Saint Paul

Minnesota State Capitol

Saint Paul (or St. Paul) [1] is the capital city and the second-largest city of the US state of Minnesota. Along with the slightly larger Minneapolis it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the ehird largest metropolis in the Midwest.

Understand

Geography

Saint Paul is in the Upper Midwest along the Mississippi River, just east and downstream of its sister city Minneapolis.

Climate

Climate	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daily highs (°F)	24	30	42	59	72	80	85	82	73	61	43	28
Nightly lows (°F)	6	12	24	37	48	58	63	61	52	41	28	12
Precipitation (in)	0.9	0.9	1.9	2.6	3.6	4.7	3.9	3.8	3.2	2.5	1.7	1.1

Winters in Saint Paul can be very cold, summer is often warm to hot and frequently humid, snowfall is common in the winter and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall occur during the spring, summer and autumn. If you are not fond of the cold, May-October would be the best time to visit Saint Paul. Downtown Saint Paul has a skyway system to allow you to escape the elements in bad weather, although it isn't nearly as extensive as the one in downtown Minneapolis.

Visitor information

• Saint Paul Visitor Information Center, 75 W 5th St (inside the Landmark Center between Washington and Market), ☎ +1 651 292-3225. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM.

Get in

See the Twin Cities page for more information.

By plane

MSP Airport Terminals Terminal Airlines Terminal 1-Lindbergh Air Canada Jazz, Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways Terminal 2-Humphrey AirTran Airways, Icelandair, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines

• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (IATA: MSP) [2] is just outside the southeast corner of the city. It is a major hub for Delta Air Lines and also a hub for local discount carrier Sun Country Airlines. Metro Transit provides bus service between the airport (at Terminal 1) and downtown Saint Paul on Route 54, which runs along West 7th Street. The bus comes by every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, every 20 minutes on Sundays, and the trip time from the airport to downtown is roughly 20 minutes. If your flight arrives at Terminal 2, take the light rail one stop north to Terminal 1 and transfer to the bus. Taxi fare from the airport to downtown is around $31-38.

By train

• Amtrak, 730 Transfer Rd (Midway Station). Station hours: Daily 6AM-12:30AM. Ticketing hours: Daily 6:30AM-11:30PM. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops once daily in each direction from Chicago, Seattle, or Portland. Midway Station is located in an industrial area on the western edge of the city with nothing noteworthy within walking distance. Public transit access is provided by Route 16 buses along University Avenue, one block south of the station, which heads east to downtown Saint Paul (if you get on a westbound bus you'll end up in Minneapolis). Route 87 also stops there, which heads north to the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and south to Highland Park. In the long term, Amtrak has plans to move back to the renovated Union Depot downtown, which they haven't operated from since the 1970s.

By bus

Greyhound doesn't directly serve Saint Paul, but they serve downtown Minneapolis, from which reaching Saint Paul is fairly easy. Jefferson Lines provides some service to Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul, although their services from downtown Minneapolis are a bit more extensive.

• Jefferson Lines, 240 E Kellogg Blvd (Union Depot). Limited services from Duluth, Des Moines, Kansas City, Green Bay, and points in between. The bus station is at Union Depot in downtown.
• Megabus, N Pascal St and St Anthony Ave (at NW corner in the parking lot for Midway Shopping Center). Service from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison.

Get around

PLEASE NOTE: Construction related to the METRO Green Line light rail project has resulted in some lane closures along University Avenue plus full street closures and public bus reroutes in downtown Saint Paul. Bus passengers using routes traveling along University Avenue (routes 16 and 50) should expect serious delays. Up to date information on bus reroutes can be found on Metro Transit's Rail Construction page [3].

By car

Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 travel through Saint Paul. US 52 also is a freeway connecting Saint Paul to the southern suburbs.

By public transit

Bus service in Saint Paul is not quite as reliable as it is in Minneapolis, with a few exceptions. The 54 runs fairly often between downtown Saint Paul and the airport via West 7th Street. The 16 also runs regularly along University Avenue, connecting the downtowns of both cities. The 84 runs frequently along Snelling Avenue.

See

Cathedral of Saint Paul

Landmark Center

• Minnesota Children's Museum, 10 W 7th St (between Wabasha and St Peter), ☎ +1 651 225-6001. M 9AM-4PM (Memorial Day to Labor Day), Tu-Th 9AM-4PM, F-Sa 9AM-8PM, Su 9AM-5PM. At Minnesota Children's Museum, kids will have a blast discovering an exciting, immersive world that arouses their curiosity, increases their understanding, and ignites an appreciation for learning. Each of the Museum's seven galleries is uniquely designed to provide a hands-on, stimulating environment for children six months to 10 years old. Roving "funstigators" engage kids in fun and interactive smart play as they blow bubbles, toss balls, play with finger puppets, and provide a variety of stimulating play experiences for children of all ages. $8.95, children under 1 are free. Free for everyone on the third Su of the month.

