We booked our hotel in downtown Saint Paul for one reason: the Minnesota Yacht Club Music Festival at Harriet Island. However, once Dennis and I actually started walking the neighborhood, I realized something. There’s a real list of things to do in downtown Saint Paul that has nothing to do with a concert ticket. Some of it we’d already done on past trips. Some of it was brand new to us. And one stop earned a hard pass, which I’ll get to further down.
This isn’t a “top attractions” list pulled from a tourism brochure. Instead, it’s what we actually did in downtown Saint Paul and what I’d tell a friend to skip entirely. It’s also one drink recipe I’m still thinking about weeks later.
Where to Stay in Downtown Saint Paul: Residence Inn by Marriott
We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott, mostly for the Bonvoy points. Still, it turned out to be a smart call for reasons that had nothing to do with the rewards program. It’s walking distance to most of downtown Saint Paul, including Harriet Island, so we weren’t fighting festival traffic or hunting for parking twice a day.
The suite-style layout with a small kitchen is also just easier on a 50-something body after a long day on your feet. For example, you can make your own coffee in the room instead of waiting in a hotel lobby line. If you’re planning a trip to downtown Saint Paul around an event, staying somewhere walkable matters more. It beats an extra star rating on a fancier hotel across the river.
The James J. Hill House: Downtown Saint Paul’s Best Guided Tour
If you only do one “official” tourist thing in downtown Saint Paul, make it the James J. Hill House. It’s a Gilded Age red sandstone mansion on Summit Avenue, built for railroad magnate James J. Hill. The guided tour, run by the Minnesota Historical Society, is genuinely worth your time.
Our guide knew the house cold. For instance, He could tell you who lived in which room and what the family actually used each space for day to day. He also pointed out small architectural details we would have walked right past on our own. Carved woodwork, the way certain rooms were positioned for light, little clues about how the house actually functioned.
We simply walked in and got on a same-day guided tour without any trouble, so don’t stress about booking weeks ahead for this one. I’ve done my share of house-museum tours that felt like a slow shuffle through roped-off rooms with a laminated placard. This wasn’t that. Go with the guide, not the self-directed option, if you have the choice. It’s the difference between looking at a house and actually understanding one.
Downtown Saint Paul’s Cathedral: Go for the Organ
We happened to be at the Cathedral of Saint Paul during a wedding. As a result, we got to hear the massive pipe organ actually played, instead of standing in a quiet, empty sanctuary reading a placard. I love the sound of a good pipe organ. This one filled the whole building in a way that’s hard to describe until you’ve heard it yourself.
Even if you can’t time a visit around a service or a wedding, the architecture alone is worth the stop. The scale of the place is impressive from the sidewalk, and it only gets more impressive once you’re inside. Still, if you can catch it with music happening, do that instead of a silent walkthrough — it changes the whole experience.
One more thing worth knowing: the Cathedral is in the middle of a major capital campaign. It’s part of the Archdiocese’s broader effort to fund upgrades to HVAC and security systems and relieve existing debt. It’s a good reminder that a building this old takes real ongoing investment to stay open to visitors like us.
A Crash Course in Downtown Saint Paul History: MNHS Museum and the State Capitol
On an earlier trip to downtown Saint Paul, we spent an afternoon at the Minnesota Historical Society Museum and the Minnesota State Capitol. Both are worth building into a downtown itinerary if you haven’t done them yet. The Capitol in particular is one of those buildings Minnesotans drive past for years without ever going inside.
That’s a shame, honestly, because the building itself is the attraction. The architecture, the artwork, the sheer scale of the rotunda — it’s easy to forget it’s a functioning government building and not a museum piece. Plan on a half day between the Capitol and the Historical Society Museum. That’s how long it actually takes to read the exhibits instead of speed-walking through them.
Grand Casino Arena: Downtown Saint Paul’s Hockey Heart
We didn’t make it inside Grand Casino Arena on this trip, but it deserves a mention anyway. This is home ice for the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Frost, and every March it hosts the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, which might be the most Minnesota sentence I’ve ever written. We’re famous for hockey, and this downtown Saint Paul arena is a big reason why.
If you’re downtown during hockey season, it’s worth checking the schedule even if you’re not otherwise a hockey person. There’s something about watching high school kids play for a state title in an NHL arena that gets you, whether you grew up here or not.
The Science Museum of Minnesota, a Downtown Saint Paul Family Favorite
The Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown Saint Paul is one I have a soft spot for beyond the exhibits themselves. I chaperoned my daughter Erica’s fifth-grade field trip there years ago. That trip included an overnight stay inside the museum — sleeping bags on the floor next to the dinosaur exhibits, if you can picture that.
That’s the kind of place it is: hands-on and genuinely built for curious kids. But it’s interesting enough that Dennis and I have gone back as adults, no eleven-year-old required. If you’re downtown with grandkids, this is your stop, full stop. And if you’re downtown without them, don’t skip it just because you assume it’s only for kids. It isn’t.
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory: Worth the Short Drive From Downtown Saint Paul
I’ll be honest about this one. The Como Zoo & Conservatory isn’t actually in downtown Saint Paul. It’s a few miles away in the Como neighborhood, so don’t plan to walk there from Harriet Island or your downtown hotel.
