Planning a winter trip to Minnesota? Overwhelmed with so many blog posts and attractive pictures? Don’t worry you are not alone. In my posts, I will always try to give you honest reviews and practical trip plans. Today come join me on the journey to the Winter Wonderland, Minneapolis, MN.

When to Visit?

Winter in Minnesota isn’t a season to avoid; it’s a reason to celebrate! From hurling frozen turkeys to sipping drinks at ice bars and hitting golf balls on icy lakes, their winter festivals are brimming with exciting activities! So, get cozy, gather your loved ones, and explore the myriad of ways to have fun at winter festivals throughout the state.

Haque’s EYE

To get the best winter experience, plan your trip from the second week of December to the second week of February. Check here to get the most updated festival info.

What are the Things to DO??

St. Paul Winter Carnival

Let me tell you about a cool (Cold!) adventure in February 2022. I went there with some of my friends. Back then I used to live in Sedalia, MO so it was quite drivable. We drove all night and first thing in the morning we went to the annual winter festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, named the “St. Paul Winter Carnival” -where they offer horse rides and feature medieval-themed clothing! It was fun.

Then we explored some ice sculptures made by skilled artists and professionals. They place these sculptures in different parts of the city and from any information center you can get interactive maps of these stunning and intricate curved pieces of ice!

Minnehaha Falls

After that, we headed to the famous Frozen Falls! Be well prepared for the co00llldd!

On the backdrop of this photo, you can see the magnificent 53-foot-tall Minnehaha Falls. During winter the whole waterfall gets frozen and turns into glaciers. This is one of the most beautiful frozen waterfalls in the US.I have a full trip plan for this waterfall, to learn more click here.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

The next stop was the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. In Minneapolis, there’s a big spoon with a cherry on top called Spoonbridge and Cherry. It’s part of a huge sculpture park. An artist named Claes Oldenburg made it in 1985. The cherry weighs 1,200 pounds and shoots water!

At the center of the park, there is an underground water tank, which keeps 4 million gallons of runoff water out of the storm sewers and reduces the pollution of the Mississippi River. It also helps to water the park!

Another cool sculpture nearby is a big blue bird called the Giant Blue Cock. It’s by an artist named Katharina Fritsch and has a funny meaning. Both sculptures make the park special.

Bob Dylan Mural

Next, we went to see the huge and colorful mural of Bob Dylan. It’s the biggest one the artist Eduardo Kobra has made in the U.S.

People love taking pictures of it for Instagram, making it super famous in Minnesota. Painted in 2015, this five-story masterpiece is a cool and vibrant tribute to Bob Dylan. If you’re in Minneapolis, it’s a must-see for art and music fans!

Detroit Lake Ice Palace

Detroit Lakes celebrated its 150th birthday with the return of the Legend of King Isbit. We planned our trip keeping that in mind. And so we ended up our trip here. It is so cold that we could bearly get our hands out for the pictures!

They harvested ice in January to build the biggest Ice Palace ever—32 feet tall, 95 feet wide, and 24 feet deep!

The icy wonderland had King Isbit’s throne for family photos, amazing ice sculptures, and a fun playground with lights and snow sculptures.

Everything kicked off with a grand lighting on February 11, 2022. The Ice Palace and activities were open to everyone until February 27, 2022.

It was a chilly celebration with memories that’ll stick around. Plan your trip to this winter Wonderland and have so much fun with your friends and family!

See you in some other part of the world, till then Happy Exploring with Haque’s EYE!