Information for Travelers
St. Paul and Minneapolis together form the twin cities, but St. Paul is the state capital and has a very different character from Minneapolis.
St. Paul has a spacious layout, built on terraces above the Mississippi, with an atmosphere more of an old frontier town.
It began as a military outpost, established in 1807 at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, and later became Fort Snelling.
This port soon became an important stop for river boats, and the area quickly became an important center for fur traders and other trades.
The jewel in St. Paul's crown is St. Paul's Cathedral, which overlooks the city center, and Summit Avenue's impressive Golden Age mansions add to the city's architectural grandeur.
St. Paul is filled with historic attractions, including the opulent James J. Hill House; the reconstructed foundations of Fort Snelling; and the Gibbs Museum, a living history farm.
The area also offers plenty to do for families, including an excellent zoo with an amusement park nearby, a science museum and a children's museum.
Running east to west, Summit Avenue begins with the city's most prominent landmark, St. Paul's Cathedral, which is a scaled-down version of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and sits at the highest point in downtown.
The Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul was built in 1915 and is now home to a wide variety of animals in natural habitats, including big cats like lions and snow leopards, primates like gorillas and spider monkeys, and family favorites like sloths and zebras .
One of the most popular attractions for kids at Como Park Zoo is the Giraffe Feeding Station, where you can come face to face with these gentle herbivores.
Next to the zoo, you'll find the city of Como, a family-friendly amusement park with rides, zipline, children's activities and entertainment.
Culture
St. Paul is home to the Minnesota Science Museum, with its dinosaur specimens and surrounding theater.
The Minnesota History Center has hands-on exhibits on the region's history.
Nearby is the Cathedral of St. Paul in the fine arts.
The Minnesota State Capitol, designed by Cass Gilbert, features paintings of Civil War scenes.
Summit Avenue is home to the largest and longest collection of Victorian buildings in the United States, with 373 of its 440 original historic mansions still standing.
Built from the mid-19th century until the first decades of the 20th century, these were the homes of São Paulo's millionaires, who made their fortunes in the industry.
Read about St Paul in Wikipedia