20 Interesting Buildings in the Twin Cities

DSCN1199This list started out as a Top Ten, until I realized very quickly that narrowing it down to ten was downright impossible. Even 20 was difficult. There are so many, really. I thought about doing it by specifying only commercial buildings, or churches, or residential homes, but I didn’t want to exclude any. I lived in Minneapolis for 5 years and always thought the buildings were cool, but only recently have I come to truly appreciate the diversity of the unique architecture of the Twin Cities. Here are 20 unique buildings found around Minneapolis/St. Paul. Continue reading

Cafesjian’s Carousel, St Paul, MN

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One of the more storied and interesting attractions of the Como Zoo & Conservatory in St Paul, MN, is Cafesjian’s Carousel. Located just south of the McNeeley Conservatory, this whimsical, old-timey merry-go-round has been delighting youngsters for generations, although at one point it was on the auction block ready to be shipped away in pieces, never to be seen again. Continue reading

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the Como Zoo, St Paul, MN

One of very few glass-domed Victorian-style indoor gardens in the US, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory was built in 1914 by the German-born architect Frederick Nussbaumer, and modeled after the Royal Botanical Gardens in England.  Found inside of St Paul’s Como Zoo, this indoor garden is home to more than 260 varieties of plants, including palms, ferns, flowers, bamboo, and more.

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