Minnesota · best-of list
13 Top Things to Do in Minnesota
All 13 things to do our route editors picked in Minnesota, across 5 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
13 things to do in Minnesota, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Duluth 5 picks
Aerial Lift Bridge
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Rising bridge over the ship canal that lifts for 1,000-foot lake freighters.
Tip: Check the Duluth Shipping News for arrival times.
Photo: Mfield, Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Enger Tower
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Five-story stone tower on a hill with a free climb and 360-degree harbor views.
Photo: August Schwerdfeger · CC BY 4.0
Glensheen Mansion
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
1908 lakefront estate with original furnishings and terraced gardens.
Tip: Book the expanded tour for the third floor and attic.
Photo: Glensheen Mansion · Google
Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Free museum by the canal on Great Lakes shipping and shipwrecks.
Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Skyline Parkway
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Ridge road above the city with overlooks of the harbor and lake.
Photo: Emma B3ar · Google
Grand Marais 3 picks
Gunflint Trail
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
57-mile road from town into Boundary Waters lake country, with moose sightings at dusk.
Photo: Senchu Punyamurthula · Google
Lutsen Mountains Summit Express Gondola
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Gondola ride over the Poplar River valley to Moose Mountain's lake views.
Photo: Bre Anderson · Google
North House Folk School
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Harborfront school for traditional crafts, with short classes and sails on the schooner Hjordis.
Photo: North House Folk School · Google
Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront 2 picks
IDS Center
Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
The city's tallest tower, with the glass-roofed Crystal Court; its 50th floor hosts a ticketed New Year's Eve Crystal Ball.
Tip: The Crystal Court is a warm skyway crossroads even if you skip the party.
Stone Arch Bridge
Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
1883 stone railroad bridge, now a walkway over St. Anthony Falls, with the classic view of the skyline and the Gold Medal Flour sign.
Tip: Cross at dusk on Dec 30 or 31, when the mills and towers light up.
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0
Minneapolis 2 picks
Mill City Museum
Minneapolis · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Museum in the ruins of a flour mill, with an elevator ride through the building's history.
Photo: Mister Jon · Google
Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Minneapolis · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Contemporary art museum beside the free garden with the Spoonbridge and Cherry.
Photo: Johnny McGahee · Google
Minnehaha Falls 1 pick
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Free encyclopedic art museum with period rooms and collections from ancient China to modern America.
Tip: Check holiday hours; it is a warm stop on the way back downtown.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Minnesota?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 13 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Minnesota has the most things to do on this list?
Duluth has the most (5 of 13), followed by Grand Marais (3) and Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront (2).
Are any of these free?
7 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Aerial Lift Bridge, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Stone Arch Bridge, Enger Tower, Gunflint Trail, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Minnesota
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Duluth 5 on this list
- Grand Marais 3 on this list
- Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront 2 on this list
- Minneapolis 2 on this list
- Minnehaha Falls 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.