St. Paul and Minneapolis are full of museums, theaters, music venues, historical landmarks, and other attractions.

Museums include the world-class Walker Art Center and the encyclopedic Minneapolis Institute of Art, both in Minneapolis. For kids, try the Children’s Museum or the Science Museum of Minnesota, both in downtown St. Paul. A couple more of our favorites that are slightly off the beaten path include the American Swedish Institute and the Bakken Museum, both located in historic Minneapolis mansions. If mansions are your thing, be sure to check out the James J. Hill House in St. Paul for Minnesota’s version of Downton Abbey vibes.

Theaters abound, and mean a lot to us as we’ve both been closely involved in theater in various ways over the years. Among our nationally recognized theaters are the landmark Guthrie Theater (a cool riverside spot to visit even if you’re not seeing a show), the pioneering Black theater known as Penumbra, and the intimate Jungle Theater. Companies to keep an eye on include Ten Thousand Things, which enlists top talent to create lights-up shows for audiences in venues including prisons and shelters; and of course Dangerous Productions, run by some of our best friends.

Did someone say music? Well, let’s start with the iconic First Avenue and 7th St Entry in downtown Minneapolis, made famous in Purple Rain. (If you’re a Prince fan, a trip to his private wonderland at Paisley Park is a must.) First Ave runs several of the Twin Cities’ best venues, including the Palace Theatre and the Turf Club (particularly convenient to our reception venue) in St. Paul. Check out The Current’s calendar for an updated list of recommended shows — and if you enjoy classical music, the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra are top-tier.

For a sense of history, you might start at Fort Snelling, which has Minnesota’s oldest permanent building. The vault-like Minnesota History Center isn’t as daunting as it looks, and the Mill City Museum provides a good primer on how Minneapolis earned its flour-y nickname.

We’ll keep updating this page with more suggestions. If you’re looking for an overall primer on the Twin Cities area, check out the new Wildsam Field Guide: Jay was one of the contributing writers.