When the Roseville Visitors Association invited me to visit their Twin Cities suburb and cover the Minnesota State Fair, I jumped at the chance to return to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
I had visited the Twin Cities for the first time earlier this year and really enjoyed my time there. However, since my first visit revolved around the travel blogging conference TBEX, I was eager to experience what I had missed during my first trip. I wanted to sip summery cocktails on a Minneapolis rooftop, eat an original Jucy Lucy cheese-stuffed burger at Matt’s Bar, and cruise the Mississippi on a riverboat.
With Roseville as my home base, I could do all of that and more. In this post, I’ll share six reasons to consider staying in Roseville for your next trip to Minneapolis and/or Saint Paul.
Roseville Is Conveniently Located For Exploring The Twin Cities
Directly north of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Roseville is perfectly positioned for visiting the Twin Cities. It’s also less than a 30-minute drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
Explore the map to see how close Roseville is to the Twin Cities’ attractions!
Driving or taking an Uber from Roseville to Minneapolis, it takes about:
- 15 minutes to U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings and host of Super Bowl LII in 2018.
- 15 minutes to Kramarczuk’s, where you can eat delicious Eastern European cuisine and sausage. The restaurant also is the starting point for Twin Cities Food Tours’ Northeast Minneapolis route.
- 16 minutes to the FOOD BUILDING, where you can take a guided tour of the building’s food producers including the Lone Grazer Creamery.
- 17 minutes to Matt’s Bar and Grill, home of the “original” Jucy Lucy burger stuffed with cheese.
- 18 minutes to music venue First Avenue, where Prince’s Purple Rain was filmed.
- 19 minutes to Walker Art Center, where you can take a selfie with the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry.
- 20 minutes to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.
- 23 minutes to Minnehaha Park, where you can see a 53-foot waterfall right in the Twin Cities.
To get to St. Paul’s top attractions from Rosedale Center, it would take about:
- 11 minutes to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, which has a 100-year history in St. Paul.
- 19 minutes to Cossetta, an Italian market and restaurant.
- 20 minutes to the Cathedral of St. Paul, a prominent historical landmark in Minnesota’s capital city.
- 20 minutes to the Padelford Riverboats, where you can cruise down the Mississippi River.
- 20 minutes to the Xcel Energy Center, where you can attend a Minnesota Wild hockey game or a big arena concert.
- 24 minutes to Summit Brewing Company Beer Hall, where you can drink a Summit Extra Pale Ale or Great Northern Porter.
Skip Mall Of America, Shop In Roseville Instead

When you think of shopping in Minnesota, the Mall of America comes to mind, right?
I certainly enjoyed shopping there, but the Mall of America is a huge tourist attraction. Unless you are traveling with kids (or kids at heart), you’ll find plenty of other shopping options with fewer tourists in Roseville.
Roseville actually has a history of being a leading retail and shopping destination in Minnesota.
- The first-ever Target store opened in Roseville in 1962. The building was later demolished to be constructed as a Super Target in 2005.
- Minnesota’s first McDonald’s opened in Roseville in 1957.
- Best Buy built its first store here.
- The city’s seven shopping centers make Roseville one of the leading retail destinations in the upper Midwest.
The city’s premier shopper’s paradise is the Rosedale Center — a mall with more than 160 shops and restaurants. Anchored by department stores Macy’s and JCPenney, the mall features an AMC movie theater and Granite City Food & Brewery. Some of my favorite shops in this mall include Apple, Aldo, Athleta, Ann Taylor, Dry Goods, Coach, Bath & Body Works, White Barn Candle, Francesca’s Collections, Godiva, and Williams-Sonoma.
Don’t forget there is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota!
Pro Tip: Go to the Roseville Visitors Association’s website to see if there are any coupons you can print for the Rosedale Center or its individual retailers. You’ll find a directory of Roseville’s stores and more coupons here, too.
Craft Beer (& Gin) Drinkers: Head To Bent Brewstillery
As Minnesota’s first craft brewery and distillery fusion, Bent Brewstillery is where beer enthusiasts and appreciators of a fine gin or whiskey will find their adult beverage of choice.
At Bent, the beer and spirits are as bold in name as they are in flavor. Those bold flavors and their unique styles come from the brewer’s dedication to traditional German beer-making while “bending” that with the creativity of modern American craft brewing.
Going behind the scenes, I learned Bent uses the highest-quality brewer’s grains. They certainly have a reputation to uphold in a Minnesota county known for distilling liquor since before (and during) Prohibition.
