Whether your planning a visit to Saint Paul, Minnesota or you live there and are looking for something new and fun to do, St. Paul had many attractions to offer without ever leaving city limits. Here are some great places you should visit.
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Plus Como Town
Located at 1225 Estabrook Drive in St.Paul, Mn, Como Park is actually 5 attractions in one. First you have the zoo which features animals from anacondas to zebras. Como Park Zoo is actually Minnesota’s first zoo that began with just four deer and the zoo recently witnessed the birth of a new baby zebra. The zoo also has many different shops that serve food to wonderful souvenirs you can get during your visit.
Next to the zoo you have the Como Conservatory which features thirteen different gardens including the Japanese garden, bonsai collection, and the sunken garden. For a limited time only you can see the Blooming Butterflies exhibit where hundreds of butterflies from around the world fly freely in their indoor habitat.
Cafesjian’s Carousel is the next attraction which is perfect for family fun. The Cafesjian Carousel is a large 68 horse ride carousel next to Como Town the amusement park which features over 20 rides for all ages. They also have Leonard Wilkening Children’s Gallery which holds hands on activities for children to help them learn about plants and animals. Right next to the Children’s gallery is the Ribbit Zibit, frog conservation which educates children on the frog species and boasts a large collection of poison dart frogs from the Amazon region.
Then you have the Como Recreation Parks which comes with athletic fields including six softball fields, three soccer fields and a baseball field. There is also an 18 hole golf course for adults and the “Putt’er There” mini golf course which has been family owned and operated for over 50 years. And we can’t forget the water features of Como Lake, Pool, and Dockside. Como lake allows for romantic walks around the shore, paddleboat rides and limited but fun fishing. The Como Pool features a lap pool, diving pool, water zip line, the splash pool with water slides and a beautiful lazy river. Finally the Como Dockside is a beautiful lakeside pavilion with restaurant and banquet. The pavilion offers concerts and and plays throughout the summer.
The last attraction is the art of Como park. To find these beautiful artworks you need to explore all of Como Parks in almost every attraction. The most popular art work is “Crest of the Wave”, a bronze statue that sits atop a fountain in Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Palm Dome.
Science Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota not only boasts its native american and fossil exhibit but it also holds its own omni-theater where education goes to the big screen. Their new exhibit on the tombs of Egypt and Peru contains over 20 mummies and its only available through September 5th of 2016. They also have an Experiment Gallery where kids learn the basics of science and they offer the Math Moves, an interactive education area designed to help children understand common math problems they come across in school. The Science Museum of Minnesota is the perfect place to take anyone of any age to learn something new and challenge their minds.
Cathedral of St.Paul
Saint Pauls Cathedral is the national shrine to apostle Saint Paul that is still in use today. Its a beautiful tourist destination due to its architecture and history. Built in 1904, the cathedral holds multiple masses throughout every Sunday of the year. They also have tours including a virtual tour on their website at https://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/ .
Minnesota State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is located at 1265 North Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, MN 55108. The fair is open this year from August 25 to Labor Day September 5. This state fair is the largest in Minnesota and features multiple activities such as Arts A’fair and Horse Shows to 17 rides in the Adventure Park amusement park. Like any other fair there are also competitions for livestock and horses but also a k-12 art competition and the Milk Run 5k race. Pre-fair tickets are on sale for only $10 at the Minnesota State Fair website so take advantage before prices go up.
These are just a few of what Saint Paul Minnesota has to offer and hopefully you will get the change to visit each and every one of these wonderful attractions.
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