Beautiful historical building with grey photo opportunities and a few small but exquisite museums…read moreinside! I walked into this center while attending a conference in the Saint Paul hotel across the street. I was so pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the inside is, how nice the two museums (a musical instrument museum, with amazingly beautiful old pianos, and a woodwork museum with a great collection of carved wood items) are, and how friendly and helpful the staff/volunteers were inside the center. And all of that is free to the visitors! What a wonderful opportunity to see the region's history and culture , and meet some friendly locals! I can't recommend this place enough!

Gorgeous historical building with a variety of exhibits and restored courtrooms. The woodwork…read morethroughout the building was all hand-carved, as was the stonework. A wonderful space in which to wander!

Very fun in a nice small park downtown. We are Peanuts fans and enjoyed the display. If you bring a…read morepicnic lunch you could enjoy it in the park.

Gotta check these out in you're in the area. I want to say the Peanuts creator was from the area so…read morethey're here as a tribute to him.

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.

James J. Hill House is spectacular. It is a feat of ingenious to see all the beauty that went into…read morethis home. I have been on a tour here twice and have enjoyed each one. The tours were in different seasons, so we were able to see different parts of the home. Thank you to everyone that works on the upkeep of this magnificent home and spreads the history of how it came to be. Go support them and learn more about MN history!

Visiting my college roommate in St. Paul. She's a member of the Minnesota Historical Society so she…read morebrought me to this amazing historical landmark for free today. We enjoyed our docent-led tour by Peter, who mostly told stories, about James and Mary Hill and their family, while interspersing interesting historical facts throughout. My favorite rooms were by far the library/study where I would've chosen to sit on a sun bench to read by natural light and gaze out at Summit Street to people watch and admire the magnificent Cathedral of St Paul across the street; and the art gallery which houses a grandiose organ with pipies up to the ceiling. I also appreciated the ingenius laundry drying rack system they had contrived back then. If you're in the area, it's well worth a visit and 1 hour 15 min of your time!

This water tower has quite a lot of history if you google it. The park itself isn't much to visit…read moreand surround the tower is pretty run down. I rode my bike up here just to check it out, wasn't worth it.

Come for the amazing view of the city. At nighttime. Daytime. Anytime it's a great view. Now you…read moredon't get to go up in the water tower. (Except I guess one day a year) but it's still a really great view of downtown Minneapolis. The park is also not a bad spot for a picnic.

For a newbie in this area, trying to figure out where Landmark Plaza starts and ends was a…read morechallenge. There really isn't an official sign that says that you are here. My touristy impression is that Landmark Plaza is the small park in front of the historic Landmark Center. The plaza connects to both Hamm Memorial Park and Rice Park. It also has a few bronze Peanuts statues. I had parked at Infor Commons. When I had stepped out of the building and crossed the street (jaywalking across a one-way street is easy), I was at Landmark Plaza. It's cute. I can see it being a small greenspace to take a break and people-watch when it's warmer. I'd guess that Rice Park has more people there when the weather is nice, so hanging out at Landmark Plaza is a good alternative. Landmark Center is pretty cool. I learned that it used to be a post office and court house. It's now a cultural centre for music, theatre, exhibitions, dance, and more. It was nice discovering Landmark Plaza on my way to a Minnesota Wild game. I enjoy such discoveries and learning about them. (105)

This is a small pocket park that looks like a walk through. It was previously the Orpheum Theatre…read moreand later a state bank. It is a half an acre and features a couple of Peanuts statues, including one of Lucy and Linus leaning on a low wall, one with Charlie Brown sitting with a dog on his lap, and another depict Schroeder playing the piano while Lucy is leaning on it, swooning all over him. If you look closely, you will see small interpretive plaques embedded in the tops of the seat walls. It is near the Landmark Center, where it gets its name from. There is paved and cobblestone walkways that are starting to break off and come apart, along with some benches to sit. You add a little green space and that is basically all the plaza has to offer. You will find metered street parking around the perimeter of the plaza. Be sure to check the meters' enforcement hours. You may not have to pay depending on when you are there. It is a decent place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city or walk your pooch. I will admit though that this is not a destination spot and will probably be visited by people that are passing by the plaza on the way somewhere else or just wanting to take a quick break of the hustle and bustle of the city.

I have been to the history center multiple times in my life, starting with the classic minnesotan…read morefield trip in grade school. I have been back a few times for a few of their special exhibits. We went when the peanuts exhibit was here, I went with the Junior League of Minneapolis when there was a womens exhibit and we just went to see the Julia Child exhibit that ends at the end of May. Every Thursday evening admission is free which is absolute treat (Parking too!). We found ourselves here for the final game of round 1 for the Wild (GO WILD) and discovered they were allowing parking for the game and there was a line to get in (I think they charged $20). I called as there was a line to see if they had different parking for museum guests, which they did reserve several for museum guests, so we got to park for free which was amazing. The History Center does a really great job of mixing the educational and interactive aspects. On the day we attended we discovered they also had a music series going on (starting at 6:30) so we were able to sit and hear some beautiful music as well which was a added bonus and something we didn't know they did. There are exhibits that are totally kid friendly which is great as it caters to such a wide variety of people.

