Saint Paul offers two distinct ways to experience a stay: expansive parkland and Gilded Age history. The Saint Paul Grand Round encircles the city and connects several parks and waterfront destinations; the James J. Hill House provides a cultural and historical counterpoint. Como Regional Park completes the picture as a 450-acre urban oasis.
Parkland on Two Scales
Como Regional Park is an expansive, 450-acre urban oasis in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It stands as a clearly defined park destination in its own right, alongside the Grand Round. The parkway, in turn, connects several places and waterfront destinations. For planning purposes, you can first decide whether to choose a single park as your destination or connect different points along a larger route.
The Saint Paul Grand Round is a 27-mile scenic parkway. It connects the Mississippi River, Lake Phalen, Como Lake, and more than a dozen parks, and encircles Saint Paul. A bike and pedestrian path, separated from vehicle traffic, runs along most of the route. If you include the route in your stay, this path is a practical consideration when planning to travel on foot or by bike.
A single large park and a parkway connecting numerous destinations offer two different options. This can help you decide whether to make a park visit the focus or take in several scenic spots along a longer route.
The Gilded Age at James J. Hill House
James J. Hill House is a 36,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion. It was once the largest private residence in the state of Minnesota. Its size and former significance offer a different focus from the parks and the Grand Round: here, the focus is a single historic residence.
Admission includes self-guided access to the first floor as well as a 60-minute guided tour of the entire house. The tour provides a specific block of time for your daily itinerary; self-guided access to the first floor is also included with admission. If you are planning the cultural part of your stay, you can take these two ways of visiting into account without treating them as equivalent to an extensive park route.
Getting Around by Bus
The Minnesota History Center is in the heart of Saint Paul. Metro Transit routes 16, 21, and 94 stop nearby, providing a specific starting point for planning a trip to this destination. If you plan to take one of these routes, check the current schedule before traveling. You can factor this option into your plans while considering routes to the other destinations separately.
Choose Hotels Based on Your Priorities
The tour of Hill House is listed as 60 minutes, while the Grand Round is a 27-mile route. These are different scales of visit. Compare the specific hotel addresses with the destinations you select, and check the routes to each. If you would like to include both parkland and culture, decide which visits matter most to you and how you would like to fit them into your stay.
Discover more destinations: Mounds View, Vadnais Heights, Roseville, Maplewood, White Bear Lake, and Shoreview.
For the broader travel overview: Ramsey.
