Urban Oasis for a Peaceful Stroll! Centennial Lakes is a…read moregreat outing, earning five stars from me. I wanted a nice place to stretch my legs, and this park was just right. The paved paths make for an easy and accessible walk, suitable for a quick escape or a leisurely stroll. What really stood out to me was how quiet it felt. Even with buildings in the background, the park feels remarkably peaceful. The gentle sound of water, the rustling of leaves, and the overall calm let you forget you're in a busy area. It's a fantastic bubble of serenity. The scenery mixes urban sophistication with natural beauty. Modern buildings create a sleek backdrop for the beautifully designed waterways and landscaped grounds. Even without full bloom, you can see a real commitment to diverse plants here. I can't wait for a return visit in the spring! I can only imagine how bright and colorful it gets when everything is in full bloom. If you want a peaceful place to clear your mind, enjoy some fresh air, and take a nice walk, Centennial Lakes is a must-visit. Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour, it's the perfect spot. I left feeling refreshed and energized. I can't wait to see it come to life in the spring!

I was in the area just to shop at Blick's art supplies, but it was a sunny winter day out and I…read morenoticed this was right nearby, so I decided to have a walk along the path and soak up some of the sunshine. It was way fancier than I'd been expecting from just finding it on the map on Google. I read on the historical plaque that it was designed in 1988 to replace some old gravel pit! Considering how gorgeous it is, that was a really good choice. I got the feeling from how many folks were enjoying the grounds that this park is a staple of the area for communal recreation. It is very much built into the cityscape to reside alongside it. You won't be escaping the buildings and roads nearby, but still, it was a nice bit of natural relief. The primary attraction this time of year is the ice skating between three man made lakes and paths between them. Rentals were available at the warming house, which also had a concessions stand (reasonably affordable fare!), restrooms, water fountain, lockers, and ample benches to put on your skates or warm up awhile (with two fireplaces on either end). There were also exterior restrooms for when the building itself isn't open, which are available year round (the outdoor water fountain though was understandably switched off). During other seasons there is apparently golf, fishing, and paddle boat rentals. Cute! Towards the south end sits an amphitheatre. There are various sculptures along the outer path to see as well, including a giant pine cone, crane, a golden retriever ready to shake your hand, and more. Lots of benches and even swinging benches to rest and relax. Plenty of maps at intervals. The park connects to the Edina Promenade pedestrian/bike trail that goes north and east. I think next time I'm in the area, I'll take a stroll down them. In the future I believe there are plans to connect them to other sections. There's plenty of parking to choose from in any of the nearby shopping centers with garages, but I believe there's also parking specific to the park as well.

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!

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

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.

Did you know that Southdale opened Ion Oct. 8, 1956 and at the time it was the World's largest…read moreshopping center, and cost $20 Mil to build? You'll learn that and much more here at the Edina Historical Museum. It's a neat hole in the wall museum with fun little nuggets of fascination. If you have an hour on a Saturday between 10am and noon, you should check it out.

A Gem: Fort Snelling State Park…read more Rating: I visited Fort Snelling State Park on Memorial Day and I was blown away. Not what you'd expect from the name I know, but this is no ordinary park - it's better. From the moment I walked in I was struck by the natural beauty of the park. If you love the outdoors this is the place for you with plenty of hiking and exploring to be had. The staff do a great job of keeping the park clean and up to date. One of the highlights of my visit was the bike trail. I brought my bike and it was a great decision. The trail is well maintained and has great views of the surrounding area. Plus the park is close to several other trails so it's a great place to start a longer ride. I'm already planning on coming back to use this park as my starting point for future bike adventures. Overall I highly recommend Fort Snelling State Park to anyone looking for a beautiful outdoor experience. Whether you're a seasoned hiker, casual biker or just someone who loves the great outdoors this park has something for everyone. From the natural beauty to the location and trails Fort Snelling State Park is a gem that needs to be found.

I absolutely love the Pike Island hiking trail. At nearly 4 miles, it is a hidden gem that is a top…read morenotch green space tucked amidst an urban setting. The hike is a loop, with a flat trail and great views of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers.

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.

Another one of my favorite hiking areas in Minnesota. Multiple different trail options going north,…read moresouth, east, or west. Trails range from easy to moderate in difficulty. If you head across the pedestrian bridge, the two trails that way are easy and flat, but long. I didn't find a loop and ended up so far away, hours later. On a different day, I discovered two other trails that do loop around and those became my go-to trails; both moderate in difficulty. The MN National Wildlife Refuge area is doing a lot with this area too. There's a kid-friendly area with interactive activities for kids and families, along with a take-a-book-leave-a-book stand. The facilities are very well kept and were always clean and stocked whenever I visited.

Nice walking area and good place to be with nature while still being just outside the cities- very…read moreclose to MOA/MSP airport. There is a trial loop, but when we went it seems the trials were flooded so that wasn't an option. It was still nice to be outside and see some birds. Seems like the place is well maintained and including the bathroom which was open. I'm looking forward to going back this spring and summer.

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!

The Minnesota history center is a not so hidden gem in St. Paul. The museum hosts, both permanent…read moreand rotating exhibits focusing on differing aspects of Minnesota history. All of the exhibits are fascinating deep insights into topics that you may or may not know about Minnesota. It also has a theater, and that is what true is there last night. LeeAnn Chin's daughter is in town for the weekend performing a solo show about her growing up in Minnesota and her relationship with her mother. That too was excellent. I have been going to the Minnesota history center for years, and and I'm a bit sad that some facets of it has faded away post Covid. The gift store is excellent though a bit smaller. We used to come down to the cafeteria for lunch more often, but I think that post Covid they weren't able to fully support the restaurant in the same way., it just isn't as vibrant as it used to be. Nonetheless, it is so worth coming to the history center any day of the week. And if you're interested, but can't afford the ticket price you can get in for free on Thursday evening evenings.

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.

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.