• Minnesota Museum of American Art, 332 N Robert St (at 4th St, in the Pioneer Building), ☎ +1 651-797-4057. Th-F 4PM-9PM, Sa-Su noon-5PM. The address above is for the MMAA Project Space, a small gallery in Lowertown with rotating exhibits; the MMAA also hosts temporary exhibitions at other venues around the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. A more permanent location for the museum is in the works. The MMAA is committed to representing the great cultural, racial, socioeconomic and regional diversity of American art and artists – past, present, and emerging. Free.

• Summit Avenue. Noted for its historic mansions. This neighborhood is also remarkable in its connection to the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was born in Saint Paul.
  • James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave (near the Saint Paul Cathedral), ☎ +1 651 297-2555. The house is open W-Sa 10AM-3:30PM, Su 1PM-3:30PM. The art gallery is open W-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1PM-4PM. Tour the 1891 mansion of the famous railroad tycoon. $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children 6-17, free for children under 6 years. If you just want to visit the art gallery, admission is only $2.

• Grand Avenue. Runs parallel to Summit one block to the south. Noted for its multitudes of shops, although chain stores are increasing their presence at an alarming rate.

• Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, ☎ +1 651 296-2881, e-mail: statecapitol@mnhs.org. M-F 9AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-3PM, Su 1PM-4PM. Groups of ten or more need to reserve tours two weeks in advance. General tours are free.

• Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Dr, ☎ +1 651 487-8200. Oct-Mar 10AM-4PM daily, Apr-Sep 10AM-6PM daily. The zoo may occasionally close earlier. Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory are free, but the zoo asks that visitors consider making a voluntary donation of $2 for an adult and $1 for a child.

• Wabasha Street Caves, 215 S Wabasha St (south of Plato Blvd; Bus: 67), ☎ +1 651 224-1191. Cave tours start at Th 5PM, Sa-Su 11AM; they take 45 minutes. Special tours start at other times. Tour these sandstone caves, which had been home to gangsters and speakeasies in the 1920s. $6 adults and free for children 5 and under for the basic cave tour. Special tours cost extra.

• Landmark Center, 75 W 5th St (between Market and Washington, across from Rice Park), ☎ +1 651 292-3233. M-W 8AM-5PM, Th 8AM-8PM, F 8AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Originally built as a post office and a federal courthouse, this historical building now houses galleries and exhibits.

• Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W Kellogg Blvd (at Washington), ☎ +1 651 221-9444. M-Sa 9:30AM-9PM, Su 9:30AM-7PM. The Science Museum overlooks the Mississippi River and has a permanent exhibit devoted to the river. The museum also has a dinosaur fossils gallery and an experiment gallery with various hands-on activities. The collections gallery includes several quack medical devices from the now-defunct Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. $13 adults, $10 children 4-12 and seniors 60+. Access to omnitheater and special exibitions will cost extra.

• Minnesota History Center, 345 W Kellogg Blvd (at John Ireland), ☎ +1 651 296-6126.

• Jackson Street Roundhouse, 193 Pennsylvania Ave E (between Jackson and Interstate 35E), ☎ +1 651 228-0263. W 10AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. An old railroad roundhouse where historic locomotives and rolling stock come for restoration and maintenance. Also offers train rides.

• Cathedral of Saint Paul, 239 Selby Ave (at Summit/John Ireland; Bus: 21, 65), ☎ +1 651 228-1766. Su-F 7AM-7PM, Sa 7AM-9PM. Serves as co-cathedral for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis along with the Basilica of Saint Mary.

Do

Music and performing arts

• A Prairie Home Companion Radio Show, 10 E Exchange St (Fitzgerald Theater), ☎ +1 651 290-1200, fax: +1 651 290-1195, e-mail: fitzgerald@mpr.org. A dedicated piece of Americana A Prairie Home Companion is the brainchild of American humorist Garrison Keillor. The radio show calls the Fitzgerald Theater [4] home, but the show can often be found on the road too. Contact information is for the Fitzgerald Theater.

• The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra .

• Wabasha Street Caves, 215 S Wabasha St, ☎ +1 651 224-1191. Hosts a swing night every Thursday complete with big band and crowded dance floor. Every Thursday from 7PM-10PM, lessons begin at 6:15PM. $7 at the door, cash only.

