# Places to visit in Minnesota **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254 "2016-06-01T20:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/21 "2016-06-03T04:01:20Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > OK – someone has to suggest it ---- before leaving the state be sure to attend at least one lutefisk dinner. Hard to do right now. Lutefisk is a winter dish, not normally served in summer, when the OP will be visiting. You can find places that serve it in the summer, or you can buy some to cook for yourself (like at . [Ingebretsen’s](http://www.ingebretsens.com/)), but it’s reallybetter as a winter dish. (That’s the point – the lye-soaked freezing was a preservation method; in summer you just cooked the fresh fish.) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/22 "2016-06-03T05:35:56Z")
[Washed down with army worm wine.](https://youtu.be/3HEEOM8cizw) ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/23 "2016-06-03T06:40:43Z")
We recently had a great trip there ( The Fella’s company in HQ’d there). We decided to take a vacation after he was done at his work thing. > **[SPAM® Museum in Minnesota | SPAM® Brand](https://www.spam.com/museum)** > > Tour delicious curated meat exhibits at the SPAM® Museum in downtown Austin, Minn. It puts a whole new spin on cubism. Seriously, fun. (also while you’re there, check out a place called Tastymaid? It’s a loose meat place–I’d only ever heard of such things from Roseanne.) If you can make it to Wisconsin, there is a place: The National Mustard Museum. > **[National Mustard Museum | Learn. Taste. Shop. Laugh!](https://mustardmuseum.com/)** > > The National Mustard Museum (formerly Mount Horeb Mustard Museum) is open daily 10am - 5pm. At the museum or online, you can select from hundreds of mustards. Choose from French mustards, English mustards, German mustards, Irish mustards, Scottish... We ended up calling it “Our Sandwich Tour”–Spam and Mustard museums. One town had a Mayo clinic in it. And we did the Mill museum thing in Minneapolis (great! Plus bread!) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/24 "2016-06-03T11:04:06Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I enjoyed the wolf center but Ely is really remote and there doesn’t seem to be much else to do up that way unless you’re planning to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I spent a week canoeing on the Boundary Waters. Beautiful place. But here’s something that needs to be mentioned: Minnesota + summer + woodsy area = **mosquitoes**. LOTS of them. Bring a head net and mosquito repellent made with 100% DEET. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/25 "2016-06-03T12:44:15Z")
**Crafter Man** speaks truth - it’s our state bird. If you like picturesque small towns, Stillwater is nice. There will be lakes everywhere, if you like lakes. > [@](#): > > Minnesota: Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, Eight Thousand Swamps, and Four Fish. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/26 "2016-06-03T13:33:04Z")
Iconic Minnesota: The Paul and Babe Statues Minnehaha Falls The Mall of America (I hate the place but everyone will ask how it was) That spoon and cherry thing (if it’s open yet, it’s closed now for renovations) The Stone Arch / Hennepin Ave Bridge / Minnehaha Falls. Split Rock Lighthouse / Gooseberry Falls The Aerial Lift Bridge and Duluth Waterfront Calhoun / Harriet / Isles parkways (rent a bicycle or walk around one of them. Itasca State Park Soudan Underground Mine Lesser Known things I liked St. Paul Cathedral State Capital building Minnesota History Center The 24th pedestrian bridge (near the Minneapolis institute of arts) is where all those photos of the skyline over the freeway are taken. The neighborhood isn’t that bad, but use a bit of caution. The St. Croix Crossing, a massive new bridge being built. A few hours away in Wisconsin, the Elroy-Sparta Trail is one of the first and one of the best converted rail trails, including three tunnels. The Root River Trail, particularly from Lanesboro west, is also nice. The Pavek museum of broadcasting (old radio collection) Day Hikes: Eagle Mountain into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (quite rocky) Tettegouche State Park to Mount Trudee on the Superior Hiking Trail Things I could take a pass on Ironword Discovery Center (there’s more places to see an open pit mine) The Minnesota Museum of Mining Most of the historic house tours. Fort Snelling (what you is mostly reconstructed) Place to stay out of The ususal advice is anywhere a tourist would want to be is safe. In particular stay out of North Minneapolis (anywhere west of I-94 and north of MN 55, excluding the areas adjoining the suburbs- Victory Parkway is safe) There’s an escalating gang feud that’s claimed a few random people caught in the crossfire, unless you’re trying to buy narcotics there’s no reason to be here The western part of the state there’s nothing much to see Cute Small Towns. Stillwater Hopkins Anoka Northfield Lanesboro St. Peter Red Wing New Ulm Chaska ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/27 "2016-06-03T13:47:10Z")
