I have visited Minneapolis a couple times over the past couple of years visiting a friend who moved there. In my couple visits, I have seen many parts of Minneapolis. It is a cute, cultural city that is surrounded by the great outdoors. Whether you are looking for an urban adventure or an outdoor-lover’s haven, Minneapolis has you covered. If I only had 2 days in Minneapolis, this is how I would experience the city!
A Little About Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota is located on the banks of both the Mississippi River and Minnesota River and is historically known for its sawmilling and flour milling industries. Even though its milling industry is a thing of the past, this Twin City still flourishes in the manufacturing and banking industries. Major Minneapolis companies include Target, 3M, and U.S. Bank. Minneapolis has become a neat place to visit with its Mall of America, cultural scene, local breweries, sporting venues, and outdoor fun!
When to Visit
All activities in my 2 days in Minneapolis can be done year-round. However, winters can be very harsh in Minneapolis with extreme cold temperatures, snowstorms, and icy roads. The best time to visit Minneapolis is late Spring to early Fall due to the dry climate and moderately warm temperatures. Summertime is Minneapolis’s peak tourism, so expect to see a high volume of crowds during this season.
Where to Stay
Being a major city, there are many hoteling options for your 2 days in Minneapolis. If you prefer to stay downtown, good hotel options include:
Hotel Ivy, a Marriott luxury hotel
Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis
If you prefer staying closer to Mall of America, some hotel options in Bloomington include:
JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America
La Quinta Inn & Suites Bloomington (budget)
Fairfield Inn & Suites Bloomington (budget)
Day 1
Mall of America
Whether you are coming here to shop or coming to be entertained, you could make a whole day of visiting Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. There are over 520 stores inside the mall for you to shop at with stores like American Girl, Lego store, and other typical stores you find in a mall. Ride rides at the indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe, play miniature golf at Moose Mountain Adventure Golf, marvel at sea life at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, and so much more. With 50 restaurants to choose from, you never have to leave this entertaining mall until you are pooped out!
Day 2
Minnehaha Regional Park
Start your morning elevating your heart rate with a walk around Minneapolis’s Minnehaha Regional Park. This park is free and can get extremely crowded. Minnehaha Falls is a 53-foot waterfall that plunges over limestone bluffs. Follow the trail along Minnehaha Creek until it empties into the Mississippi River. This is approximately a 1.8-mile roundtrip walk.
Downtown Minneapolis Breweries
After your waterfall hike, head to downtown Minneapolis and enjoy some local breweries. We tried beers and seltzers at Fulton Brewing Taproom who recently expanded to accommodate more patrons. Other popular downtown breweries you can try include Clockwerks Brewery and Day Block Brewing Company.
Attend a Game
After a couple beers, walk to Target Field to catch a Twins baseball game. If you prefer sports other than baseball, Minneapolis has several other sports teams you can cheer on such as Timberwolves (basketball) and Vikings (football).
If you want to extend your trip into 3 days, I highly recommend spending a day in the super cute small town of Stillwater. The town has hiking trails, biking trails, shopping, breweries, ice cream and more. What more could you ask for!
Other Things to Do in Minneapolis
Mill City Museum
Spend 2-3 hours in Minneapolis at the Mill City Museum. The museum has an outdoor series that explores the historical and modern identity of the city. Indoor experiences are currently closed, but hopefully will reopen in the near future. Since the indoor experiences remained closed, I was sadly not able to participate when I visited.
Stone Arch Bridge
After you have spent a few hours exploring the Mill City Museum, walk across the Stone Arch Bridge which is the only stone arch bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. This bridge was once a railroad crossing.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Open 365 days a year with no entry fee, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is a unique place to kill some time. This garden is 11 acres and has more than 40 artworks for you to admire.
Great Wolf Lodge
For year-round water activities, head to the Great Wolf Lodge which houses Minneapolis’s indoor water park. In addition to the water park, Great Wolf Lodge has many attractions such as a ropes course, climbing wall, an arcade, and more.
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