Reviews Of Historical Sites And Tourist Attractions
FOSHAY TOWER
Perhaps the nicest Art Deco building in Minneapolis. Designed by Magney & Tusler, Wilbur Foshay built this gem in 1929, shortly before he lost his shirt in the stock market crash. Foshay's boyhood idol was George Washington and when it came time for Foshay to build his business a building, he modeled it after the Washington Monument, in Washington, DC. Not only is it a beautiful building, but it has the only outdoor observation deck in the entire Twin Cities. Four dollars gets you an unlimited amount of time out on the breezy deck, a look at the museum at the top of the building, and a short video presentation of who Foshay was and what he did. Hours: M-F 12-4, Sa 11-3
Cost $4.00/person. There may be a price break for the elderly and children (I'm not sure)
Tim's rating: *****/5 stars. Perhaps the best bang for your tourism buck in Minneapolis.
MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM: COMO-HARRIET STREET CAR LINE
Photo of Como-Harriet Streetcar by Eric Hopp. Minneapolis used to have a street trolley system. A real one-that ran on rails built right into the street. Unfortunately, greed and apathy allowed it to slip away to be replaced by buses that don't really go anywhere here in town anymore. The nice folks at MTM have retained and restored a couple of original street cars that used to ply the streets of the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. To these people I tip my hat and say a hearty "Thank You." I can't wait until I get some free time to ride again. Although the trolley lines used to run throughout the city, the only remaining right-of-way is between Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet in South Minneapolis. Catch it at the southern end of Lake Calhoun (just south of 38th St.) or on the northwest shore of Lake Harriet at the little depot. The fare is $1.25/person for about a 15 minute ride. The ride is up and back the length of track that remains, and if you're a train buff, or someone who enjoys being in touch with the past, you'll want to ride it a couple of times. Their phone numbers are (651) 228-0263 and (800) 711-2591
Hit the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Website for their hours of operation and their rates.
Tim's rating: *****/5 stars. A must for train buffs, and people who remember riding street cars.
MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM: EXCELSIOR TROLLEY
This outfit is similar to the Como-Harriet line in that the stretch of track is very short. The trolley car they had in operation the day we were there was built in 1896 and was one of the very first designs of electric street cars. The guides were very knowlegable and seemed truly interested in talking about the trolley. The ride was a bit bumpy, but the wood work and craftmanship on the trolley was truly amazing. Fare here was the same as the CH line. The trolley ride was great, however the museum adjacent to the tracks just doesn't compare. It does contain an important piece of sailing history, however. Their phone numbers are (651) 228-0263 and (800) 711-2591
Hit the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Website for their hours of operation and their rates.
Tim's rating: *****/5 stars. Much the same as the trolley site above.
MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM: EXPRESS BOAT MINNEHAHA
Image property of the Minnesota Transportation Museum This is the real deal. Excelsior/Wayzata are a goodly ways outside and to the west of Minneapolis, however the ride to the site is worth it for this excellent tour. These express boats were once part of the Minneapolis Street Railway's operations and they served to take people out to an amusement park on Big Island in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. The boats were built along with the amusement park in 1906. The park closed in 1911, but the express boats soldiered on for a number of years. Over the course of the next 40 years, all six express boats were scuttled just north of big island. The Minnehaha was raised from 60 feet below the surface where it had sat for 50 years. It was completely restored and now plies the lake like a spirit risen from the grave. It is a simply beautiful boat. 55' long and 14' wide, it can transport about 60 people. The boat operates in hour and a half tours across Lake Minnetonka from Excelsior to Wayzata and then back (round trip ~3 hrs.) All for the bargain price of $10.00. What a DEAL! You can't even get near an excursion boat on the lake for that kind of money. True, all that is served on board is water, but really, the ride is the star of this show. A fully exposed triple expansion, dual action steam engine drives the boat in near silence in the middle of the lower deck. Their phone numbers are (651) 228-0263 and (800) 711-2591
Hit the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Website for their hours of operation and their rates.
Tim's Rating: *****/5 stars. The only way to dislike this tour/cruise/ride is to be motion sick.
PADELFORD PACKET BOAT COMPANY
Boat Ride On The Mississippi River
We rode a dinner cruise that left from Harriet Island across from downtown St. Paul. The boat went up the river just past Fort Snelling and turned around and came back. Sights seen included downtown St. Paul, the High Bridge, the old and new High Bridge Power Plants, swing bridge #15, the Watergate Marina, the cliffs around the the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and Fort Snelling. It was a nice, peaceful ride with a musical accompanyment that consisted of a banjo and bass player playing tunes from around the turn of the century. The only drawback to the entire trip was the diesel smoke smell that pervaded the docking area before we left.
Their phone number is (651) 227-1100 and they have several cruise and boat options available. This is the same company that operates the Anson and Betsy Northrup out of Boom Island in Minneapolis.
For more information, visit their website at http://www.padelfordboats.com.
Tim's Rating: ****/5 stars. The food could be better, but the cruise was very nice.