I’ve been to most of the State Parks. State Parks I really liked: Gooseberry Falls Split Rock Lighthouse (see also: iconic Minnesota, this is where the lighthouse you see on all the calendars is. Banning Itasca Mille Lacs Kathio (fall only) Bear Head Lake (a bit like the Boundary Waters without the expense and work) Soudan Underground Mine Scenic State Parks I liked: The other North Shore parks Frontenac Big Woods Sibley Father Hennepin (one of the nicer beaches) Crow Wing Hill Annex Mine Glendalough Minneopa Whitewater State Parks I could take a pass on Moose Lake St. Croix Camden Monson Lake Lake Louise Lake Bemidgi Maplewood Fort Snelling Afton John Latsch William O’Brian Carley Myre-Big Island Lake Shetek Flandrau Fort Ridgely Lac Qui Parle Sakatah Lake Charles A Lindbergh Lake Carlos Buffalo River Rice Lake Glacial Lakes Forestville ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/28 "2016-06-03T14:43:59Z")
Possibly the [Walker Art Center in Minneapolis](http://www.walkerart.org). I have no idea how good it is, but my parents took their honeymoon in Minneapolis (I think because it was nearby and they were too broke to do anything more glamorous) and visited the art museum while they were there. They had a framed poster they’d bought there, so I always remembered it. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/29 "2016-06-03T14:48:22Z")
I see other people have mentioned this, but I remember as kid going to the [Tower Soudan](http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_vermilion_soudan/index.html) mine and enjoying it. At that time, the tour guides were old miners - but I imagine that isn’t true any more (been at least 40 years). ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/30 "2016-06-03T15:06:39Z")
If you’re into outdoors activities, you could hire a fishing guide up north. They’ll take you out for half a day and provide all the equipment. All you have to do is show up in the early morning. ---
**Author:** ![thatguyjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6de8d8/32.png) [@thatguyjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatguyjeff)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/31 "2016-06-03T15:27:01Z")
Lived in MN all my life. In my mind, the absolute gem of this state is the North Shore of Lake Superior - particularly Gooseberry Falls State Park - #1 - must see. It would help to know in what area you’re staying. It’s a big state - 10 hour+ drive from Iowa border to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/32 "2016-06-04T01:54:52Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Hard to do right now. > Lutefisk is a winter dish, not normally served in summer, when the OP will be visiting. > > You can find places that serve it in the summer, or you can buy some to cook for yourself (like at . [Ingebretsen’s](http://www.ingebretsens.com/)), but it’s reallybetter as a winter dish. (That’s the point – the lye-soaked freezing was a preservation method; in summer you just cooked the fresh fish.) I know some church ladies; I could call in a favor. If you call lutefisk a favor. 😃 (The worse is college cafeteria lutefisk. \) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/33 "2016-06-04T02:47:19Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I know some church ladies; I could call in a favor. > > If you call lutefisk a favor. 😃 I’d call it attempted murder. Whoever wrote The Godfather didn’t know the dangers of calling in a favor from Minnesotan church ladies armed with lutefisk. Which reminds me. A viking longship from Norway landed in Newfoundland a couple of days ago, via Iceland and Greenland. They will be making their way to Duluth for the Tall Ships Festival later this summer. I’m not missing it! [http://tallshipsduluth.com/](http://tallshipsduluth.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/34 "2016-06-04T03:55:26Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > Seriously, fun. (also while you’re there, check out a place called Tastymaid? It’s a loose meat place–I’d only ever heard of such things from Roseanne.) The Tendermaid, but I think in other places there’s a chain of restaurants called Maid-Rite that does a very similar sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254/35 "2016-06-04T11:25:51Z")
I stayed at both Charles A Lindbergh and Maplewood state parks. CAL has a pleasant enough stream, and you can see where CL landed his plane (though it isn’t a field anymore), but I agree it isn’t spectacular (it is near the museum and home though) I found Maplewood quite nice – several glaciery features. I really liked my campsite in the Knoll loop. Right on the water but large and private (well, could see the main campground across Grass Lake). But definitely not a must see. Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/places-to-visit-in-minnesota/756254.md?page=1)