Festivals

• Saint Paul Winter Carnival , ☎ +1 651 223-4700, e-mail: info@winter-carnival.com. Takes place in January. Events take place in Downtown and Como Park. Noted for the annual Ice Palace.
• Grand Old Day, Grand Avenue. Takes place along Grand Avenue on the first Sunday in June. Free parking is available at the University of St. Thomas north and south lots located on Summit and Cretin or Grand and Cretin. Free shuttle buses are available to event visitors.
• Irish Fair of Minnesota (Harriet Island, Cross over Wabasha Street bridge and you’ll see the park on your right), e-mail: info@irishfair.com. Takes place in August at Harriet Island, just south of Downtown.
• Minnesota State Fair , ☎ +1 651 288-4400. Takes place from mid-August through Labor Day and is one of the largest state fairs in the US. The main entrance to the State Fairgrounds is located at 1265 Snelling Avenue N, but you will first have to drive to one of the lots outside of the fairgrounds. As an alternative, you could take a bus. Metro Transit routes 3 and 84 stop near the fairgrounds, and they also operate shuttles during the fair that offer non-stop service to the fairgrounds from various park-and-ride lots located throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. $9 adults (13-64), $8 seniors (65 & over) and children (5-12), free for children under 5. Parking costs $9.
• Taste of Minnesota (Harriet Island). Takes place every year over the 4th of July (July 2-5, 2010) at Harriet Island, just south of Downtown. Features numerous stages for musical performances.

Sporting Events

• Minnesota Rollergirls, The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., ☎ +1 612 296-4743, e-mail: info@mnrollergirls.com. Season typically runs from September through April, but off-season bouts and events are common throughout the year. The Minnesota Rollergirls are a nationally ranked flat-track roller derby league and a member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Ticket prices range from $13-$18; ages 9 and under are free with an adult (some areas require a free kids ticket for seating purposes). Tickets available at 14 local ticket outlets, online, and from the Roy Wilkins Box Office.

• Minnesota Swarm, The team plays on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center, 175 Kellogg Blvd W. The Minnesota Swarm is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League.

• Minnesota Wild, Xcel Energy Center, 175 Kellogg Blvd W. The Minnesota Wild are Minnesota's National League hockey team.

• Red Bull Crashed Ice .

• Saint Paul Saints Baseball, Midway Stadium, 1771 Energy Park Dr. The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team and a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

Learn

Private

• College of Visual Arts, [5].
• Macalester College, [6].
• University of St. Thomas, [7].
• Hamline University, [8].
• St. Catherine University, [9].
• Concordia University, [10].
• McNally Smith College of Music, [11].

Public

• Metropolitan State University, [12]
• Saint Paul College, [13]
• University of Minnesota's St Paul campus, [14]

Buy

• Cheapo, 71 Snelling Ave N (between Ashland and Portland, one block north of Summit; Bus: 84), ☎ +1 651 644-8981. 10AM-10PM daily. Warehouse of used CDs and records.
• Common Good Books, 38 Snelling Ave S (at Grand; Bus: 63, 84), ☎ +1 651 225-8989. M-Sa 10AM-10PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Excellent book store owned by Garrison Keillor, the host of the NPR radio show A Prairie Home Companion.
• Eclipse Records, 381 N Wabasha St (between 5th and 6th Sts), ☎ +1 651 224-2500. M-Sa 11AM-7PM. Independent record store.
• First Grand Avenue Liquors, 918 Grand Ave (at Milton, one block west of Victoria; Bus: 63), ☎ +1 651 227-7039. M-Th 9AM-8PM, F-Sa 9AM-10PM. Small family-owned liquor store that has a walk in cooler, tons of great micro/indie brews, 80+ types of scotch, and an excellent wine selection. Good deals as well as hard-to-find liqueurs.
• Half Price Books, 2041 Ford Pkwy (at Cleveland; Bus: 23, 46, 70, 74, 84, 87), ☎ +1 651 699-1391. M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, and collectibles at half price or less.

