The best place to visit in St. Paul MN
Tourist Attractions

15 Most Beautiful Places in St. Paul MN

St. Paul MN is a land of incredible diversity, with something to offer everyone who visits. There are many great places to visit in this city, but if you are looking for the ultimate St. Paul MN experience, then you need to head to one of the places below. Whichever part of St. Paul MN you choose to visit, you’re sure to have an amazing time.

The Best Place to Visit in St. Paul MN

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

  • Address: 1225 Estabrook Dr, St Paul, MN 55103, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (14311)
  • Phone: +1 651-487-8201
  • Website: Link
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The best place to visit in St. Paul MN
The best place to visit in St. Paul MN

5 Replies to 15 Most Beautiful Places in St. Paul MN

  1. Worth the the visit for the conservatory alone. The gardens were well laid out and the signs identifying the plants were actually helpful and very well done. The seasonal flower garden was incredibly beautiful and a special feast for the eyes after quite a long winter.
    Make sur enough reserve your spot in advance by a few hours or you won’t be able to access the zoo or conservatory when you want. Parking near is limited so arrive early or plan to walk.
    The zoo itself is well laid out and there is a good sizes picnic area if you bring your own lunch.

  2. There are quite a few empty exhibits right now, which is a little sad. But the zoo is free, so you certainly can’t complain. The animals we did see were fun! They have a big cat spot, a primate house, and a seal/arctic area. The animals were feisty, especially that dang ostrich who kept biting the giraffe’s tail. Definitely a quick walk zoo. (We went in an hour and a half before closing and still had time to see everything.) Lots of fun!

  3. Genuinely loved that this zoo and conservatory is FREE. We needed to kill some time on our visit and were shocked that this location was free.
    The park is a decent size, pretty small zoo portion but great size plant conservatory that’s very well maintained.
    Because COVID is still very much alive, I would’ve been happier to see more staff wearing masks or some sort of mask regulations on indoor portions of the park as it does get really crowded.
    Book a reservation online in advance or you will have to wait.

  4. Free and amazing! Small enough to enjoy in a few hours, yet big enough to take your time and enjoy the whole day. Plenty to do and enjoy in that area. Great for the whole family. Wonderful exhibits that provide nice views of the animals. Chances are excellent that you will see all of the animals there.

  5. Como zoo is really an incredible family destination for those living in, or visiting the Twin Cities. Somehow the zoo remains free (although they do have donation boxes around and I highly encourage dropping something in). They have a wonderful range of animals and even some shows and encounters. I cannot say enough great things about this magnificent place – my parents brought me here as a child numerous times, I’ve taken my children here multiple times, and I can’t wait to show my grandchildren someday.

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Top 15 Tourist Attractions in St. Paul MN

The best place to visit in St. Paul MN
The best place to visit in St. Paul MN

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

  • Address: 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (6898)
  • Phone: +1 651-293-0200
  • Website: Link
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: Closed
    Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    I never saw anything that looked like the picture of the river going over a fall. We did enjoy the City House however to hang out and grab a snack and a beverage.
    ✭✭✭ By David Starks (2 months ago)
    Wow, the headwaters of the powerful Mississippi River, just after passing across French island.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Reg Belyea (4 months ago)
    Great view of the Mississipi river in the evening on Stone Arch Bridge! Cold Spring is quite boring…
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By S (2 months ago)
    If you’re looking for the Visitor Center, it can be hard to find (and has its own Google Maps entry, different than this). As the NPS website states, the Visitor Center is in the the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota.
    ✭✭✭✭ By Jay F (4 months ago)
    i have been going to this Park since the early 1970’s. It has changed over the years, but is still a beautiful place to bring the family. My grandson loves the Park !!
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Paul “Striving” (a month ago)

Cathedral of Saint Paul

  • Address: 239 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.8 (2383)
  • Phone: +1 651-228-1766
  • Website: Link
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Thursday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Friday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Saturday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
    Sunday: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    Beautiful cathedral. There are masses regularly and also the church is open most of the time and welcomes visitors.
    The architecture of this place is so spectacular and full of detail. There is a floor underneath with more things to see and check if you are interested.
    My main purpose of this trip was to see this church, so I’m not sure about the priest or other information for people that want to see the masses etc.
    Independent if you believe in religion or not you should check this beautiful place. The organ was so beautiful and echoed everywhere
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Marcia Terazzi Basso (7 months ago)
    Cathedral of Saint Paul is an amazing catholic church! You can go in anytime and pray and other catholic traditions. They have masses throughout the day that anyone can attend if they decide they want to. The place is massive and is so nice while having statues of a lot of the Saints. The place is amazing and church doesnt get any better then this!
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By The sunny Dog61 (a month ago)
    Really, there isn’t a word to describe the beauty of this place. The architecture, detail, just everything is so beautiful. The air smells like flowers, and the neighborhood just makes it 1000x better.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Jennifer Warner Sultan (4 months ago)
    Beautiful place , the architecture of the building is make me fascinated. You can walk in both inside and outside of the building. Explore the beauty of worship . It’s a must visit place in MN.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Ruplekha Biswas (11 months ago)
    Absolutely stunning inside!!! I had more photos but they were video.
    But the detail within the inside and outside building is so intricate.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Nicole Tooze (5 months ago)

