Guide to Saint Paul: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. Highlights of St. Paul: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Saint Paul is the main and second largest city in Minnesota. Together with neighboring Minneapolis, they form a huge urban area of twin cities. Objectively, St. Paul is smaller and more modest than its neighbor – but perhaps that is why it is both nicer and more comfortable. The city is proud of its Irish heritage, its magnificent cathedral and the fact that the famous Scott Fitzgerald was born and began to work here.
The State Capitol, like many other American Capitols, was built according to classical Roman Catholic models – in particular, in the likeness of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. At the time of construction, its unsupported dome became the second largest in the world (after the same cathedral).
How to get to Saint Paul
The city is served by the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport (by the way, here in the Lindbergh terminal you can see one of the first transatlantic aircraft of this famous aviator). In addition, Saint Paul can be reached by Amtrak train from several American cities – for example, Chicago, Seattle or Portland. Many regular buses connect Saint Paul with Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A bit of history
Today’s St. Paul grew up on the site of what is now Lambert, where fur merchant and bootlegger Parrant Pig-eye opened in the 1840s. popular tavern. The following year, the region’s first Catholic pastor, Lucien Galtier, founded St. Paul’s Chapel here, which soon turned into a famous cathedral. And in less than 20 years, the city has already become the capital of the state. Then more than a thousand steamships were based in Saint Paul, which made the city a key point for the further development of Minnesota and Dakota. And the city, accordingly, received the name “The Last City of the East.”
Since ancient times, St. Paul and Minneapolis have been competing with each other. Unofficially, it is believed that Minneapolis is more modern and dynamic, and in St. Paul cultural traditions are better preserved.
Attractions and attractions in Saint Paul
The first thing any tourist in St. Paul needs to see is St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is one of the most distinctive and characteristic cathedrals in the United States: it is distinguished by a large dome covered with sheet copper and pointed turrets around. St. Paul’s Cathedral is the third largest (from completed) and the fourth tallest in the country, the height of its dome reaches 57 m. The building in its current form dates back to 1915, with external columns of granite and internal columns of marble, two dozen stained glass windows, a luxurious canopy and five bronze bells ordered from France at the end of the 20th century.
4 things to do in Saint Paul:
- Find a small picture of a four-leaf clover in the dressing room of the Capitol.
- Photograph bronze Shredder and Lucy in the city center – the characters of the famous author of “peanut” comics (and Snoopy) Charles Schulz, a native of Paul.
- Pick up a Fitzgerald Places map from the Tourist Center and set out on a tour of them. Or at least look at the house on Laurel Avenue where the writer was born.
- Visit the Hmongtown Market, the country’s largest enclave for Hmong immigrants. Try Vietnamese, Lao and Thai cuisine and buy, for example, a copper gong.
The State Capitol, like many other American Capitols, was built according to classical Roman Catholic models – in particular, in the likeness of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. At the time of construction, its unsupported dome became the second largest in the world (after the same cathedral). The capitol began to be erected in 1896 and completed in 1905 (it was already the third building, since the first burned down, and the second was recognized as too small almost immediately after construction). Today, above the southern entrance, you can see the sculptural quadriga “State’s Progress”, created in 1906, and in the interior – beautiful decoration from different types of stone, monuments and paintings in the rotunda.
Another beautiful city building is the Landmark Center, which is between the Market and Washington. It looks like a fairy-tale castle with pointed turrets and a high bell tower. Initially, the building was built as a post office and a federal court, and today it houses several art galleries.
You should definitely take a walk along Summit Avenue, famous for its historic mansions. This, for example, is the house of James Hill, which stands not far from the cathedral. The mansion was built in 1891 for a famous railroad magnate and today functions as a house-museum, plus an art gallery is open at it. Avenue Summit is closely associated with the name of Scott Fitzgerald, a native of St. Paul. Next to Summit Avenue is Grand Street with many shops and restaurants.
The Wabasha Street caves in the sandstone slope served as a hideout for gangsters and liquor dealers in the 1920s. Group tours of the caves last 45 minutes. On Thursdays, there are swing nights in the caves with big bands and lots of people on the dance floor.
The Minnesota Science Museum overlooks the river and has a permanent exhibition dedicated to it. In addition, the museum has a gallery of dinosaur fossils and an experimental gallery with an interactive display. The museum’s collection also contains several old quack medical devices from the collection of the disbanded Museum of Dubious Medical Devices.
The zoo and greenhouse of Como Park, as well as the adjacent amusement park, receive almost 2 million visitors annually. Entrance to the park is free, and its territory of 155 hectares has become a favorite place for citizens to relax. Here you can see two historic bridges built in 1904, several remarkable sculptures, a frog pond with a granite frog, a labyrinth in honor of the sister city of Nagasaki, a memorial waterfall, a monument to Henrik Ibsen, many walking paths and picnic areas.
And in the zoo itself, the main building of which was built in the Art Deco style in 1836, there are several zones: this is the zone of large cats, marine animals, primates, birds, the African zone and the zone of polar bears. Marjorie McNeely’s greenhouse, opened in 1915, is also divided into zones: there is a bonsai garden, a butterfly garden, a Japanese mountain garden with a pond, an orchid house, a palm garden, and a tropical exhibition.
The Schubert Club Museum is little known but houses an amazing collection of old keyboards. Some of them were played by Mozart and Beethoven themselves. In addition, here you can see old manuscripts and letters from famous composers. And on the second floor of the building there is a fairly large museum of decorative woodcarving.
Saint Paul Events
In January, the city hosts the St. Paul Winter Carnival, a tradition that dates back to 1886, when a New York reporter called the city “a second Siberia.” Every year, the carnival attracts about 350 thousand visitors: an ice palace is built here, ice sculptures are exhibited, treasure hunts and winter treats are organized on the streets. The main events take place in downtown and Como Park.
The Saint Paul Irish Fair played a big role in the development of the culture of the city, where there were so many immigrants. The fair takes place on Harriet Island in August and traditional music is played on several stages, drinking, eating, dancing, workshops and so on.
And the Minnesota State Fair runs from mid-August to Labor Day and is the second largest state fair in the US (after Texas). The fair is famous for its amazingly unhealthy fried street food. However, those who are interested in the latter should visit the Taste of Minnesota festival, timed to coincide with July 4, which goes on for several days on Harriet Island. Here, in addition to food, you can appreciate many more musical performances on different stages.
