Twin Cities' Best Free Attraction 2008

Miles of green space with a golf course, flower gardens and a free zoo.

Reviews:

• “Best FREE zoo exhibits, park, rides, and lake all in one place in the Mpls/St.Paul area!”
• “Very sad to walk through this zoo…..”
• “Best free attraction in the city.”
• “Como Park is awesome!”
• “Most depressing zoo EVER”

Tips: Stop drooling over those peanuts the monkeys are eating. There’s plenty of food for humans on-site—from salad and grilled foods at Zobata Cafe to concession areas throughout the park. Stop by the visitor’s center for a map and complete listing of dining options.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

An impressive collection of art, from antiquity to the present, is housed in this splendid, sprawling building.

Reviews:

• “sigh "
• “Hey, uradel!”
• “Disappointing”
• “One of the best museums”
• “go here on a rainy day”

Tips: The third Thursday of every month includes food, drink, music and special tours. With new exhibits opening weekly, it could easily become a monthly event for art-lovers.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Some of the most memorable works in the Walker Art Center’s collection sit on the grass of this free urban garden.

Reviews:

• “Dining of the Queens”
• “playful and romantic”
• “Impressive”
• “Kid’s Katch for 10 and under!”
• “Must “kind of” See…"

Tips: The glassy Cowles Conservatory, also free, closes earlier than the rest of the Garden (Tue-Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-5pm). It also stays open late during events at the Walker Arts Center.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

A 171-acre regional park best known for its massive and impressive falls.

Reviews:

• “Best in the West”
• “A real park”
• “Get Real”

Tips: If the weather turns bad, the nearby Riverview Theater is the place to see second-run movies.

Minnehaha Park and Falls

Bloomington’s shopping extravaganza draws locals ready to devote a day to it and tourists who come just for it.

Reviews:

• “Yarn Knit and "
• “It is big, I’ll give them that.”
• “Weekend of Endless Good Times”
• “Worth checking out, unless you hate malls…”
• “More than just a mall…”

Tips: Weekends after 6pm, visitors 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. One adult can escort up to 10 kids. Be prepared to show ID.

Mall of America

The “Minne Apple” boasts its own Central Park.

Tips: Every summer, the park is home to Summer Movies & Music, a free festival that showcases up-and-coming local bands and screens old movies.

Loring Park

A 2,700-acre oasis on Lake Independence, with a golf course, tons of trails and a neat playground for kids.

Reviews:

• “Baker Park Reserve is Best for Camping!!”

Tips: While the activities at Baker Park are vast, the area is a natural conservatory. The Park District mandates that only 20 percent of the land be used for active use, while 80 percent is preserved or restored to a natural state.

Baker Park Reserve

Prized by serious bird-watchers, beginning snowboarders and discriminating jungle gym aficionados.

Tips: Park users under 10 years of age will tell you Hyland’s monolithic playground complex is the real attraction.

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

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