Top Minnesota Culture in 2026

Save your feet while discovering Minneapolis from a unique perspective on board a historic street trolley. Listen to live commentary as you roll through the city’s five original districts where the behind the makings of today's Minneapolis can be found. This one-of-a-kind city tour is fun for all ages.

Take a chilling ghost tour along Summit Avenue, Minneapolis, when you book this nighttime walking tour. Uncover the haunted history of mansions and historic locations, including Forepaugh's 2nd Mansion and Cochran Park, in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. This walking tour offers spine-tingling tales, and a spooky journey through the supernatural side of Summit Avenue.

Discover Minneapolis your way on the city’s only Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing tour aboard a one-of-a-kind open-air bus. This guided experience lets you explore the city’s must-see attractions while enjoying fresh air, great views, and the lively energy of Minneapolis all around you. Designed for those short on time but big on seeing. Maximize your time with 4 targeted stops where you’ll have time to hop off the bus, walk around, take photos, and dive into the history and culture of each location before hopping back on with your friendly driver-guide. This unique hop-on hop-off tour is the only local experience that includes hop-off opportunities at the city’s top attractions. Perfect for first-time visitors and locals alike, this small group tour offers a relaxed, engaging way to experience the city in motion. In Jun, Jul, Aug use your open-air bus; in May and Sep use your enclosed coach bus. (The enclosed bus may be used in the event of unfavorable weather during summer months.)

Starting in the trendy North Loop neighborhood, we visit some of the best restaurants in Minneapolis! Learn about the city over a bite to eat (or four)! From a building with four James Beard nominated chefs under one roof, to classic upper midwest cuisine, and a little bit from northeast Minneapolis' eastern European heritage, this tour will leave both your brain and belly full! And don't forget to leave room for dessert!

Explore the only remaining restored Gangster Era site in Saint Paul on this guided historic caves tour of the Wabasha Street Caves. Carved into the hillside near downtown Saint Paul, the caves have been numerous things throughout their history, including as a gangster hot spot during Prohibition. Tour the caves and hear fascinating stories of their history from your guide.

Skip the generic walking tours and explore Stillwater in the spookiest way possible—through its best ghost stories. Following a guide, learn how this 180-year-old town is full of spirits, legends, and secrets—it’s even home to the haunted Minnesota State Prison. Leave your tour with a creepy sense of the city (and the urge to look over your shoulder).

Our tour will take you from Peavey Plaza, the city’s “living room”, through the bustling downtown to the riverfront, ending at the Mill City Museum, built right into the ruins of the world’s once-largest flour mill. Go at your own pace, anytime. The tour plays as you walk and is hands free. It never expires! This is perfect for those looking for a private experience, flexibility and at an affordable price point.

Step into the captivating realm of illusions, where reality is never exactly as it appears. Museum of Illusions is a one-of-a-kind, visual, sensory, and educational experience designed to engage your sense of wonder and challenge perceptions through the science behind optical illusions. You can enjoy over 50 immersive, hands-on exhibits to explore. The illusion rooms, installations and holograms let you defy gravity, grow and shrink your body, walk into a life-size kaleidoscope, and play tricks on your senses at every turn. It’s a mind-bending journey that deceives the senses and reveals how the brain interprets reality.

A great tour year-round, especially if you're visiting in the winter months! Minneapolis is home to the largest, contiguous skyway system in the world! Originally designed to counter the 1950s post war suburban boom by revitalizing the city's retail core, today the second story walkways connect 80 city blocks and meander more than 9 miles. This is a great way to see the city - inside and out - during cool weather, hot weather, rainy days and the brutally long Minnesota winter, so pretty much year-round! There are so many treasures within downtown's unique architectural landscape, and the skyway system is sometimes the only way to see them. AFTERNOON TOUR ends at the historic Minneapolis Club, not typically open to the public. Choosing Mpls City & Skyway Tours, you are supporting a local, woman-owned small business with a big heart. (Please note, this is a walking tour. We will walk up to two miles, with breaks. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.)

Experience the magic of GPS playback on this immersive stroll through Duluth's Canal Park. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll dive into the city's past, like when Canal Park stood under 450 feet of water. Duluth is a one-of-a-kind, inland port city, which serves as a gateway to the north shore of Lake Superior. Its long history is reflected in Canal Park, a formerly run-down industrial zone and one of the city’s thriving centers for recreation today. You’ll find out how, when a local businessman rattled Duluth by moving his Pizza Roll factory to Ohio, his son would go on to play a role in Canal Park’s economic revival. I’ll tell you about the famous Glensheen murders that were made into a musical, and about fish that are almost as old as Duluth Itself. You’ll hear about Duluth’s shipping heritage, the founding and naming of the city, and the building of the Duluth Ship Canal. You’ll then head down South Lake Avenue to finish our tour at the Minnesota Slip Bridge.

Explore the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral with a daily guided tour that uncovers its rich history and architectural splendor. This one-hour experience includes visits to the majestic sanctuary, where the grandeur of Beaux-Arts design captivates. Delve into the significance of the Shrines of Nations, which honor the diverse immigrant communities. Your knowledgeable guide provides engaging storytelling about the cathedral's sacred art and history, making every moment enlightening. Ideal for adults and history enthusiasts, this tour is wheelchair accessible, ensuring everyone can appreciate the beauty of this sacred space. - One-hour guided tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral - Learn about the architecture and sacred art - Visit the Shrines of Nations honoring immigrant contributions - Wheelchair accessible and suitable for adults over 10 years old

Explore the so-called most haunted place in Minnesota on a fun one-hour walking tour of the sandstone Wabasha Street Caves. Learn more about local history–including the grim and spooky parts–at the caves, which were once a notorious gangster hideout. Around 60 ghosts are said to haunt the caves. Go in search of them yourself.

