Free In The Twin Cities
Being on a budget doesn't mean you can't have a fabulous vacation. Here are more than 25 free things to see and do while visiting the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
For starters, culture fiends will be tickled pink by the Twin Cities. Although a fee may apply during special exhibitions, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) doesn't charge admission to its permanent collection—not too shabby considering the museum's holdings represent 5,000 years of world history. Another prominent museum, the Walker Art Center , is free on Thursdays 4-8 p.m. and on the first Saturday of every month. Plus, the wow factor of 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden , next door to the Walker, is always on the house.
In St. Paul, the Landmark Center is a freebie hound's dream. Guided tours of the 1902 structure are offered without charge, as are a variety of docent-led city walking tours. Though it initially served as a courthouse and post office, the turreted pink granite building today houses several edifying organizations, including The Schubert Club Museum (cost: zilch). It's also the setting for a variety of artistic performances, many of which are free to the public. One of the most popular showcases the talents of the Saint Paul City Ballet on the second Tuesday of the month.
Scores of regional events feature free entertainment, too. One of the biggest is late June's Twin Cities Jazz Festival , when local and national acts captivate the crowd gathered at St. Paul's Mears Park. Music is a big part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial , a 9-day July celebration with free fireworks, a parade, a sandcastle competition and a lighthearted milk carton boat race.
If you're traveling with youngsters, your brood will squeal with delight over the cats, chickens and other small animals inhabiting Wild Rumpus in the Linden Hills shopping district at Upton Avenue South and West 43rd Street. The whimsical Minneapolis bookstore gets especially crowded during the free Monday morning Tail Time session, when vibrant stories and songs fill the air; phone (612) 920-5005. Independent St. Paul bookseller The Red Balloon, 891 Grand Ave., offers free story times geared toward babies, toddlers and preschoolers; phone (651) 224-8320.
Although the Mall of America in Bloomington is great for window-shopping any day of the week, attend the gargantuan complex's no-charge Toddler Tuesdays event and you'll be rewarded with character appearances, arts and crafts fun, and other kid-friendly entertainment. Children under 7 also eat free (with the purchase of an adult meal) on Tuesdays at participating MOA restaurants.
Football fanatics will appreciate the Verizon Vikings Training Camp ; held in Mankato , the free August event features daily autograph sessions and plenty of gridiron action. Thrifty baseball fans should head to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis, where the excitement of the game spreads throughout Target Plaza, the gateway to the Minnesota Twins' home stadium. Along the 5th Street side of this state-of-the-art park, built-in “knotholes” offer free views of line drives, double plays and home runs.
Anyone into pucks and L-shaped sticks will want to attend the free U.S. Pond Hockey Championship , which takes place in Minneapolis in late January. Another hugely popular event is the Let's Play Hockey Expo in March, when contests and games, merchandise giveaways and appearances by pro athletes bring nearly 40,000 annually to the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Who said there's no beer in heaven? The fee for the brewery tour at Surly Brewing Co.—one non-perishable food item for the Emergency Foodshelf Network—isn't exactly free, but he who doeth a good deed shall be rewarded with an abundance of complimentary suds. Tours typically are offered Friday and Saturday evenings at the Brooklyn Center facility at 4811 Dusharme Dr., but check the website (www.surlybrewing.com) for the most up-to-date schedule. Reservations and a photo ID are required. Phone (763) 535-3330.
Getty Images/Donovan Reese
A donation of $5 is suggested if you take the guided tour offered at the Minnesota State Capitol , but a brochure describing a self-guiding tour of the Cass Gilbert-designed building also is available at no cost. And while you're in St. Paul, take a stroll or a drive down Summit Avenue, which is among the nation's most impressive examples of a Victorian residential boulevard.
You could spend all day exploring just one of the public spaces and parks found along Minneapolis' Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway . Many highlights of the Downtown Riverfront byway district won't cost you a dime to enjoy. Start at Mill Ruins Park (at Portland Avenue and West River Parkway) and walk the 1.8-mile St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail, which features interpretive signs and crosses the Stone Arch Bridge.
For spectacular views of the surging Mississippi River, head up to the showstopping observation areas inside the Guthrie Theater . The pride and joy of Minnehaha Park , the hub of the Minnehaha byway district, is a 53-foot waterfall. But follow the riverside path to the wading pool, and you can dip your toes in while admiring lovely wooded vistas.
The Chain of Lakes byway district also boasts tons of freebies, including a series of summer concerts held from early June through Labor Day at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., (612) 230-6400, and the Eloise Butler Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary , a 15-acre garden protecting more than 500 plant species and 130 species of birds.
Keep in mind that a parking fee may be charged at some locations and events.