Saint Paul

Geography

Saint Paul is in the Upper Midwest along the Mississippi River, just east and downstream of its sister city Minneapolis. Its location near the head of navigation on the Mississippi River led to its historical development as a transportation hub for freight from the west and to the east and south. The geologically recent Mississippi River is a prominent feature of the landscape, traversing the city from the upscale riverside homes in Highland Park to the undevelopable floodlands near the junction with the Minnesota River, through the historic downtown riverboat landings and railroad infrastructure, the Mississippi River is the defining feature of Saint Paul.

Climate

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

  phone: +1 651 292-3225
  address: 75 W 5th St

By plane

• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is just outside the southwest 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 (free fare between terminals) one stop north to Terminal 1 and transfer to the bus. Taxi fare from the airport to downtown is around $31-38.

By train or bus

is the hub for inter-city train and bus services in Saint Paul.

• Amtrak

  address: 240 E Kellogg Blvd
  Amtrak's Empire Builder stops once daily in each direction from Chicago, Seattle, or Portland.

• Greyhound

  address: 240 E Kellogg Blvd
  Limited services from Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and some points in between.

• Jefferson Lines

  address: 240 E Kellogg Blvd
  Limited services from Duluth, Des Moines, Kansas City, Green Bay, and points in between.

• Megabus

  address: 240 E Kellogg Blvd
  Service from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison.

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

Metro Transit

Operator of the public transit system in the Twin Cities.

• METRO Light Rail. The Green Line runs from downtown Saint Paul to downtown Minneapolis. The line starts at Union Depot and runs down 4th Street and Cedar Street, goes past the State Capitol, and then runs west down University Avenue through the Frogtown and Midway areas before reaching the city of Minneapolis. Trains run every 10 minutes during much of the day, with service being reduced to every 15 minutes later in the evening, and then just hourly during the overnight hours.
• Bus. Bus service in Saint Paul has improved in recent times, even if it doesn't quite match up to services in Minneapolis. The 54 runs fairly often between downtown Saint Paul and the airport via West 7th Street. The A Line runs frequently along Snelling Avenue and Ford Parkway. The A Line is also different from the other bus lines in town in that fares are paid before boarding the bus; each stop has a ticket machine (cash and credit cards accepted, no change given) and a Go-To card validator.

Pass options

Unlimited ride passes are available in 1-day, 7-day, and 31-day formats. Stored value passes (pay-per-ride) are also available. Day passes are $6 and can be purchased online, at a Metro Transit Store, from a bus driver, or a ticket machine at any light rail station or A Line bus stop. 7-day ($24) and 31-day ($65-120) passes must be loaded on a Go-To card, which can be purchased online, at a Metro Transit Store, or participating Metro Transit sales outlets. Stored value passes can be loaded on a Go-To card in increments of $10 (up to $400). Once in possession of a Go-To card, reloading it with new unlimited ride passes or stored value is easy and can be done online, at Metro Transit stores and outlets, or at light rail ticket machines.

• Minnesota Children's Museum

  phone: +1 651 225-6001
  address: 10 W 7th St
  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.

• Minnesota Museum of American Art

  phone: +1 651 797-4057
  address: 332 N Robert St
  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.

• Summit AvenueNoted 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

  phone: +1 651 297-2555
  address: 240 Summit Ave
  Tour the 1891 mansion of the famous railroad tycoon.

• Grand AvenueRuns 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

  phone: +1 651 296-2881
  address: 75 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
  The headquarters of the Minnesota state government, completed in 1905 (construction started in 1896). This is the third building to serve as the state capitol—the first two are no longer standing—and it features the second-largest unsupported marble dome in the world, only bested by the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, which the Minnesota Capitol dome was partially modeled on.

• Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

  phone: +1 651 487-8200
  address: 1225 Estabrook Dr

• Wabasha Street Caves

  phone: +1 651 224-1191
  address: 215 S Wabasha St
  Tour these sandstone caves, which had been home to gangsters and speakeasies in the 1920s.

• Landmark Center

  phone: +1 651 292-3233
  address: 75 W 5th St
  Built as a post office and a federal courthouse, this historical building now houses galleries and exhibits.

• Science Museum of Minnesota

  phone: +1 651 221-9444
  address: 120 W Kellogg Blvd
  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.

