Saint Paul Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Saint Paul, Minnesota - MN, USA)

The harsh winter weather greatly affects the sightseeing scene in Saint Paul, with many attractions extending their opening hours in the summer months, to take advantage of the influx of vacationing tourists. The lakeside beach at Phalen Park is a particularly notable draw card during the summer, with its recreational activities including swimming, kayaking and a volleyball court.

Sited within the Como Regional Park, Como Zoo is a surprisingly historic attraction and actually dates right back to the late 1890s. The park, zoological gardens and conservatory are all owned and managed by the city of Saint Paul itself, with all of the park's combined themed exhibits drawing roughly two million visitors on an annual basis.

Lying across the Mississippi River and within the neighborhood of Riverview, the Wabasha Street Caves is an unusual building more than worthy of a visit. It has been constructed by incorporating manmade sandstone caves, which were in fact once part of historic mid-19th century mines. For evening entertainment, pencil in a show at the Fitzgerald Theater, or perhaps an event of some kind at the Xcel Energy Center.

Como Zoo / Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Address: 1225 Estabrook Drive, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55103, USA
Tel: +1 651 487 8200
Amongst the main animal attractions at Como Zoo are cougars, leopards, lions and tigers (Large Cats), gorillas, monkeys, orangutans and tamarins (Primate House), and giraffes, kudus, ostriches and zebras (African Hoof Stock). There are also lots of birds (including flamingos, penguins, puffins and tanagers), and various aquariums, seals and sea lions (look out for the Sparky the Sea Lion Show), gray wolves and polar bears. Close by, the Japanese Gardens, paddleboats and amusement park are further good reasons to spend time at the park, along with the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, where a collection of bonsai trees, ferns, orchids, palms and butterflies await.
Open hours: daily, April to September - 10:00 to 18:00; October to March - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: donations suggested, discounted donations available for children

Wabasha Street Caves

Address: 215 South Wabasha Street South, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55107, USA
Tel: +1 651 224 1191
This rather unique entertainment venue became a popular nightspot in the 1920s, when it was named the Wabasha Street Speakeasy and was often visited by gangsters and infamous criminals, including the likes of gang leader Ma Barker (1873 to 1935) and bank robber John Herbert Dillinger (1903 to 1934). Historic cave tours are available and offer a fun insight into their past. Also of note, Gumpy Steve's Coffee Shop is based onsite, while buses stop here at the weekend as part of the St. Paul Gangster Tour, which lasts around two hours in total. And if you have brought your dancing shoes, Thursday night is Swing Night.
Open hours: cave tours, Thursday - 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00, October - ghost and graves tours available
Admission: charge, Walking Historic Cave Tour - children under five years old are free

Fitzgerald Theater

Address: 10 East Exchange Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55101, USA
Tel: +1 651 290 1200
The downtown Fitzgerald Theater is the city's most historical theater still in operation today and first opened its doors to the paying general public in the year 1910. With just over 1,050 seats and traditional period architecture, the attraction operated as a movie theater for many years, from the 1930s onwards. In 1980, the building was sold to Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and was fully renovated, being named after acclaimed local author Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald in the mid-1990s. More recently, the venue played a prominent role in the 2006 comedy movie Prairie Home Companion, starring Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Tommy Lee Jones and Woody Harrelson. Today, the theater continues to operate as a radio broadcast studio for MPR, and often hosts local debates and live music.
Open hours: box office, Tuesday to Friday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Xcel Energy Center

Address: 199 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55102, USA
Tel: +1 651 726 8240
Often referred to by locals as 'The X', the Xcel Energy Center is a modern multi-purpose arena, built between 1998 and 2000 on the site of the former St. Paul Civic Center and next to the RiverCenter, where large conventions are regularly held. The X can officially accommodate seated audiences of more than 18,000 people, on four floors, although the capacity varies depending upon the event. In the past, some of the biggest events have included professional lacrosse games, and high school hockey, volleyball and wrestling tournaments, as well as sizeable concerts performed by famous artists such as Madonna, Rihanna and Shania Twain.
Open hours: box office, Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Swimming Pools and Water Parks

Highland Park Aquatic Center
Address: 1840 Edgcumbe Road, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55116, USA
Tel: +1 651 695 3773
Great River Water Park
Address: 270 North Lexington Parkway, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55116, USA
Tel: +1 651 642 0650
Como Regional Park Pool
Address: 1151 Como Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota (MN), 55116, USA
Tel: +1 651 489 0378
On a hot summer's day in St. Paul, there are certainly a number of ways to cool down. Close to the Crosby Lake Regional Park, the Highland Park Aquatic Center stands on the southwestern side of the city, where it opens throughout the summer months.

The open-air Como Regional Park Pool complex lies close to the expansive Lake Como and opened as recently as 2012, comprising an activity 'Splash Pool' with slides, a long lazy river, a small diving well and even an aquatic climbing wall.

Housed inside, the Great River Water Park is more of an all-weather family attraction and remains open all through the year, being a big hit with younger children.
Open hours: outdoor pools, early June to early September, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday - 010:30 to 19:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for seniors and children