Eat

• Babani's Kurdish Restaurant, 544 St Peter St (at 11th St), ☎ +1 651 602-9964, e-mail: contact@babanis.com. M-Th 11AM-2:30PM and 5PM-9PM, F 11AM-2:30PM and 5PM-9:30PM, Sa 5PM-9:30PM. The first Kurdish restaurant in the US.
• Black Sea Restaurant, 737 Snelling Ave N (between Minnehaha and Englewood; Bus: 67, 84), ☎ +1 651 917-8832. M-Th 11AM-9:30PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM. Cheap Turkish food. It's about one block south of nearby Hamline University. $6-$11.
• Cafe Latte, 850 Grand Ave (at Victoria; Bus: 63), ☎ +1 651 224-5687. 9AM-midnight daily. Cafeteria style restaurant with a great selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Don't leave without trying one of their decadent desserts, especially the turtle cake.
• El Burrito Mercado, 175 Cesar Chavez St (at State; Bus: 68), ☎ +1 651 227-2192. Cafeteria: 7AM-8PM daily. Restaurant: M 10AM-6:30PM, Tu-F 10AM-8PM, Sa-Su 8AM-8PM. Mexican supermarket, deli, restaurant, and cafeteria on the West Side.
• Fasika Restaurant, 510 Snelling Ave N (at Sherburne; Bus: 16, 21, 84), ☎ +1 651 646-4747. 11AM-midnight daily. This is an Ethiopian wonder. You can get spicy lentil or lamb dishes served without utensils on top of a very edible sponge bread. A sure destination for an adventurous, spice-friendly diner. $6-$11.
• Great Waters Brewery, 426 St Peter St (located in the Hamm Building), ☎ +1 651 224-BREW. Casual dining and hand-crafted beers in the heart of downtown.
• Green Mill Restaurant & Bar, 57 Hamline Ave S (at Grand; Bus: 63), ☎ +1 651 698-0353. M-Sa 11AM-1AM, Su 11AM-midnight. There are many locations in the Twin Cities as well as some throughout Minnesota and surrounding states, but it all started here. They tout themselves as "Minnesota's most awarded pizza". Order your deep-dish Il Primo with the Walleye Strips and a pitcher of fresh beer right when you sit down because the pizza takes 30+ minutes to cook. Family-friendly. $7-$17.
• Khyber Pass, 1571 Grand Ave (at Snelling; Bus: 63, 84), ☎ +1 651 690-0505. M-Th 11AM-2PM and 5PM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-2PM and 5PM-10PM. Afghani cuisine.
• Mai Village, 394 University Ave W (at Western; Bus: 16), ☎ +1 651 290-2585. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F 11AM-10PM, Sa 10AM-10PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Great ambiance (bridge over koi fish pond), good food, fair price, dim sum on the weekends, service can be slow sometimes.
• The Nook, 492 Hamline Ave S (at Randolph; Bus: 74), ☎ +1 651 698-4347. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM. One of the Twin Cities' favorite burger joints.
• On's Thai Kitchen, 1613 University Ave W (between Snelling and Fry; Bus: 16, 21, 84), ☎ +1 651 644-1444. M-Sa 9AM-9PM. $7-$15.
• Pizza Lucé, 1183 Selby Ave (between Griggs and Dunlap; Bus: 21), ☎ +1 651 288-0816. 11AM-1AM daily. The famed Minneapolis pizza mini-chain has now come to the capital city. This location boasts an authentic St. Paul neighborhood atmosphere with local color and a friendly staff.
• Red's Savoy Pizza, 421 7th St E (at Lafayette Rd/US Hwy 52; Bus: 61, 64, 74), ☎ +1 651 227-1437. The best pizza in Minnesota. There are other locations, but the original location just east of downtown is the best. If you go past dinner time on a Friday or Saturday night, expect to wait 30+ minutes to sit down at 1-2 hours for your pizza, and the parking lot will almost certainly be full. If however you come on a weekday or during the non-rush times, you can sit right down and have your pizza in 30 minutes or less. The pizza is a thicker "midwesterner" version of a thin crust, the sauce is spicy, and the cheese is plentiful. The three best pizzas are the plain ol' cheese, which is cheap, and delicious, the sausage adds more spice to the pizza, and the special comes loaded an inch thick with toppings. $10-20 per pizza.
• Saigon, 704 University Ave W (between Grotto and St Albans; Bus: 16, 65), ☎ +1 651 225-8751. Tu-Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-7PM. Best Vietnamese food in the Twin Cities, among the best pho and banh mi you'll find outside Vietnam. A favorite destination not just for locals but for Food Network hosts and more. Quick, cheap, and delicious. $5-10; $3 for banh mi (sandwiches).
• Tanpopo Noodle Shop, 308 Prince St (at Broadway), ☎ +1 651 209-6527. M-Th 5PM-9PM, F-Sa 5PM-10PM. Japanese noodle shop in Lowertown.
• W. A. Frost & Company, 374 Selby Ave (at Western; Bus: 21), ☎ +1 651 224-5715, fax: +1 651 224-2945, e-mail: wafrost@wafrost.com. M-Fri 11AM-1:30PM lunch, M-Sa 5PM-10PM dinner, Sat-Sun 10:30-2PM brunch. Historic restaurant blocks from the St. Paul Cathedral. Outstanding patio for summertime enjoyment. Award-winning wine list.

