Downtown Dogs

Join the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and return to the 16th century. With 16 stages of live performances, thrilling jousting matches, and over 100 artisan booths, there's never a dull moment. The festival features seven themed weekends, so keep your calendar open and dress up in your favorite Renaissance gear for the whole experience. King Henry and his royal court invite you to their authentic 16th-century European village, where you can enjoy various stages of exciting entertainment. Over 250 artisans will display and sell handcrafted wares, making it a truly unique shopping experience. You'll also interact with memorable characters wandering the village streets and watch live armored jousting throughout the day.

If you are interested in natural history, check out the Bell Museum. They have various animal specimens, such as mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants. Additionally, the museum has many traveling exhibits, dioramas, and touch-and-see exhibits that you can explore. Furthermore, you can visit the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. It is the state's natural history museum and a planetarium. There, you can take exciting journeys from the cosmos to the human brain and learn about the universe's origins, diverse life on Earth, and Minnesota's wildlife dioramas. You can also experience the Touch & See Lab, which has a wide range of items such as 10,000-year-old fossils, living plants and animals, and more. Also, you can explore the native plant landscape, geology gardens, and solar station outside the museum.