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Canoe on a lake in northern Minnesota.

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Overview

Is Minnesota really the land of 10,000 lakes, as it's so often advertised? You betcha! Actually, in typically modest style, the state has undermarketed itself – there are 11,842 lakes. Which is great news for travelers. Intrepid outdoors folk can wet their paddles in the Boundary Waters, where nighttime brings a blanket of stars and the lullaby of wolf howls. Those wanting to get further off the beaten path can journey to Voyageurs National Park, where there's more water than roadway. If that all seems too far-flung, stick to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, where you can't swing a moose without hitting something cool or cultural. And for those looking for middle ground – a cross between the big city and big woods – the dramatic, freighter-filled port of Duluth beckons.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Walker Art Center.

    Walker Art Center

    Minneapolis

    The first-class art center has a strong permanent collection of 20th-century art and photography, including big-name US painters and great US pop art. On…

  • Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers, Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

    Minneapolis

    This 19-acre green space, studded with contemporary works such as the oft-photographed Spoonbridge & Cherry by Claes Oldenburg, sits beside the Walker Art…

  • Main entrance to Minneapolis Institute of Arts, fine arts museum in Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Midwest, USA

    Minneapolis Institute of Art

    Minneapolis

    This museum is a huge trove housing a veritable history of art. The modern and contemporary collections will astonish, while the Asian galleries (2nd…

  • The Frederick Weisman Art Museum, the stainless steel structure by architect Frank Gehry, on the University of Minnesota campus - Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota

    Weisman Art Museum

    Minneapolis

    The Weisman, which occupies a swooping silver structure by architect Frank Gehry, is a university (and city) highlight. The airy main galleries hold cool…

  • Endless Bridge

    Endless Bridge

    Minneapolis

    Head inside the cobalt-blue Guthrie Theater and make your way up the escalator to the Endless Bridge, a far-out cantilevered walkway overlooking the…

  • DY5FWE USA, Minnesota, Minneapolis, skyline from the University of Minnesota

    University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis

    This is one of the USA's largest campuses, with some 50,000 students. Most of the campus is in the East Bank neighborhood. Washington Ave SE and Oak St SE…

  • Paisley Park

    Paisley Park

    Minneapolis

    After Prince died in 2016, his family opened his 65,000-sq-ft home to the public for tours. Fans have been streaming to the mod, boxy white mansion ever…

  • 405090 10: The Statue Honoring Mary Tyler Moore Was Unveiled May 8, 2002 In Minneapolis, Mn. The Statue Depicts Moore Tossing Her Tam (Hat) From The Opening Credits Of The "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". (Photo By Mike Ekern/Getty Images)

    Mary Tyler Moore Statue

    Minneapolis

    The late, great Mary Tyler Moore (of '70s TV fame) put Minneapolis on the pop-culture map. The spot, at the corner of 7th St S and Nicollet Mall, where…

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