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.)

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!

I'm really happy this park has been updated to such a lovely and unique park. I love the the…read morenatural material and wood playground. The new visitor center is very nice and cute.

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.

We stumbled upon Interstate State Park from the Wisconsin side and somehow found our new favorite…read moreplace. Absolutely stunning. The trees, greenery, rock formations, and trails are gorgeous, and everything was incredibly well maintained. The Ice Age Trail was perfect with kids and had just enough adventure without turning into a family survival exercise. We already can't wait to go back. Five stars and a new pair of hiking shoes may now be required.

Only an hour from the metro area, this park offers incredibly beautiful views with a variety of…read moretrails for all hiking levels. I personally prefer visiting parks earlier in the day to avoid foot traffic, but even as we left around noon it didn't feel as crowded despite how many people were there. No matter which side of the park (MN or WI) you find yourself, you will not be disappointed!

What an incredibly awesome spot, courtesy of the City of Fridley. I was there on a rainy day, so I…read morechecked out the Nature Center itself first. The facilities are honestly quite impeccable. They had a variety of fun exhibits, including a play structure, a comfy spot by the fireplace to read nature books to your kids (or to yourself), building "blocks" (wood pieces), a puppet theatre with plushies, two microscopes with big flat screen TVs to see nature things up close, a bird watching station (with info on how to identify birds), some taxidermy critters, even tanks containing live turtles, snakes, and frogs! Caring for live animals is a task in itself, so I'm impressed they have them here. A couple of the smaller exhibits seemed broken (the one with all the colored lights and the one with the crank for the lightbulbs), but I imagine kids playing with these all day takes its toll. Still, it was super fun! Also inside the building are bathrooms: men's, women's, and family. These were clean and spacious, and even had environmental info in them to read! There was a water fountain and water bottle refill station. Vending machines with beverages and snacks. And pamphlets about upcoming goings-on at the center. Apparently you can also "rent an activity backpack" from the front desk full of fun stuff to inspire exploration along the trails. Outside there is a big picnic shelter with lots of picnic tables underneath it. It also has an inside portion. You can be there and enjoy it whenever, or reserve it for things like birthday parties. Behind that is the Nature Play Area, which is a large playground with nature-themed elements. The climbing structure here was an impressive length, but in particular I liked the giant beaver! I didn't play on any of the equipment just because it was pretty slippery from all the rain. I did however hike all the trails! Yep, all of 'em. The full length of all the trails combined is three miles. I did the outer loop first, then spiraled inward to see the rest, including the two observation points (one has a cool gazebo overlooking the lake!). These'll take you through the woods and over marshland via boardwalk! Lots of picturesque bridges over creeks. So many photo opportunities! I also saw a lot of wildlife: squirrels, frogs, birds. You might also get to see a train rumble by to the west. There is ample signage along all the trail junctions so you never have to worry about getting turned around. Additionally there is an amphitheater and a meditation garden. Unfortunately when I went up to the latter, there was some guy hiding there smoking pot... it reeked! I informed a staff member (because the posted rules DO say no smoking), and he was responsive about the issue. I feel a little bad about tattling, but at the same time, dude, you're ruining other peoples' experiences of the great outdoors! Parking lot seems to be a decent size. I could see it filling up on a day where they have a popular event going on though. I'm definitely considering coming back with a friend for their upcoming Pumpkin Carving days! I'd love to visit again for another hike once more of the trees begin changing color.

Lovely nature center inside the metro! I didn't have a chance this time to go into the visitor…read morecenter but the walking paths in the woods are very nice and secluded. There's some nice ponds throughout the woods that has swans geese and other birds. Theres also a playground near the visitor center. Great place to take your family or little ones for a walk in nature.

This visitor center is just inside the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota, so you do not need…read moreto pay the museum admission fee. This is a smaller center with a few exhibits. One is a virtual canoe paddle simulating traveling on the water, while another is a virtual soaring exhibit. There's a hands on knot-typing exhibit. There is no associated gift shop with the visitor center. The science museum does have a gift shop in the lobby, but it doesn't have any National Park Service branded items such as medallions, clothing, etc. I would say that the visitor center should not be the highlight of your trip - visiting and experiencing the river itself should be! There are a fair number of NPS guided talks, tours, and paddling programs every week, so plan your visit around those or go through a tour company.

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.

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. :)

Avoid the Twin Cities at all costs. Poorly planned / coordinated May - October construction season…read moremakes getting around impossible. Too cold November - April.

The Yelp Elite event was absolutely fantastic. This community is amasing to be apart of with som…read moremany incredible events, freebies, and activities. Mikhala is always coming up with a wide range of events around the Twin Cities and partnering with local businesses. My first event with this group was the Twin Cities Yelp Elite'ers at the Fair!

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.

I love this park and consider myself so lucky to live close by. The walking and biking trails…read morestretch for miles and seem almost endless. They also follow the Mississippi which makes for a truly calming and serene experience. The playground is huge! There are things for every age group. My only dislike is that it is a sand playground but the kids love it so I can't complain too much. There are picnic shelters and a lot of unsheltered grills with one picnic table which I don't believe require reservations. The interpretive center building is a great place for kids to play and explore. It has a little golf putting area, animal costumes and so much more. You could easily spend an hour in there and the staff are so nice. We're excited to try the wading pool this summer!

North Mississippi Park convinced me to live in North Minneapolis…read more I come here for the playground, which is a bit larger than your typical Minneapolis playground. It is rarely crowded, maybe bc not many people could walk here. I always bring my camera bc it is so freaking gorgeous by the river. The park get busier when the wading pool opens, but we have wading pools closer to our house. I also love taking my kids right down to the shore. Too bad I'm not any good at skipping stones. On the south side of the park is a great Nature Center. Kroening has some great programs and many of them are free! It also has a little history information on the neighborhood which is cool.