Drink

• Amsterdam Bar and Hall, 6 W 6th St (at Wabasha), ☎ +1 651 222-3990. Bar and music venue in downtown.
• The Artists' Quarter, 408 Saint Peter St (at 7th Place, inside the Hamm Building), ☎ +1 651 292-1359. A nice jazz place in downtown.
• Barrio, 235 E 6th St (at Wacouta, near the north side of Mears Park), ☎ +1 651 222-3250. Tequila bar that also offers Mexican bar food.
• Big V's, 1567 University Ave W (at Snelling; Bus: 16, 21, 84), ☎ +1 651 645-8472. Big V's is a dive bar in the Midway. Attracts many of the same local bands that play at the somewhat less-divey Turf Club (see below).
• Bin (address=) (at 6th St), ☎ +1 651 224-9463. Tu-Sa 3PM-2AM. A newly opened wine bar in Lowertown offering wine by the taste, glass, or bottle. They also offer wine flights and light appetizers.
• The Bulldog, 237 E 6th St (at Wacouta, near the north side of Mears Park), ☎ +1 651 221-0750. 11AM-2AM daily. The Bulldog offers over 100 kinds of beer and an assortment of food options, including vegetarian entrees. Also features shuffleboard, darts, and a shuttle to the Xcel Center on game nights.
• Turf Club, 1601 University Ave W (at Snelling; Bus: 16, 21, 84), ☎ +1 651 647-0486. 5PM-2AM daily. The Turf is one of the better venues in the Twin Cities to see local bands, and sometimes the occasional touring band. Cover charges on live music nights are usually between $5-10.

Sleep

Mid-range

• Embassy Suites St. Paul Downtown, 175 E 10th St (at Jackson), ☎ +1 651 224-5400. Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast in an open air atrium. Indoor pool, fitness center and whirlpool. Onsite American restaurant: Woolley's & Cork's Pub.

• Hilton Garden Inn St Paul City Center, 411 Minnesota St (at 6th), ☎ +1 651 291-8800. The Hilton Garden Inn St. Paul hotel offers 8,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

• Holiday Inn, 175 W 7th St (at Kellogg), ☎ +1 651 225-1515.

• Holiday Inn, 2201 Burns Ave (at McKnight, adjacent to Interstate 94), ☎ +1 651 731-2220.

• Holiday Inn Express, 1010 Bandana Blvd W (at Energy Park Dr, midway between Snelling and Lexington), ☎ +1 651 647-1637.

• Super 8 Saint Paul, 1739 Old Hudson Rd, ☎ +1 651 771-5566. Newly renovated 97 unit property. Complimentary breakfast, business center, fitness center, meeting room facility and whirlpool suites available. Restaurants located just minutes away from the property.

Splurge

• Crowne Plaza Hotel, 11 E Kellogg Blvd (between Wabasha and Cedar), ☎ +1 651 292-1900.

• Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market St (at 5th), ☎ +1 651 292-9292, toll-free: +1-800-292-9292.

• Hotel 340, 6 W 5th St #900.

Connect

Telephones

Saint Paul and the eastern suburbs of the Twin Cities are in the 651 area code. From 651, it is not necessary to dial a 1 before the area code when calling numbers in the 612 (Minneapolis, Richfield, St. Anthony, the airport, and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus), 763 (northwest suburbs), or 952 (southwest suburbs) area codes.

Internet

There are no Internet cafes in Saint Paul. Most coffeehouses offer free wi-fi to paying customers, but very few will have Internet terminals.

• St. Paul Public Library, 90 W 4th St, ☎ +1 651 266-7000. M noon-8PM, Tu-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM, Su 1PM-5PM. Unlimited free wi-fi if you have your own computer. Unfortunately, the Internet workstations can only be accessed by St. Paul library cardholders.

Go next

• Pine City is north, nice and close. Well worth the one-hour drive.

Routes through Saint Paul

Duluth ← White Bear Lake ←	N  S	→ Eagan → Des Moines
to Fargo ← Minneapolis ←	W  E	→ Afton → Madison
Fargo ← Arden Hills ←	W  E	→ Cottage Grove → Stevens Point
Minneapolis ← Follow west ←	NW  SE	→ Inver Grove Heights → Rochester
Forest Lake ← White Bear Lake ←	N  S	→ Cottage Grove → La Crosse