The University of MinnesotaâÄôs campuses are filled with activities and events to check out, but many students fail to explore the Twin Cities as they get to know campus.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are filled with places to go. Just this year, Minneapolis was ranked as the best city for bicycling, the most gay-friendly city, the healthiest city and the most hipster city, making the UniversityâÄôs home a welcoming and interesting place to live.
The easiest places to go are around Dinkytown and Stadium Village. Surrounding the East Bank of the University, both neighborhoods have many unique, independent restaurants and plenty of places to hang out with friends, study and relax.
The West Bank also has a lot to offer, including the Mill City Museum, which was once a large flour mill and now an interesting place to sight see. Neighboring the old flour mill is the Stone Arch Bridge, which connects the East and West banks over the Mississippi and makes for a great place to explore.
Minneapolis is also home to several museums and gardens, including the Walker Art Center, the Sculpture Garden, the rose garden at Lake Harriet and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. St. Paul has the James J. Hill House, a historic mansion where the builder of the Great Northern Railway once lived, which now offers public tours. The Minnesota History Museum, the Science Museum and Fort Snelling are also places worthy of exploring in St. Paul.
One of this universityâÄôs great advantages is that students have easy access to two wonderful cities. As students settle in their new homes and in the dorms, they should take some time to get off campus and explore âÄî itâÄôs as easy as hopping on a bus with friends.