked up. Please do better if you're fishing than doing the cut and run. There are parks on both sides of the river if you're up for an adventure. Not too much foot traffic when I was there, but lots of bikes, most with bells to alert me they were coming which is appreciated.

The staffs is super helpful, the reason for the low rating is the upkeep is on the poor side the…read moreweeds along the fence rail makes fishing horrible , let alone trying to look through it . And speaking of fishing , this place "USE" to be phenomenal, now it's all fish out , tons of snags, with all those budget and constructions , there's very little to poor fishing area , the docks are old , too bad they never use some of that money to build a stone pier that extend from one side to the other below the dam. Worst now is that the STOP the road from reaching the other fishing dock so it's a very long walk from both side of the parking lot. So much of the land scapes are looking more like over grown weeds then a work of art . I do have to give them credits for supporting the troops.

Visiting from California.. After seeing Stone Bridge and walking around the trail, someone told us…read moreabout the St Anthony Falls and 3 days before we arrived the state had an overflowing rain so the waterfall was wonderful. Great views, but it was very windy but was so worth it. One of my favorite places in Minnesota also Minnehaha Falls is beautiful too. Recommended it.

This is an amazing water feature! The path to the falls is lined with information panels and…read morehistorical exhibits. The falls have an overview deck above them where you can get pretty close to the main falls. If you want to learn more, visit the visitor center on the west side of the river or try scheduling a tour of the lab. It's all free to visit.

Rice park is an adorable spot right in the heart of the city. Featuring the peanuts characters,…read moreplenty of benches and lights, it is a breath of fresh air! Very well decorated and a popular spot for events. Currently hosting the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship events including s'more's, plenty of hockey games, and more family fun in the park.

Rice Park has a beautiful water fountain, plenty of seating and shade under the large trees. Events…read moreare often hosted here on the weekends and throughout the summer. In the winter there are ice sculptures and displays.

Loved our weekend trip to this park! When we arrived, the parking lot was very busy and there were…read morevery few spots left, even though it's a pretty sizeable lot for a park. We quickly learned this was because there was a special event going on (the Sankofa celebration) inside the center, with vendor tables and a couple of food trucks and even some crafting activities. So we got to experience that on top of the rest of the park's great amenities! The center is sleek and modern inside. LOTS of toilets (single occupant, all-gender), lots of coat hangars, multiple water bottle refill stations. The ground level has some cool reptile/amphibians behind glass you can ogle, as well as interactive informational displays (great for kids and adults, imo). Downstairs they have the rental booth for gear and educational rooms (they had a falcon demo in one while we were there!). Beside the center is an awesome multilevel playground, very fun. As well as a splash pad (for non-winter months) and an elevated boardwalk. The most nearby attraction is obviously the dam, which has an impressive spillway that's mesmerizing to watch. You can even walk across it to go over the river to the park on the other side. Apparently this spot is popular with fishers (though I don't have much knowledge on that subject). There are also trails that can be explored. Paved routes good for all recreational uses, as well as further out hiking paths that are just dirt. It'd be great to come back out again sometime and explore more. Across the street it seemed there was even archery!

Love what Brooklyn Park has done with this area of the Mississippi River. Very nice indoor visitor…read morecenter/nature center, multiple playground options including a water play area, tree top boardwalk, multiple trails and a path leading the to coon rapids dam. So much to do on foot or bicycle. I highly recommend this park for kids and adults. I'm very proud to say this is in Brooklyn Park. What a nice addition! We'll be back.

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. :)

Great views, easy hike, and lots of fun things to learn on the trails right in the heart of Taylors…read moreFalls. Currently the visitors center is closed for the season but the trails are still accessible. We did the glacial potholes trails which was full of rock climbers. Great views of the St Croix River. Probably spent 15-20 minutes at this trail. Then we did the Walter F Mondale trail till we decided to turn back. Lots of nature to see including hawks, robins, chipmunks, squirrels, etc. Lots of great photo ops too! Probably spent 30-45 minutes on this one. Also they have port a potty's at the parking lot which is helpful while the restrooms are closed for the season.

This is a great nature park. I've loved it every time we have come (beware it's extra busy when…read morethe leaves change color!). I visited this most recent time with a four year old who absolutely loved clambering and climbing around the unique rock formations. The park had some great views over the river which come fall are even better. I am awaiting the day we get to make use of the campgrounds!