Leisure Travel

Museums and Historical Sites

James J. Hill Reference Library (0.3 miles)

80 West Fourth Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 265-5500

Since 1921, The James J. Hill Library, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, has housed a world-class collection of practical business information resources and is considered one of the most comprehensive business libraries in the country.

Landmark Center (0.3 miles)

75 West Fifth Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 292-3225

Built in 1902 and originally serving as the Federal Court House and Post Office for the Upper Midwest, the Landmark Center today serves as a cultural center for music, dance, theater, exhibitions, public forums, and special events.

Minnesota Museum of American Art (0.1 miles)

50 West Kellogg Boulevard (at Market Street)
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 292-4355

Recently moved to a new Riverfront Gallery, the Minnesota Museum of American Art is Saint Paul’s only art museum and the only museum in the Twin Cities solely dedicated to American art. Visitors enjoy a focused range of important artists, traditions, cultural expressions and developments in American art, from the mid-19th century to the present. MMAA is committed to represent the great cultural, racial, socioeconomic and regional diversity of American art and artists – past, present, and emerging.

Ramsey County Courthouse and Saint Paul City Hall (0.2 miles)

15 West Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Tours: (651) 266-8002

After the stock market crash of 1929, and because of the sudden decrease in price of materials, the building was finished in expensive domestic and foreign woods and marble, and artistic details were woven into its very structure. As a result, the building departed from the prevalent classic architectural style to become one of the most stunning examples of public architecture from the depression era.

Science Museum of Minnesota and William L. McKnight/3M Omnitheater (0.3 miles)

120 West Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 221-9444
(800) 221-9444

The Science Museum of Minnesota is eight acres of fascinating exhibits with a surprising and breathtaking view of the Mississippi River. Its permanent collection includes the Human Body Gallery, the Dinosaurs and Fossils Gallery, the Mississippi River Gallery, a convertible-dome Omnitheater, a 3D laser show, and the new Environmental Experiment Center.

Alexander Ramsey House (0.5 miles)

265 South Exchange Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
In Irvine Park, one block south on Ramsey Street from West Seventh Street.
(651) 296-8760
(651) 296-0100

Alexander Ramsey was the first territorial governor. Guides dressed as the servants may even surprise you with a tour of the Victorian home and some fresh cookies. Enjoy a glimpse into family and servant life in the 1870s. One of the nation's best preserved Victorian-era homes, the Ramsey House features carved walnut woodwork, marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and many original furnishings. There is even a gift shop where you can pick up your own piece of history.

Lowertown Saint Paul (0.6 miles)

Lowertown, Saint Paul

Today's Lowertown is a kaleidoscope of colorful impressions. Lowertown has high-rise apartment and condominium towers, some of Saint Paul's most interesting historic buildings, and one of America's most beautiful urban parks. The sweep of the Mississippi, broad riverfront plazas, and boat landings and byways are the landscape. Shops, offices, galleries, theaters, studios, restaurants of every ethnic stripe, arts, dance, music and cultural activities are abundant.

Wabasha Street Caves (0.8 miles)

215 South Wabasha Street
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 224-1191

The Wabasha Street Caves is the most unique facility for private events in the Twin Cities. Located along the Mississippi River in downtown Saint Paul, the Wabasha Street Caves offers a fascinating and mysterious setting for your next gathering event. The Caves 12,000 square feet of space is tastefully finished with brick walls, stucco ceilings, carpeted dining space and beautiful tile floors in the cocktail area. There is a theatrical stage, large hardwood dance floor, plenty of dining and meeting space, and a handsome 60 foot bar.

Minnesota History Center Museum (0.9 miles)

345 West Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 296-6126
(800) 657-3773

The Minnesota Historical Society’s History Center is an architectural masterpiece made of local Minnesota materials – Rockville granite and Winona limestone. The museum gives visitors a chance to explore Minnesota's past with exhibits that feature large-scale objects, hands-on experiences and multimedia presentations. The Library gives access to the vast collections related to Minnesota's rich heritage. Shop in the two museum stores and take a break at Café Minnesota, serving continental breakfast, weekday lunches, and Sunday brunch.

James J. Hill House (1.1 miles)

240 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Half block west of Cathedral of St. Paul on Summit Ave.
(651) 297-2555
10:00am to 3:30pm Wed - Sat; 1:00 to 3:30pm Sun.

The James J. Hill House is a multiple-use historic house museum offering guided tours, educational programs, neighborhood tours, lectures, concerts, dramatic programs, art exhibitions and event rental facilities. The house was built in 1891 and was the residence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway.
Summit Avenue Walking Tours

Starting at James J. Hill House
(651) 297-2555

Summit Avenue was the home of many of the city's business and civic leaders during Saint Paul's Gilded Age. Learn about mansions that line the elite avenue and the architecture, development and social history of the neighborhood on 90-minute walking tours starting at the James J. Hill House. The popular tours are offered every Saturday through September.

