Minnesota (MN)

Minnesota State Flag

"Land of 10,000 Lakes"

"Agate State", "North Star State", "State of Hockey", "The Gopher State", and "True North"

Why visit Minnesota?

Year round outdoor lovers desiring arts, birdwatching, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, forests, gambling, golfing, forests, hiking, hunting, ice fishing, ice skating, kayaking, lakes, museums, parks, rivers, shopping, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snowsports, watersports and wildlife.

Gooseberry Falls State Park, Two Harbors, MN. Photo Credit: Yinan Chen/Pixabay

At a Glance

• Capital: St Paul
• State Bird: Common Loon
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Lady's Slipper
• State Gemstone: Lake Superior Agate 
• State Mammal: None
• State Rock: None

Fun Facts

• Holds our earth oldest rocks, gneisses (over 3.6 billion years old).
  
• "Land of 10,000 Lakes" is apt, since there are 11,842 and 6,564 natural rivers and streams.
  
• Second to Alaska has a large population of timber wolves.
  
• The Mississippi River starts from Lake Itasca headwaters and crosses downstream to the Iowa border.
  
• Our nation's largest producer of farm-raised turkeys, peas, sugar beets, sweet corn and wind energy production. Also, a contributor of corn, ethanol fuel, forest products manufacturing, iron ore, paper production and soybeans.
• Home to the first Charter School, A Movement Grows City Academy (1992).
  
• Southdale Center (Edna) was our nation's first indoor shopping mall.
  
• Features 2 National Forests, 58 State Forests and 66 State Parks.

Walker Art Center's Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (Cherry on a Spoon), Minneapolis, MN. Photo Credit: Necklenoakland/Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Brooke Elliott (Actress), Frances Ethel Gumm "Judy Garland" (Actress), Jessica Biel (Actress), Kris Humphries (Athlete), Larry Fitzgerald (Athlete), Prince (Musician) and Winona Ryder (Actress), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Grumpy Old Men (1993), Jingle All The Way (1996), Purple Rain (1984), Sweet Land (2004) and The Good Son (1993), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Minnesota: Lake Wobegon (written by Garrison Keillor), Little House on the Prairie: On the Banks of Plum Creek (written by Laura Ingalls Wilder), Main Street (written by Sinclair Lewis) and The Latehomecomer (written by Kao Kalia Yang), just to mention a few.

Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage, MN. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay

Good to Know

• Occasionally the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen from northern Minnesota.
  
• Northfield re-enacts the bank robbery of outlaws Frank and Jesse James annually.
  
• "Twin Cities", refers to Minneapolis–Saint Paul.
  
• Birdwatchers flock to Hawk Ridge. 
• Statewide Smoking Ban is enforced in bars and restaurants.
  
• Nearly 20,000 miles of snowmobile trails.
  
• More miles of bike trails than any other state.

Subject to blizzards, droughts, floods, hailstorms, humidity, hurricanes,  snowstorms, tornadoes and wildfires.

• Best Time to Visit: Late July - Early August
• Cold Months: Late November - March
• Hottest Months: July
• Peak Season: June - August

Frederick R Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay.

