Believe the marketing hype describing Minneapolis-St. Paul's theater scene. The performances here are first-rate, professionally produced shows—everything from screwball comedies to reimagined fairy tales. In Minneapolis, head to the Guthrie or to the Hennepin Theatre District (on Hennepin Avenue between North 7th and 10th streets). In St. Paul, make a date with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts to see a touring Broadway show.
If you're looking for fun things to do outdoors during your vacation, explore the 400-acre recreational area encompassing St. Paul jewel Lake Como. Whether you choose to golf, hike along 2.3 miles of paved paths or rent a paddleboat, be sure to budget plenty of time for the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory (1225 Estabrook Dr.).
Toss up your tam while shopping and happy hour-hopping along Minneapolis' Nicollet Mall (700 Nicollet Mall)—just as Mary Richards did in the title sequence of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” A statue recalling this great moment in TV history is in front of Macy's—or, as many natives still call the rebranded department store, Dayton's, the predecessor of locally based Target Corp.
Pose with bronze sculptures depicting Twin Cities native Charles M. Schulz's beloved “Peanuts” characters in Rice Park and the adjoining Landmark Plaza. While petite in size, these public squares are surrounded by such noteworthy downtown St. Paul treasures as Landmark Center (75 W. 5th St.) and The Saint Paul Hotel (350 Market St.).
Take yourself out to a ballgame and root for the home team, the Minnesota Twins. But skip the peanuts and Cracker Jack; at Target Field (1 Twins Way), there are places to eat that serve up local favorites like grilled Kramarczuk's pork sausages and the famed cheese-stuffed burgers (“Juicy Lucys”) that two Cedar Avenue eateries claim to have invented.
Examine the collection of modern and contemporary art at the Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Ave. S.), then head next door to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (26 Vineland Pl.). The centerpiece of this urban green space is “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” a whimsical water installation dreamed up by a husband-and-wife team.
Discover the true meaning of the expression “shop ‘til you drop” in nearby Bloomington at the Mall of America (60 E. Broadway). Spending just 10 minutes in each of its 520-plus stores—from the LEGO Imagination Center to mall anchors Macy's and Nordstrom—adds up to nearly 86 hours of browsing time.
Take a leisurely drive (or, if the weather's good, a slow-paced bike ride) along Summit Avenue in St. Paul. Make a few pit stops along this picturesque lane, where stately Victorian mansions and such historic sites as the Cathedral of St. Paul (239 Selby Ave.) hold sway.
Party like it was 1999 at First Avenue & 7th Street Entry (701 N. 1st Ave.), a Minneapolis hot spot immortalized by hometown legend Prince in his film debut, “Purple Rain.”