While touring Bent’s brewery and distillery, I was offered a taste of the award-winning Gunner Ghost gin. I’m slowly becoming a gin drinker, and I have to give Bent some credit for that. Though I often find the juniper in gin to be overwhelming, I noticed nuanced flavors in Gunner Ghost. A look at the gin’s description explains why. It contains a host of botanicals including grapefruit peel, lemon grass, Cascade hops, vanilla, and lavender among others. I imagine it would be delicious and refreshing with Tonic or a splash of grapefruit juice.
Wine And Dine At Lindey’s Prime Steak House
Foodies — particularly you carnivores — listen up! If you catch a craving for prime sirloin, get yourself to Lindey’s Prime Steak House in neighboring Arden Hills. Don’t forget to bring your appetite!
Known as “the place for steak,” Lindey’s has been serving the Twin Cities since March 1958. The sons of the original owner now run the family-friendly restaurant.
The limited menu cuts straight to the point — steak. You have your choice of prime Midwest sirloin steaks cooked to order. They come with salad and sweet watermelon rind. Plus hashbrown potatoes and toasted garlic bread are served family style. You should definitely add the fresh sauteed button mushrooms to your order, too.
I know this sounds like a tall order considering the heaping portions of deliciousness delivered to your table, but you need to save some room for the Muddy Paws cheesecake. I opted for a turtle cheesecake, and I think it may have been delivered straight from foodie heaven.
Sleep In Style Without Blowing Your Travel Budget
When visiting the Twin Cities, you can save significantly on lodging without sacrificing quality by staying in Roseville. I splurge on luxury hotels whenever I can, but I also can get behind savings, especially when the value is still high.
Only 15 minutes outside both cities, the Roseville hotels cost a fraction of their big-city counterparts. And, several of the Roseville hotels — like the Home2 Suites by Hilton where I stayed — have just opened within the past year.
My spacious Home2 Suites room included a king bed, a living-room area with a sofa and coffee table, a desk, and kitchenette outfitted with a dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator. Its sleek, modern design with pops of bright oranges and teal gave the room a trendy and youthful vibe.
In the lobby, I found complimentary coffee throughout the day and breakfast each morning. I also adored the hotel’s outdoor spaces — a chic seating area around a fire pit out front and an intimate patio with a barbecue just outside the indoor pool. Plus, the service was terrific — exactly what I’ve come to expect from Hilton brand hotels.
Pro Tip: Check TripAdvisor now for room availability and rates for your travel dates.
Minutes From Minnesota State Fair
Perhaps the most important reason for visiting Roseville is its close proximity to the Minnesota State Fair. Of course, this is why I visited Roseville!
If you have never been to the Minnesota State Fair, imagine the largest food festival you’ve attended being hosted at an amusement park with nightly big-name concerts. This is the largest state fair by daily attendance, and I have to think that’s largely due to the vast array of beloved deep-fried treats, unique — and often whacky — new foods, and the exclusive State Fair craft beers. Eating and drinking at the Minnesota State Fair is a fun, tasty, and belt-loosening culinary experience.
If you explore the Google map I shared earlier in this post, you’ll see the Minnesota State Fair is only four miles from the Home2 Suites where I stayed. Parking can be a hassle at the fairgrounds, so it was extremely convenient that I could take a short Uber ride or a free shuttle offered by a few of the Roseville hotels to the free buses that transport attendees to the fairgrounds.
Resources For Your Visit To Roseville
While you plan your visit, these organizations have helpful lodging, dining, and attraction information:
I recommend TripAdvisor to research hotel rates for your Roseville trip. You can even book your room through TripAdvisor, too.
Here are some fantastic blog posts from other travel bloggers about visiting Roseville:
- Why Roseville, Minnesota should be your base for visiting the Twin Cities — The Working Mom’s Travels
- Did you know? Some interesting facts about Roseville, Minnesota — The Walking Tourists
- Roseville ‘perfectly positioned’ in Twin Cities — The Walking Tourists
- One Fine Weekend in Roseville, Minnesota — Olio in Iowa
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Why would you like to visit Roseville, Minnesota?
Disclosure: As a guest of the Roseville Visitors Association, my Home2 Suites three-night stay, Minnesota State Fair admission, and visits to Bent Brewstillery and Lindey’s Prime Steak House were comped. I’d like to thank the Roseville Visitors Association for inviting me to visit and hosting my stay. Please follow Visit Roseville’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for more information. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
I love Home2 Suites!! It’s great to know they have one there. I’d skip the shopping and do a foodie day with steak and beer!
I didn’t know there’s no sale tax on clothing in Minnesota! Awesome! Thanks for all of these tips 🙂
My husband is from the twin cities, though me being from Australia I haven’t had the chance to visit MN yet – it’s on the list because I would love to explore and see where he grew up. I died a little inside when I read your heading to skip Mall of America LOL it’s been on my list for the longest time 😀 But I can absolutely understand how it would make for a stressful day and more difficult to get things covered when it’s such a huge space and so packed with tourists. Thanks for the tips!