Minnesota History Center

  • Address: 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (2200)
  • Phone: +1 651-259-3000
  • Website: Link
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: Closed
    Tuesday: Closed
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
    Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    Learned a lot about the history of MN. Went on a school field trip with my son, chaperoning. There was an educational class, the students got learn about the fur trade and stocks. They have great modules, we got to experience a tornado while in a basement back in the 1960. And, experience a soldier perspective preparing for war on an aircraft. Kids loved the bison and it’s organs learning uses. And the mining shaft and explosion experience. Loved how the kids worked together arranging the sitting cubes to match the diagrams on the wall. The crew members were extra patient and educational. Each exhibits we had visited, they always had a knowledgeable crew member explaining or demonstrating the history uses of the items. Please bring your kids and educate them on the history of MN. Would recommend and love to return back again!! Please note there are no public parking available on their premises, only drop off or must park in ramp and pay.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Mai Vang (8 months ago)
    So much work has been put into these exhibits and it shows. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Always ready and willing to educate us on the rich history of our state and nation. Very passionate. We had a wonderful time here and highly recommend a visit!
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By George Dalglish (8 months ago)
    Attended a private event here after hours. This place is beautiful and the exhibits were open for viewing. We loved everything and want to come back to spend more time in the museum. At night they have a beautiful, unobstructed view of the capitol building. Highly recommend for special events or just casual visits.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Nate Jurgens (6 months ago)
    Very friendly staff. We got lunch from the deli area, and it was fairly priced, and pretty good premade sandwiches. There were great activities for the kids to take part in and plenty for the adults to take in. We spent about 4 hours there total and did each of the exhibits more than once. Very time I went back in one there was more to see.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Laura Betthauser (3 months ago)
    The best experiences I have had here were worth all the boring ones. They were:

    1. Retrorama: Huge party where everyone dresses retro with different themes each year. They included signature cocktails, a fashion show, music, h’ors d’oeuvres, vintage pop-up shops — allllllllllllll kinds of fabulous. Incredible epic parties
    2. The chocolate exhibit: Life-size cacao tree in the rotunda and a fascinating walk through of the history of chocolate, including how it was used in religious sacrifice. Amazing exhibit. Wish I could revisit this one of one of the best events I’ve ever attended.

    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Hannah Nicollet (4 months ago)

Rice Park

  • Address: 109 W 4th St, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.4 (1902)
  • Phone: +1 651-266-6400
  • Website: Link
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Thursday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Friday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Saturday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
    Sunday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    Winter 2021–Rice park is always a nice visit, as a central point of St Paul. They put lights on the trees this year, but it’s pretty vanilla, and due to Covid the ice rink a block away isn’t up as it’s been in past years.
    Several plaques and statues to see and get some history.
    The St Paul Hotel across the street looks very festive with lights on all the trees in front, and the lights and greenery done up along the sidewalk on the backside.
    Not many decorations and lights to see downtown this year, kind of disappointing, but I recommend going to Summit Ave a mile away, and driving the length to see all the decorated houses on both sides, including the Governor’s mansion! And, I see the high Smith St bridge looks beautiful with it’s lights and the snow!
    ✭✭✭✭ By Doug Moore (11 months ago)
    It was our first time there since we are new to the area and we really enjoyed it! Great place to sit down, relax and enjoy the view. We also enjoyed walking around and seeing the different peanuts characters sculptures they had in the area. Can’t wait to come back during winter and see the ice sculptures.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By ale escobedo (6 months ago)
    The final day of the Winter Carnival takes place in Rice park… Ice sculptures, music and lots of fun for everyone… Despite cold weather people are coming here to enjoy themselves and take part in all activities.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Tatiana Fisher (9 months ago)
    Rice park is a beautiful place in downtown saint paul. The park has a fountain and lovely flowers, surrounded by a lot of sit. The community council tries to organize more fun activities for the people here. On Friday’s Twins-cities-skaters, come around to skate around the fountain with hundreds of rent-free skates, music, and lovely people.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Oludayo D (2 months ago)
    Beautiful Christmas lights! Last year and this year both. Different ways of lighting the big trees in the park we’re mesmerizing and gives such a good feeling despite in the middle of the busy city.
    Good place to hangout with friends during day and in evenings.
    ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sachinika Deemansa Boda Hennadige (11 months ago)

Mears Park

  • Address: 221 5th St E, St Paul, MN 55101, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (1353)

Science Museum of Minnesota

  • Address: 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (1320)

James J. Hill House

  • Address: 240 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (1064)

Landmark Center

  • Address: 75 W 5th St, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (874)

Como Park

  • Address: 1224-1256 Midway Pkwy, St Paul, MN 55103, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (736)

Historic Fort Snelling

  • Address: 200 Tower Ave, St Paul, MN 55111, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (643)

Harriet Island Regional Park

  • Address: 200 Dr Justus Ohage Blvd, St Paul, MN 55107, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (630)

Wabasha Street Caves

  • Address: 215 Wabasha St S, St Paul, MN 55107, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (628)

Indian Mounds Regional Park

  • Address: 10 Mounds Blvd, St Paul, MN 55106, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (519)

Minnesota Transportation Museum

  • Address: 193 Pennsylvania Ave E, St Paul, MN 55130, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (414)

Summit Overlook Park

  • Address: 418 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55102, United States
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (226)

Although St. Paul MN is a large state with many amazing places to visit, these 15 locations stand out as the best according to traveler ratings and reviews. Did your favorite spot make the cut? Let us know in the comments above!

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