• Minnesota History Center

  phone: +1 651 259-3000
  address: 345 W Kellogg Blvd
  The state of Minnesota's main history museum, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. Permanent and rotating exhibits on view.

• Jackson Street Roundhouse

  phone: +1 651 228-0263
  address: 193 Pennsylvania Ave E
  An old railroad roundhouse where historic locomotives and rolling stock come for restoration and maintenance. Also offers train rides.

• Cathedral of Saint Paul

  phone: +1 651 228-1766
  address: 239 Selby Ave
  Serves as co-cathedral for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis along with the Basilica of Saint Mary.

• Bell Museum

  phone: +1 612 626-9660
  address: 2088 Larpenteur Ave W
  Natural history museum with a collection of animal and plant specimens from around the world. Also hosts Minnesota's only planetarium.

Music and performing arts

• The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

• Wabasha Street Caves

  phone: +1 651 224-1191
  address: 215 S Wabasha St
  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

  phone: +1 651 223-4700
  Takes place in January. Events take place in Downtown and Como Park. Noted for the annual Ice Palace.

• Grand Old Day

  address: 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 MinnesotaTakes place in August at Harriet Island, just south of Downtown.

• Minnesota State Fair

  phone: +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. They also operate shuttles during the fair that offer non-stop service to the fairgrounds from various park-and-ride lots throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Sporting events

• Minnesota Rollergirls

  phone: +1 612 296-4743
  address: The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd.
  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).

• Minnesota Swarm

  address: 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

  address: Xcel Energy Center, 175 Kellogg Blvd W
  The Minnesota Wild are Minnesota's National Hockey League team.

• Saint Paul Saints Baseball

  address: CHS Field, 360 N Broadway St
  The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team and a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

• Minnesota United FC

  address: Allianz Field, 400 Snelling Ave N
  Minnesota United FC is Minnesota'a Major League Soccer team, and are members of the Western Conference. They play at the new Allianz Field in the Midway area of St. Paul.

Cinema

• Grandview Theater

  phone: +1 651 698-3344
  address: 1830 Grand Ave
  Two-screen cinema.

• Highland Theater

  phone: +1 651 698-3085
  address: 760 Cleveland Ave S
  Two-screen cinema.

Private

• Macalester College.
• University of St. Thomas.
• Hamline University.
• St. Catherine University.
• Concordia University.
• McNally Smith College of Music.

Public

• Metropolitan State University.
• Saint Paul College.
• University of Minnesota's St Paul campus.

• Cheapo

  phone: +1 651 644-8981
  address: 71 Snelling Ave N
  Warehouse of used CDs and records.

• Common Good Books

  phone: +1 651 225-8989
  address: 38 Snelling Ave S
  Excellent book store owned by Garrison Keillor, the former host of the NPR radio show A Prairie Home Companion.

• Eclipse Records

  phone: +1 651 224-2500
  address: 381 N Wabasha St
  Independent record store.

• First Grand Avenue Liquors

  phone: +1 651 227-7039
  address: 918 Grand Ave
  Small family-owned liquor store that has a walk in cooler, tons of great micro/indie brews, over 80 types of scotch, and an excellent wine selection. Good deals as well as hard-to-find liqueurs.

• Half Price Books

  phone: +1 651 699-1391
  address: 2041 Ford Pkwy
  Books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, and collectibles at half price or less.

• St. Paul Farmers' Market

  phone: +1 651 227-8101
  address: 290 E 5th St
  This farmers' market occupies one city block in Lowertown, and all the produce for sale here is grown within 50 miles of the Twin Cities.

• Babani's Kurdish Restaurant

  phone: +1 651 602-9964
  address: 32 E Fillmore Ave
  The first Kurdish restaurant in the US.

• Black Sea Restaurant

  phone: +1 651 917-8832
  address: 737 Snelling Ave N
  Cheap Turkish food. It's about one block south of nearby Hamline University.

• Cafe Latte

  phone: +1 651 224-5687
  address: 850 Grand Ave
  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

  phone: +1 651 227-2192
  address: 175 Cesar Chavez St
  Mexican supermarket, deli, restaurant, and cafeteria on the West Side.

• Fasika Restaurant

  phone: +1 651 646-4747
  address: 510 Snelling Ave N
  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.

• Great Waters Brewery

  phone: +1 651 224-2739
  address: 426 St Peter St
  Casual dining and hand-crafted beers in the heart of downtown.

