The Twin Cities area is home to many different types of attractions that we’re sure you will find interesting to visit if you so desire. From museums, historical sites and outdoor attractions, there are many to choose from. Here are some of the most popular:
Explore Minnesota
Are you considering vacationing in Minnesota, ‘The Land of 10,000 Lakes’ before or after our convention? You can check out all that the great state of Minnesota has to offer at Explore Minnesota.
Bloomington Convention and Visitor Bureau
Looking for more information on activities to do that are close by our convention hotel? You can learn a lot more by visiting the Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism website.
Railroad related activities
The Minnesota Streetcar Museum Charter
Our convention planning committee has worked with the Minnesota Streetcar Museum to bring you an opportunity to enjoy a private, VIP streetcar experience at the Excelsior Streetcar Line that you will surely enjoy!
See more photos and details for our Minnesota Streetcar Museum Charter.
The Minnesota Transportation Museum – Jackson Street Roundhouse
Our convention planning committee has worked with the Minnesota Transportation Museum to bring you an opportunity to visit the museum and receive a discount on your admission. See one of the last operating roundhouses built by James J. Hill to serve the Great Northern Railway!
See more photos and details Minnesota Transportation Museum.
The Model Railway Institute & Museum
The Model Railway Institute focuses on advancing the state of the art of Model Railroading with advances in bench-work, battery operation and much more. The Museum is in S scale and will replicate New England in the first two weeks of October, 1927 in accuracy, appearance and operation when complete.
See more photos and details The Model Railway Institute & Museum.
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Our convention planning committee has worked with the Twin City Model Railroad Museum to bring you an opportunity to visit the museum and receive a discount on your admission. See this fabulous collection of layouts and exhibits that are designed for interaction with guests of all ages, from toddlers to the “more experienced.”
See more photos and details Twin City Model Railroad Museum.
The James J. Hill House
Discover the splendor of Minnesota’s Downtown Abbey, a 36,000 square-foot Gilded Age mansion located near downtown St. Paul. Learn more about what life was like for the Hill family at the The James J. Hill House.
Wayzata Depot Museum
Wayzata’s Great Northern Railway Depot has been a local landmark since 1906. As Wayzata’s third and final train station, it was considered the “handsomest” depot on the Great Northern line at the time of construction. Trains stopped at the Depot until 1971. It was donated to the City of Wayzata in 1972 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Non-railroad related activities
Shopping
There are all kinds of activities to do in Downtown Stillwater. Stillwater is often called ‘”The birthplace of Minnesota”.
Boat cruises
Al & Alma’s Genuine Lake Minnetonka Cruises
Animals and Plant life
Como Park Zoo & Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum & AppleHouse
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a 1200 acre facility located in Chaska, Minnesota an easy 13-mile drive from the DoubleTree hotel.
See more photos and details on for the U of M Landscape Arboretum & AppleHouse
Fairs
The Minnesota State Fair
“The Great Minnesota Get-Together” is deemed by many to be the premier state fair in the USA! Drawing over 2 million people over its 12-day run is an indication of how popular it is. From its wide variety of unique foods and iconic attractions, there is always something for all age-groups to enjoy! You can check out this year’s attractions at Minnesota State Fair.
Valleyfair
By our convention time, Valleyfair will only be open on the weekends. So if you are planning a vacation prior to or after our convention, check out all that Valleyfair has to offer at Valleyfair & Soak City Waterpark.
Major Minnesota Sports Teams
Below is a list of the Minnesota sport teams that are active right before, during or directly after our convention time.
Minnesota Vikings™
Do you like football? The Minnesota Vikings‘™ preseason and season schedules have not been set yet. We’ll keep an eye on things and let you know here if any of the Vikings home games will be close to our convention dates. Please stay tuned!
Minnesota Twins™
Do you like baseball? The Minnesota Twins schedule shows that they are home hosting the Detroit Tigers right before our convention. Take in a game the night before our convention officially begins. How will the Twinkies be doing by early September? Check it out here.
Minnesota Lynx™
Do you like basketball? Unfortunately, the Lynx’s 2026 Schedule shows that they are not scheduled to play in town during our convention’s time.
Minnesota United™
Do you like soccer? The Loon’s 2026 Schedule shows that they are in town the weekend before our convention. If you are vacationing in the area before our convention, you could take in a game if you like!
University of Minnesota Football
Do you like college football? The Golden Gophers 2026 Football Schedule shows the Gophers are playing Eastern Illinois on September 3rd (time to be announced), the opening night for our convention! We hope you are at our convention enjoying yourself, but if you must go…
Museums and Historic Sites
Gibbs Farm
Looking for a place to take the kids and learn more about the story of Jane Debow Gibbs and the pathways to Dakota and Pioneer Life in the 1880s at Gibbs Farm.
Historic Fort Snelling
Interested in the cultural, social, military and political history of this historic site near the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers? Check out the many activities available at Historic Fort Snelling.
Minnesota History Center
Interested in Minnesota history? You’ll be able to satisfy your curiosity at the Minnesota History Center.
Science Museum of Minnesota
Interested in science and Earth’s natural history? Check out the Science Museum of Minnesota and all of the exhibitions and activities it has to offer.
Sibley Historic Site
Interested in the first governor of Minnesota? Visit the Sibley Historic Site to learn more about Henry Hastings Sibley.
St. Paul Gangster Tour
Interested in learning more about St. Paul being a safe haven for some of the country’s most notorious outlaws back in the 1920s? Check out the St. Paul Gangster Tour – Wabasha Street Caves to learn more.
The Landing
Interested in how 19th-century Minnesotans established their lives on the frontier? Take a self-guided walking tour of The Landing and enjoy a peaceful stroll along the beautiful Minnesota River.