Love seeing this as I recently discovered that I have relatives living close to Roseville. Your recommendations match my experience although I’d love to be there for the fair. It’s a long way from So Cali!
Shoot, I would travel here just for the food! I love visiting breweries and distilleries, and the steakhouse looks and sounds amazing. I might not have given it a second look from the modest building, but now I know to check it out if I ever find myself in MN!
The Lindey’s cheesecake and mushrooms looks awesome. Will definitely be stopping by there if we go to Minnesota and Roseville.
I have not heard of Roseville. I was planning on adding Minnesota to my list in 2017. I’ll have to keep Roseville in mind!
I’d never heard of Roseville, but I think it’s best feature is that you can save money on accommodation but still be close enough to all the action. I can’t wait to finally visit Minnesota!
That and being super close to the Minnesota State Fair, a prime time to visit Minnesota, are definitely key reasons to stay in Roseville. I think you’d really like all the food and drink experiences in the Twin Cities. And, the State Fair is a very unique culinary experience!
Pretty good post/list. Might come in handy for many travelers around. Thanks for this!
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading the post. 🙂
I LOVE CHEESECAKE!!!! now im craving huhu. Glad you had a great time.
Me too! Cheesecake is definitely in my Top 5 favorite desserts, and the Muddy Paws cheesecake at Lindey’s is one of the best I’ve ever eaten. So scrumptious!
I didn’t realize there’s no sales tax in Minnesota–that’s nice for shopping! And thanks for the tip of shopping in Roseville instead of the Mall of America. We will make it to Minnesota some day because we have family there!
I think the lack of sales tax might just apply to clothing, but that can be a significant savings when back-to-school, holiday, or new wardrobe shopping!
I heard or read somewhere that the MSP area is where the majority of chain stores test their concept before expanding throughout the US. I knew Target is MSP based but it totally makes sense that the first one is there, along with Best Buy and probably many others.
That makes a lot of sense that MSP would be a test market for big chain retailers. I’m one of those shoppers who goes to Target for two things and walks out having spent $100. My love for Target is ridiculous, so I thought that was a fun fact to include in this post.
Oh, those mushrooms looks so good. I would love to hear more on Mall of America.
Those mushrooms were fantastic — one of my favorite parts of that delicious meal, for sure. I have more posts coming about the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and part of that coverage will include Mall of America. So, keep an eye out for that!
If you come to a Roseville on a weekend be sure to try Grace Church Roseville 1/2 mile from the Rosedale Center – unique, innovative church with an engaging experience – Saturdays 6pm or Sundays at 9 or 10:45am
Jason, thank you for sharing this information. I’m sure many travelers would like to attend religious services while on the road, so it’s nice to know there is an option in Roseville that welcomes visitors from out of town.
Sounds like a great place. I wish I was able to travel more.
Rachel, I think you’d get a kick out of the Minnesota State Fair. That would be a great time to visit Roseville and the Twin Cities!
It’s been so long since I’ve been to Minnesota! Tell you what…I see a road trip in my future! Love the pics and can’t wait to get out that way again!
Minnesota is great for a road trip! And, if you drive there from Michigan, you get to make some tasty stops in Wisconsin for cheese!
I love shopping, whine, craft beer and FOOD! Sound like the perfect place to go! Can’t wait to try a steak at Lindy’s! Oh and a State Fair? Love those too! Thanks for all the info!
You are welcome! Sounds like you enjoy the same things I do when I travel!
Looks like a great place to visit. The sign for cheese curds is making me a little hungry 😉
Sounds like a cool place. I want to visit the Twin Cities and looks like Roseville is the place to visit!
There’s so much to see, do, eat and drink in the Twin Cities, and Roseville is a convenient and affordable base for exploring it all!
You had me at Roseville’s shopping, but moreso at the steak and cheesecake- two of my favorite things! I love how you added all the resources that I’d need to go here. I’m a Michigander as well and this definitely sounds like a place I’d like to visit in the future! Love me some traveling. 🙂
The steak and cheesecake were superb. The Lindey’s staff really knows what its doing, which makes sense since they’ve been a staple in the Twin Cities area for nearly 60 years! If you like to shop, Minnesota is great for that because there is no sales tax on clothing. Between Rosedale Center and Mall of America, you’re sure to find a full wardrobe.
That cheesecake looks tasty! I’ve never been to Minnesota but I’d keep Roseville in mind if I ever go.
That cheesecake was utterly dreamy, Liz. If you decide to go to Minnesota someday, I’ll happily give you all my suggestions for where to stay, eat, drink and play. 🙂