• Green Mill

  phone: +1 651 698-0353
  address: 57 Hamline Ave S
  There are many locations of this pizzeria chain in the Twin Cities as well as some throughout Minnesota and surrounding states, but it all started here. 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 more than 30 minutes to cook. Family-friendly.

• Khyber Pass

  phone: +1 651 690-0505
  address: 1571 Grand Ave
  Afghani cuisine.

• The Nook

  phone: +1 651 698-4347
  address: 492 Hamline Ave S
  One of the Twin Cities' favorite burger joints.

• On's Thai Kitchen

  phone: +1 651 644-1444
  address: 1613 University Ave W
  Cited by many as their favorite Thai restaurant in the state.

• Pizza Lucé

  phone: +1 651 288-0816
  address: 1183 Selby Ave
  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.

• Saigon

  phone: +1 651 225-8751
  address: 704 University Ave W
  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.

• W. A. Frost & Company

  phone: +1 651 224-5715
  address: 374 Selby Ave
  Historic restaurant blocks from the St. Paul Cathedral. Outstanding patio for summertime enjoyment. Award-winning wine list.

• Amsterdam Bar and Hall

  phone: +1 651 222-3990
  address: 6 W 6th St
  Bar and music venue in downtown.

• Barrio

  phone: +1 651 222-3250
  address: 235 E 6th St
  Tequila bar that also offers Mexican bar food.

• Big V's

  phone: +1 651 645-8472
  address: 1567 University Ave W
  Big V's is a dive bar in the Midway with occasional live music.

• Bin

  phone: +1 651 224-9463
  address: 400 Sibley St
  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

  phone: +1 651 221-0750
  address: 237 E 6th St
  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.

• Summit Brewing Tap Room

  phone: +1 651 265-7800
  address: 910 Montreal Circle
  Taproom attached to Summit Brewing, serving a rotating schedule of beers from the brewery; there are often food carts outside. The brewery also runs tours during the day, with sampling after the tour (for visitors over 21).

• Turf Club

  phone: +1 651 647-0486
  address: 1601 University Ave W
  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.

• Urban Growler

  phone: +1 651 340-5793
  address: 2325 Endicott St
  Woman-owned microbrewery and taproom. Also sells growlers.

Budget

• Motel 6

  phone: +1 651 771-5566
  address: 1739 Old Hudson Rd
  Free wireless internet, fitness center, and coin-operated laundry.

Mid-range

• Best Western Bandana Square

  phone: +1 651 647-1637
  address: 1010 Bandana Blvd W

• DoubleTree by Hilton

  phone: +1 651 291-8800
  address: 411 Minnesota St
  The DoubleTree hotel offers 8,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

• Embassy Suites St. Paul Downtown

  phone: +1 651 224-5400
  address: 175 E 10th St
  Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast in an open air atrium. Indoor pool, fitness center and whirlpool. Onsite American restaurant: Woolley's & Cork's Pub.

• Holiday Inn Downtown

  phone: +1 651 225-1515
  address: 175 W 7th St

• DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul East

  phone: +1 651 731-2220
  address: 2201 Burns Ave

• Hyatt Place St. Paul/Downtown

  phone: +1 651 647-5000
  address: 180 E Kellogg Blvd
  149 spacious guestrooms in Lowertown. The hotel has been transformed from the restored Custom House, built 1933 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Splurge

• InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront

  phone: +1 651 292-1900
  address: 11 E Kellogg Blvd

• Saint Paul Hotel

  phone: +1 651 292-9292
  address: 350 Market St

• Hotel 340

  phone: +1 651 280-4120
  address: 340 Cedar St

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

  phone: +1 651 266-7000
  address: 90 W 4th St
  Unlimited free wi-fi if you have your own computer. The Internet workstations are free to access for two hours.

Publications

• Pioneer Press. Saint Paul's daily newspaper. $0.50 daily, $1 Sunday.
• Star Tribune. Daily newspaper based across the river in Minneapolis, but still available in Saint Paul and around the Twin Cities. $1 daily, $2 Sunday.
• City Pages. Free alternative weekly (owned by the Star Tribune since 2015) that comes out every Wednesday with theatre and music listings, and an annual "best of" issue well worth checking out.
• Lavender. Free biweekly LGBT magazine.