This isn’t your grandma’s walking tour. With this self-paced audio guide, you’ll learn all about Minneapolis’s standard history (like Prince) *and* discover its secret nooks and crannies, like the history of “Funkytown,” a mansion with 86 TVs, and the invention of Zubaz pants. No matter what, after you’ve explored with this River Walk guide, you’ll never look at this stretch of the Mississippi with glazed-over eyes again.

Experience Minneapolis like never before with guided walking tours led by knowledgeable local experts. Discover the fascinating and often overlooked history of Minneapolis and Minnesota, from the pre-statehood era to modern times. Our tours provide insightful commentary and engaging stories, offering a deeper understanding of the city's rich heritage and cultural evolution.

Most people don’t know anything about St. Paul’s gangster history—and most definitely don’t go underground to explore it. But you will on this totally immersive tour, heading back to the era of John Dillinger and 1930s-era corruption. Your guides set the scene, taking you around the city, and beneath it, for a day of subterranean suspense.

One of the greatest urban waterfalls in the nation, this self-guided audio tour turns Minnehaha Falls into a world of fascination and wonder. Using just your smartphone, you’ll follow along as you learn stories of hermits and Presidents, nature and geology, and much more. Speed through your experience or linger as you like, turning it into a discovery of your own making.

Minneapolis is one of America’s greatest arts centers, and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is like stepping into a shrine that proves it. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll venture into this artistic labyrinth and admire some of the city’s most iconic works. The tour starts at the Walker Art Museum, located at the site of Thomas Lowry’s former mansion on the “Devil’s Backbone,“ a steep, twin-ridged terrain with a striking silhouette. From there, you’ll stroll through the sculpture garden, pausing at key works including Katharina Fritsch’s electric blue Hahn/Cock, and other lesser-known but equally fascinating pieces. This tour combines art appreciation, historical context and dramatic stories. You’ll find out how Sam Durant’s Scaffold was met with global outrage in 2017, and enjoy moments of quiet reflection at Jim Hodges’ mirrored boulders. I’ll also tell you about the controversies and characters that shaped this cultural landscape.

Gain a different perspective on downtown Minneapolis and learn about its haunted heritage with this ghost-themed walking tour. Walk around to sites such as City Hall, the Stone Arch Bridge, the Foshay Tower, and more, while your guide fills you in on the colorful characters and spooky stories that have shaped the city.

Highway 61 runs the length of Lake Superior's North Shore, and without local knowledge, the best waterfalls and overlooks are easy to drive past. This GPS-enabled, app-based audio tour guides you as you drive, pinpointing sights such as Gooseberry Falls and the Glensheen mansion. Cell service drops out along much of this road, so the whole tour works offline too.

Stroll through historic downtown St. Paul and taste some of its most famous food on this half-day walking tour. With a guide in the lead, you'll find some off-the-beaten-path food stops, such as an old gangster hangout, and taste craft beer made with water that is straight from Mississippi river. Other historic highlights include the Landmark Center, Rice Park, and the Saint Paul Hotel.

Set out on an adventure through the world of distillation, where you will discover farm to flask flavors. Join a local distillery tour and unlock the mysteries behind handcrafted spirits, from the first whiff of aromatic botanicals to the last lingering notes on your palate. As you wander through the production equipment and copper stills, expert guides will regale you with education and tales of innovation, and the passionate artisans who bring each bottle to life. Prepare for a sensory expedition that will ignite your curiosity, delight your taste buds, and leave you craving the next chapter in your spirited adventure! Includes: 1 Spirits flight (for aged spirits - select "whiskey nerd"), 1 branded Glencarin crystal spirit glass, full production tour, and an overhead projector presentation. Pizza and food available to purchase before or after the tour. Pizza flour stone milled onsite!

Explore the rich history of St. Paul on this self-guided walking tour, starting at Rice Park in front of the Landmark Center, St. Paul's cultural hub. Stroll along the Mississippi River and uncover the city's early history, from the Dakota village of Kaposia to the Beaux Arts-style Union Depot. Walk through Lowertown to Mears Park, past modern architecture, and on to the Minnesota State Capitol. Along the way, hear stories of “Pig’s Eye” Parrant, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and St. Paul’s gangster past while discovering the city's rivalry with Minneapolis. This tour brings to life the characters, events, and landmarks that shaped the "Saintly City."

Step onto America's longest preserved Victorian boulevard for a journey through Gilded Age wealth, Jazz Age literature, and Prohibition crime. Join logical guide Max and passionate historian Sofia as they reveal how railroad barons built private fortresses, F. Scott Fitzgerald captured high society's flaws, and Saint Paul police ran a corrupt deal protecting America's most wanted gangsters. - A 4.6 km self-guided tour with 8 stops over 140 min - Ideal for travelers interested in History & Memory and Art, Design & Aesthetics - Immersively told in a podcast style by experts and locals - Matching audio content, AI guide and navigation through the app Discover Saint Paul through a compelling story guided by a local and an expert in dialogue. Packed with captivating facts and hidden gems, this self-guided smartphone tour lets you explore completely independently—whenever you want, at your own speed, and free from tourist crowds.