Revised Version Bon…read moreAppétit. This exhibit at the Minnesota History Center tells the story of Julia Child's life, from college to the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency) to becoming one of television's first celebrity chefs. Julia's life story is one of adaptation and surprise. She grew up wealthy, went to Smith College, and joined the Office of Strategic Services because she was too tall for the Women's Army Corps (WAC). She was promoted from typist to the Secret Intelligence division. It was in this role that she met her husband, Paul Child, who also worked for the OSS. She later worked in several restaurants, developed recipes, and wrote best-selling cookbooks. Eventually, she became the host of the television show The French Chef, which debuted in 1962. She appeared on television until near the end of her life in 2004. The exhibit at the Minnesota History Center does an excellent job of presenting her entire life story, mostly through photographs and descriptions. It includes many of her cooking implements, handwritten notes, letters, and recipes. There are also several video displays showing episodes of The French Chef. However, I think the highlight of the exhibit is the giant (and I mean GIANT) cookbook display that scrolls through pages of the book. Another highlight is a replica of the kitchen studio she used on her TV show, which was designed by her husband, Paul. When we visited, there were many school groups. However, I don't feel this exhibit is really designed for kids, since most of them would have no idea who Julia Child was--even as a TV chef--since she died more than 20 years ago. I also don't think the exhibit is interactive enough to hold the attention of anyone in high school or younger. That's not really a criticism--just an observation. If I were a parent or school volunteer, I would probably steer kids toward some of the other exhibits in the History Center. One amusing moment came from a kid standing in the kitchen display and yelling, "I'm Gordon Ramsay!" I suspect Julia would have been disappointed in how some cooking shows have evolved since her time--but I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

Although I've been inside this beautiful edifice many times, I've only just used it as an actual…read moretrain station for the first time. Such a grand building looks like it could do with a lot more passenger train traffic than it actually gets. But I love coming here, no matter what the reason! There are two busy multi-state Amtrak lines that pass through here. It is also served by local bus routes (Metro Transit, etc.) and national ones like Megabus and Greyhound. The bus platforms are close to the train platforms and are easy to negotiate, and the light rail station is out on 4th Street directly in front. There is a pickup-dropoff area on Kellogg, one floor down from the main hall, where it's easy to get taxis and rideshares, and there is a Hertz rental car place down there as well. There are some shops and a restaurant! Check out my review of 1881 Eating House on their separate Yelp page, but there is a bike shop, a book shop, a toy train shop, and a travel store to check out. And there are often very lively events going on, especially during the holidays. Even if you just show up to stroll through the building I think you will enjoy your visit. It's such a beautiful building that I'm proud of how well it represents Saint Paul to travelers.

Went to the Union Depot for the Boonion Depot Halloween event. Free event! 10am-2pm…read more Activities: *Inside: trick or treating, coloring, drawing, face painting, balloon making, exploring the stores in the depot, DJ dance party/games, game area: connect 4, jenga, chess, checkers, pictures with princesses, spider man and other characters. *Outside: riding a small train, looking at construction equipment, playground across the street Concessions available- coffee, chips, pastries, hot dogs, drinks and more- plus they are affordable! Parking: $ ramps available, paid metered street parking Stores: book store, train store, 1881 restaurant is inside the Union Depot. It's so cute and a cool vibe!

Looks great! Has a nice sign out in front. However, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Birthplace is not a…read moremuseum; there's no admittance whatsoever. One simply stands on the sidewalk and views it, or perhaps takes a snapshot.

Absolutely beautiful Sunday Morning Walk after Mass at the St Paul Catholic Cathedral. Summit is…read morelined with amazing architecture and history. This area is so worth the time to stop and explore. Amazing feeling to be Standing in front of a jewel that was home to this incredible author.

A very scenic and historical park that's not too well known. Easy parking and there are heated…read morerestrooms. If you like to read about where you are there are a few interpretation points. Catch some great views of the ol' Mississippi and look for the climb up lookout point. If dad gets bored with the whole thing he could head over to the ah 'gentlemen's' club at the corner of the highway turn.

Great little park to visit, with an interesting history as a combination railroad and car bridge…read more Definitely recommend reading the information points with the history of the bridge. I stopped by on a beautiful, cool morning and the the walk out to the end of the bridge was peaceful and it was calming to spend a few moments out on the bridge looking upstream and downstream. I wish I had my bike with me, because this park connects up with a longer trail that looked like it would be very enjoyable to ride.