There’s an undeniable love for sports in Minneapolis. Kids wake up at the crack of dawn for hockey practice. It hosts marathons. It is home to some of the nation’s most beautiful and new collegiate and professional facilities. Its bicycle paths help to get around town. Its people adore the local sports teams. They pack the stadiums and obsess over box scores. And when they're not participating in games or races or watching their teams play, you can find them at one of the many parks or lakes, enjoying the outdoors and maybe throwing a football around. Even if it’s winter.

Target Field is the new home of the Minnesota Twins and it has become a source of some highly energetic days and nights downtown.

The Midtown Greenway is a 5.5 mile long former railroad corridor in south Minneapolis with bicycling and walking trails.

TCF Bank Stadium is the beautiful new home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, playing host to Big Ten action.

source: www.minneapolis.org

Step back in time see what life was like for people who lived in the Minnesota River Valley 150 years ago. It's history happening right before your eyes. Costumed interpreters and authentic buildings help recreate late 19th-century life in Minnesota.

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Located on the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul, the Science Museum of Minnesota has a 100-year history of unforgettable science fun and education. It is one of the Midwest's most popular museum attractions, known for its combination of cutting-edge technology and hands-on entertainment.

Visitors have the chance to enjoy breathtaking large-format films in a convertible-dome 9 story high Omnitheatre or wonder at one of the world's only complete mounted Triceratops and a world-class collection of fossils and artifacts. The museum also boasts Experiment Gallery where you can create and destroy a tornado, and examine an authentic Egyptian mummy.

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Refuge offers hiking, wildlife observation, some biking, and public programs throughout its 8 main Units stretching from Ft Snelling to Jordan. Education Centers in Bloomington and Carver offer exhibits, information and bookstores. Refuge habitats include prairies, wetlands, bottomland forests and other woodlands. Centers and limited trails are handicapped accessible. At the Visitor Center, people can enjoy exhibits, a multi-image slideshow, Gallery art, and an environmental bookstore; or hike trails and view the valley from the overlook. Access the Visitor Center from 34th Avenue, south of Highway 494. It is open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Closed on Monday. Free admission. Brochures, newsletter and information available. Other Refuge units attract birders, animal lovers, photographers, naturalists, school and tour groups of all ages. Activities include walking, hiking, jogging, cross-country skiing (no groomed trails), and wildlife observation. Habitats range from prairies to bottomland forests. Free Interpretive programs are offered some evenings and weekends. For Refuge information or publications call.

The perfect place for a big shopping tour! 40 million visitors are coming annually to the Mall of America. This is more than the combined populations of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa...and Canada. To give you an idea of the size of this mall: 7 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the Mall!

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Beneath the Mall you can find Underwater Adventures in the Sea Life Aquarium. Bursting with 1.2 million gallons of water, Underwater Adventures features over 3,000 living sea creatures in seven amazing displays.