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Andrew John Volstead House, Charles A. Lindbergh Sr House, Christ Church Lutheran, F Scott Fitzgerald House, Fort Snelling, Frank B Kellogg House, Grand Mound, Hull-Rust-Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine, James J Hill House, Kathio Site, Mayo Clinic Buildings, Mountain Iron Mine, National Farmer's Bank, O. E. Rolvaag House, Oliver H Kelley Homestead, Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator, Pillsbury "A" Mill, Rabideau CCC Camp, Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, Soudan Iron Mine, Split Rock Light Station, St Croix Boom Site, St Croix Recreational Demonstration Area, Thorstein Veblen Farmstead and Washburn "A" Mill Complex.
• Museums: 3M Museum, Adams Area History Center, Afton Historical Museum, Aitkin County Historical Society Depot Museum, Aitkin County Historical Society Log Museum, Akeley Paul Bunyan Historical Museum, Alexander Faribault House, Alexander Ramsey House, American Museum of Asmat Art, American Swedish Institute, Ames-Florida-Stork House, Andrew John Volstead House, Augsburg Art Galleries, August Schell Museum of Brewing, Bakken, BC Ness Mahnomen County History Museum, Becker County Museum, Bell Museum of Natural History, Beltrami County History Center, Bertha Museum, Betsy-Tacy Houses, Big Honza's Museum of Unnatural History, Big Stone County Museum, Borgstrom House Museum, Brown County Museum, Bunnell House, Burschville School, Cahill School, Cannon Falls Historical Museum, Carver County Historical Society Museum, Children's Discovery Museum, Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota, Christie House Museum, Clinton Depot, Cokato Museum & Gust Akerlund Studio, Cook County Historical Museum, Cottonwood County Historical Museum, Crow Wing County Historical Society Museum, Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum, Dodge County Historical Society Museum, Dorothy Molter Museum, Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Depot Museum, Duluth Children's Museum, Edina History Museum, Ed's Museum, End O' Line Railroad Park & Museum, Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, Fitger's Brewery Museum, Freeborn County Historical Museum, Gammelgården Museum, Goldstein Museum of Design, Goodhue County Historical Society Museum, Gopher State Railway Museum, Greyhound Bus Museum, Gustaf Anderson House History Museum, Haehn Museum, Hennepin History Museum, Heritage House Victorian Museum, Hewitt Museum, Hinckley Fire Museum, Hmong Museum, Hopkins Historical Society Museum, Houston County Historical Society Museum, Hubbard County Historical Museum, Iron Range Historical Society Research Museum, Judy Garland Museum, Kandiyohi County Museum, Karpeles Manuscript Library Duluth Museum, Kremer House Library & Museum, Lac qui Parle Mission, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Legacy of the Lakes Museum, Meeker County Historical Society Museum, Mill City Museum, Mille Lacs County Historical Society Depot Museum, Mille Lacs Indian Museum & Trading Post, Minnesota Children's Museum, Minnesota Machinery Museum, Minnesota Marine Art Museum,  Minnesota Military Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota Museum of Mining, Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum, Minnesota Streetcar Museum, Minnesota Transportation Museum, Moose Lake Depot and Fires of 1918 Museum, Museum of Lake Minnetonka, Museum of Russian Art, Northfield Historical Society Museum, Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, Polish Cultural Institute and Museum, Redwood County Museum, Rourke Art Museum, Schubert Club Museum of Musical Instruments, Science Museum of Minnesota, SMSU Art Museum, SMSU Museum of Indigenous Americans, SMSU Natural History Museum, Spam Museum, Spring Valley Methodist Church Museum, Stevens County Historical Museum, Tower Train Museum, Traverse County Historical Society Museum, Tweed Museum of Art, Twin City Model Railroad Museum, Wabasha County Historical Museum, Warden's House Museum, Weisman Art Museum, Wells Fargo History Museum and Westbrook Heritage House Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Aerial Lift Bridge, Basilica of Saint Mary, Bluff Country, Boundary Waters, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Cathedral of Saint Paul, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Croft Mine Historical Park, Dr William W Mayo House, Elm Creek Park Reserve, Enger Park, Fishing Hall of Fame of Minnesota, FlyOver America, Glensheen, Grand Portage National Monument, Great Lakes Aquarium, Great Wolf Lodge Water Park, Guthrie Theater, Interstate State Park, Itasca State Park, Jay Cooke State Park, Katherine E Nash Gallery, Lake Bemidji State Park, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Zoo, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, LeDuc Historic Estate, Mall of America, Mill Ruins Park, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Galleries, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota Discovery Center, Minnesota History Center, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Minnesota Zoo, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Mississippi River, Munsinger Gardens, Nemeth Art Center, Nickelodeon Universe, North American Bear CenterNorth Shore Scenic Railroad, Oliver H Kelley Farm, Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox Statues, Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village, Phelps Mill, Pickwick Mill, Pipestone National Monument, Pioneer Village, Purcell-Cutts House, Root River Trail, Roseau Pioneer Farm & Village, Sawtooth Mountains, SEA LIFE, Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, Soudan Underground Mine State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse, Spoonbridge & Cherry, St Croix River, Stone Arch Bridge, Taylors Falls, Terrace Mill, Tettegouche State Park, The Shed, Two Harbors Light Station, United States Hockey Hall of Fame, Valleyfair, Voyageurs National Park, Wild River State Park and Walker Art Center.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Bemidji, Biwabik, Bloomington, Duluth, Ely, Grand Marais, Harmony. Lanesboro, Lindstrom, Mankato, Minneapolis,Moorhead, Pipestone, Red Wing, Rochester, St Cloud, Stillwater, St Paul and Taylors Falls.
• Special Events: (January) St Paul Winter Carnival, (February) Eelpout Festival, Winter Beer Dabbler, (March) State Boys High School Hockey Tournament, (May) Ruttgers Bluegrass Festival, (June) Funk Fest, Great American Think-Off, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Hawley Rodeo Fest, Hutchinson Jaycee Water Carnival, Music in Mears, Rock the Garden, Judy Garland Festival, The Wizard of Oz Festival,Twin Cities GLBT Pride Celebration, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, (July) Minneapolis' Aquatennial & Mill City Music Festival, Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Moondance Jam, North Star Stampede Rodeo, Scott County Fair, Sonshine Christian Music Festival, Vintage Music Festival, (August) Bayfront Blues Festival, Lakes Jam, Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Minnesota State Fair (The Great Minnesota Get-Together), Square Lake Film & Music Festival, Uptown Art Fair, WE Fest, (September) Duluth Superior Pride, Fall Harvest Celebration, Fall Wildlife Festival, Oktoberfest, Oletoberfest, Shortstop Golf Tournament, (October) Gun & Knife Show, (November) Polka Party and (December) Merry Tubachristmas Concert.

St Paul, MN. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay.

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.