Even so, it was part of that same fifth-grade field trip years ago, and it’s stuck with me ever since. A glass conservatory full of tropical plants in the middle of a Minnesota winter feels a little like a magic trick. If you’ve got a car and an extra hour, it’s a worthwhile short drive to add onto a day in downtown Saint Paul. Just don’t expect to fold it into a walking itinerary. It isn’t one.
Right next door is Como Zoo, and here’s the best part: admission is free. It’s donation-based, so you can give what you want at the door. That makes it an easy add-on even if you’re already stretching your travel budget downtown. I’m a little biased here because I recently sponsored their Special Sloth Package through Como Friends. I love sloths, no explanation needed. The zoo’s Tropical Encounters building is where you’ll find one hanging around, along with stingrays, turtles, and free-flying birds. Sponsorship money goes toward the actual care and enrichment of the animals. So it felt like a good way to support a place that’s given our family a lot of free memories over the years.
Wabasha Street Caves: Downtown Saint Paul’s Book-Ahead Lesson
We actually tried to do this one. The Wabasha Street Caves are old sandstone mining caves in downtown Saint Paul, with a history tied to Prohibition-era speakeasies and gangster history. They also run tours, including a Ghost Tour I’ve had my eye on. We just couldn’t get in — their tours book up fast, and we didn’t plan far enough ahead to snag a spot for our trip.
I’m including it here anyway because it’s a legitimate answer to “what else is there to do in downtown Saint Paul.” Besides, our own miss is a genuinely useful lesson. Book this one before you arrive, not after. Consider it the one item on this list that comes with an asterisk. It’s a solid recommendation from research and reputation, but also a real heads-up from our own planning mistake.
Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Saint Paul (One Yes, One Hard No)
We ended up at two places directly across the street from each other that weekend, and they could not have been more different experiences.
Saturday afternoon, before the concert, we stopped into Wild Bill’s Sports Saloon for a beer and a bite. That’s actually where I overheard two guys from Minneapolis. They were complaining that they couldn’t find anywhere that still made a proper Grape Ape. I’m a transplant from Northern Minnesota, and even I knew Zamboni’s on 7th, right across the street, had them. So I pointed them over. There’s something satisfying about a Northern Minnesota girl knowing the local secret that a couple of Minneapolis guys didn’t.
As for Wild Bill’s itself, it gets a hard no from me. We ordered the Minnesota Dry Rub wings, which were small but had decent flavor, until I found a long hair in one of them. On top of that, the bartender seemed out of it and could barely string a sentence together when we tried to order. I don’t say this lightly, since I try to give places the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t recommend it.
Zamboni’s, where we went after the concert Saturday night, was the better experience by a wide margin. The pizza was genuinely great, and it’s the place locally known for making Grape Apes — the drink from the story above.
How to Make a Grape Ape, Downtown Saint Paul’s Local Drink
If you can’t make it to Zamboni’s, or you just want to recreate the drink at your next backyard hangout or Minnesota Vikings party, here’s a classic bar-style Grape Ape recipe. I haven’t confirmed this is exactly Zamboni’s own version, since bar recipes tend to vary from place to place. Still, it’s the real deal for the style of drink.
- 1.5 oz grape vodka (like UV Grape), or regular vodka with a splash of grape schnapps
- A splash of Blue Curaçao
- A splash of cranberry juice
- Top with lemon-lime soda
- Serve over ice in a highball glass, garnished with a lemon wheel
It comes out a deep purple and tastes like fruit punch with a kick. It’s exactly the kind of drink that photographs well for a girls’ night in. Make a pitcher if you’re hosting — it disappears fast.
A Few Practical Tips Before Your Downtown Saint Paul Trip
Downtown Saint Paul is walkable, but wear real shoes anyway. We covered a lot of ground between the hotel, the Hill House, the Cathedral, and Harriet Island. Comfortable footwear mattered more than anything else we packed.
The Hill House was an easy walk-in for us, same-day tour and all, so don’t overthink that one. Wabasha Street Caves is the opposite story — book those tours before you arrive, because they fill up fast, and we learned that the hard way. Also, if you’re combining your downtown visit with Como Park, budget the extra drive time. It’s close, but it isn’t walking-distance close, no matter what a map might suggest at a glance.
Bottom Line: Downtown Saint Paul Is Worth the Weekend
Downtown Saint Paul earns more than a drive-through-on-your-way-to-the-festival visit. There’s the Hill House tour, the Cathedral organ, and a genuine crash course in Minnesota history at the Capitol and the museums. That’s a full day or two of things to do in downtown Saint Paul before a single concert even starts. Downtown Saint Paul’s food scene is actually pretty robust — we only scratched the surface with two spots this trip, so take our picks as a starting point, not the final word.
Skip Wild Bill’s. Make time for the Hill House. And if you find yourself at Zamboni’s, order the Grape Ape and tell them a Northern Minnesota girl sent you.
Looking to turn a downtown Saint Paul weekend into a longer Minnesota getaway? Afton State Park is a genuinely gorgeous day-hike option not far outside the Twin Cities. It’s worth reading about if you want to pair city time with trail time on the same trip.
What’s downtown Saint Paul’s best-kept secret in your book? I want to hear it, especially if it’s better than a Grape Ape.
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