Minnesota State Capitol (1.4 miles)

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55155
North of downtown, accessible from I-94 and I-35E.
(651) 296-2881

See the legislature in action in the historic House and Senate chambers. Original furnishings and vivid colors of the restored Senate, House, Supreme Court and Rathskeller Café add to your experience of this working masterpiece by acclaimed architect Cass Gilbert. Free guided tours begin on the hour until one hour before closing. Weather permitting, tour groups visit the Quadriga, or golden horses. Special events, tours and educational programs are available for modest fees throughout the year. Please call for more information.

Cathedral of Saint Paul (1.1 miles)

239 Selby Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 228-1766

The Mother Church of the Archdiocese, the Cathedral of Saint Paul is a landmark. The Cathedral reminds of the sacrifices made by the immigrants who settled in the area and how Minnesota's capital city got its name. It is a spiritual home for all, open seven days a week, almost 12 hours a day. The century-old Cathedral of Saint Paul is a landmark for all, with its 120-foot-diameter dome crown, the building is inspirational and awe-inspiring to all who enter.

Mickey’s Diner (0.4 miles)

36 West Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 222-5633

Mickey’s Diner has been serving breakfast to Minnesotans for more than 60 years. The only known dining car of its type to survive in Minnesota (it is one of only a few left in the US), it was prefabricated in New Jersey, shipped to Saint Paul by rail and installed in the heart of downtown. Despite the proliferation in recent years of fast-food chains and franchised restaurants, the diner remains a successful business, in part due to its unique atmosphere.

Minnesota Children’s Museum (0.4 miles)

10 West Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 225-6000
Tue, Wed, Thurs, Sat, and Sun: 9:00am to 5:00pm; Fri: 9:00am to 8:00pm

Play to learn! Learn to play! Minnesota Children's Museum creates experiences that spark children's learning. The Museum is at the heart of where fun meets learning. It's where kids can touch, climb, splash, crawl, push, pull, and press it all! Children ages 6 months through 10 years and their adult guests can explore seven galleries packed with extraordinary hands-on adventures. Burrow through a giant anthill, take the stage in a music studio, get nose-to-beak with a turtle, operate a big crane, climb a tree fort and more! Two galleries host new and delightful special exhibits throughout the year.

Minnesota Transportation Museum (2.5 miles)

193 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55101
(651) 228-0263

The Minnesota Transportation Museum is probably unique among its kind. How many museums do you know with five operating sites spread over a 75 mile area? MTM has an operating streetcar line, an interstate tourist railroad, a depot museum, a former roundhouse that serves as a maintenance base, and a 70-foot wood steamboat in operation, which connects with a second trolley line. In addition they have operated over the road excursions and publish a quarterly magazine. MTM was formed to save a single streetcar, Twin City Rapid Transit #1300.

Twin City Model Railroad Museum (4.4 miles)

St. Paul's Bandana Square Shopping Center
1021 East Bandana Boulevard, Suite 222
Saint Paul, MN 55108
(651) 647-9628

The Twin City Model Railroad Museum is proud to present a scale model panorama of railroading in the United States during its heyday in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

The Museum is a Minnesota non-profit organization composed of over 100 members who volunteer their time, money and many skills to bring you this state of the art miniature railroad, faithfully reproduced in 1/4" scale. We invite you to enjoy and join with us in the miniature recreation of this exciting period in our country's history

Old Muskego Church (7.7 miles)

2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55108
(Highway 280 and Como Avenue)
(651) 641-3456

On a hill at the edge of the Luther Seminary campus stands Old Muskego Church. It was built in the Wind Lake area near Racine, Wisconsin, in 1844 by Norwegian immigrants–four years before Wisconsin became a state.

Commemorative Air Force (8.6 miles)

310 Airport Road
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
(651) 455- .6942

See, hear and touch historic WWII artifacts from aircraft, military vehicles and more. Meet veteran pilots, crew and soldiers.

Historic Fort Snelling (9.3 miles)

200 Tower Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55111
(Junction of Minnesota Highways 5 and 55, 1mile east of the Twin Cities Int’l Airport)
(612) 726-1171
Saturdays 10:00am to 5:00pm; Sundays 12:00pm to 5:00pm

In the middle of the city you will find a corner of history, an 1820s military outpost once the focus of a small settlement. You will hear musket fire, the cannon's roar and the fife's shrill tunes while you take part in the fort's everyday life. Shoulder a musket, mend clothes, smell the stew, scrape a hide or sing along with the soldiers. A full living history program with costumed guides is presented daily during the summer, and on weekends in May, September and October.

American Swedish Institute (10.8 miles)

2600 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 871-4907

Explore this museum of Swedish-American art, culture and history within the 1904 Turnblad "castle" at the American Swedish Institute. The Institute features limestone turrets, gargoyles, hand-carved woodwork, and porcelain tile stoves and is on the National Register of Historic Places.