Ten minutes east of downtown St. Paul along the I-94, the suburb of Maplewood makes a convincing case for ditching the twin cities for a day. Settled around 1850 by European and French Canadian arrivals and incorporated as a city in 1957, it has somehow kept its wide-open spaces despite the growth around it — which is exactly what makes it a handy escape for travellers based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Nature is the main draw. Maplewood Nature Center keeps its trails open daily from dawn to dusk, with picnic spots and a nature play yard for kids (though dogs have to sit this one out). Keller Regional Park, the oldest park in the area, is big enough to be split into six sections and packs in a boat launch, fishing pier, archery range and four reservable picnic areas. Lookout Park, laid out in 1884, once had an observation tower that gave the park its name; the tower is long gone, but in fall and winter, once the trees are bare, you can still see nearby Lake Phelan from the higher ground. Dog owners get their own win at Battle Creek Dog Park.
The wildlife-watching isn't limited to the trails. Inside Maplewood Mall, the Sustainable Safari is a hands-on zoo where you can meet kangaroos, capybaras and continental giant rabbits — a quirky rainy-day option. Add Myth Live, a concert venue, plus indoor and outdoor golf that works whatever the Minnesota weather is doing, and the itinerary fills up fast.
Food is the other reason to come. The usual chains are here, but the real story is the range of independent restaurants covering Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian and German cooking alongside hearty Midwestern American fare. The Dog House Bar and Grill is a popular pick for live music with a side of American classics — it averages 4.4 stars on Google, with reviewers singling out the dirty bourbon burger.
Who is this for? Anyone staying in Minneapolis or St. Paul who wants a low-effort, high-reward day out. The Mall of America in Bloomington gets the crowds, but Maplewood offers a quieter mix of green space and global food with almost no travel time. Fly into Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), rent a car, and you're there in under ten minutes from central St. Paul. It's also a family-friendly play: the nature center's play yard, the mall zoo and the picnic areas at Keller all work well with kids in tow. If you have extra time, nearby Plymouth is another family-oriented suburb with its own parks and dining worth a look.
