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Attractions and Minnesota Tourism Info
Twin Cities Attractions When you have time away from the busy show schedule, you should venture out to one of the great destinations in the Twin Cities area. Ask one of the volunteers at the Meeting Registration Desk, Hospitality Suite or the Hotel Concierge about their favorite attractions. Here are a few ideas: Power shopping at the Mall of America (MOA) is 10 minutes away from the hotel via free shuttle. Folks from around the world fly in to enjoy the MOA, the largest entertainment and retail attraction in the USA. With 520 stores, 60 restaurants, 7 nightclubs, Camp Snoopy Theme Park and the Underwater World Aquarium, MOA attracts more visitors annually than Walt Disney World, the Grand Canyon and Graceland combined! From MOA, it’s a fast ride to Downtown Minneapolis via the new Hiawatha Light Rail line where you will find a metropolitan mix of arts, sports, shopping, and business. Classical music lovers can choose between two world-class orchestras. Yefim Bronfman performs Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra under the baton of Philippe Jordan. Meanwhile, across the river, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra presents Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the VocalEssence ensemble. Pop, rock, and jazz lovers should head for the Minneapolis warehouse district. Venues include First Ave, where the rock star Prince became a symbol, and The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant. If you love live theatre, Minneapolis has more theater seats per capita than any other city except New York. Sorry, the legendary Guthrie Theater will be dark that weekend and Garrison Keillor’s live radio show, Prairie Home Companion, has left St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater during April to perform in New York City. Fortunately, there are many other live professional theaters for you to consider. Two theaters near the hotel are the Chanhassen Dinner Theater performing Cole Porter’s Anything Goes and the Old Log Theater performing Jeanne and Sam Bobrick’s Weekend Comedy. Sports enthusiasts can choose between professional basketball and baseball. The Minnesota Timberwolves host the San Antonio Spurs on April 20 at the Target Center and the Minnesota Twins play the Kansas City Royals April 20 and 21 at the Metrodome. In addition to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park (see tours), another excellent destination for orchid and plant lovers of all types is the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The Arboretum features more than 1,000 acres of unique public gardens: spectacular annual and perennial display gardens, collections of plants developed for northern climates, natural and native areas, and demonstration gardens. Its gardens include many of Minnesota’s 43 native orchids. There are hiking trails through northern woodlands, native prairie, and natural marshes. In the spring, you can take a guided tram tour around a beautiful three-mile drive, or join a free, volunteer-guided, walking tour through the many display gardens. The Arboretum is open daily to the public.
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