The Twin Cities area is considered the capital for the arts in the Upper Midwest. There is a very high per-capita attendance of theatrical, musical, and comedy events across the area, which some believe may be boosted by the cold winters but can be more realistically attributed to the large number of colleges, universities, and a generally strong economy, providing strong supply and demand for arts. There are more theatre seats per capita than in any other American city, besides New York City. The Guthrie Theater is one of many cultural landmarks. The Penumbra Theater, producing nationally recognized theater through the prism of the African American experience, has been a foundation of the city for over 4 decades.

The Twin Cities house several nationally known museums including:

• The Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

• The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum

• The Minneapolis Institute of Art

• The Weisman Art Museum

• Explore Minnesota

• Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine

• The City Pages

• Twin Cities City Search

• Thriving in the North (Dept of Employment and Economic Development)

The University of Minnesota Residents and Fellows have access to the Employee Assistance Program - Vital WorkLife at any time during residency or fellowship. Vital WorkLife Concierge can assist in helping you find:

• Apartments

• Childcare/Eldercare

• Travel Accommodations

• Errand Services

• Appointment Scheduling

• Call 1-888-316-6616 to speak with a dedicated Vital WorkLife Concierge

• More information on Vital WorkLife Concierge

Previous Residents have reported:

• Soul House, CE Lofts, North Loop, Northeast, Prospect Park, St. Louis Park

• Northeast: Artsy, Patio Bars

• Downtown: Skyways close earlier,

• Uptown: Restaurant, ritzy

• North Loop: Instagramable 

There are a number of lakes in the region, and cities in the area have a very extensive park system for recreation. The Minneapolis chain of lakes are a couple miles from Abbott Northwestern hospital, and are accessible via the Midtown Greenway that runs next to the hospital complex. The Twin Cities are home to the Scenic Grand Rounds that manifests itself as America’s most important urban scenic byway. It is a system of scenic byways connected by over 50 miles of paths for running, biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Northern Minnesota holds the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and great cities such as Duluth that are full of outdoor activities year-round. Hiking, camping, and backpacking is abundant in northern Minnesota, but also close to the metro area.

There are several local sports organizations such as City Sports Connection, that provides organized recreational teams and events.

Outdoor activities do not hibernate during the winter months in Minnesota. Winters are full of activities such as the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, snowshoeing, ice hockey, boot hockey, cross-country and downhill skiing, ice skating on many local lakes, ice fishing, and many others.

Previous Residents have reported:

• Felt safer in Minnesota compared to other metro others

• Fun stuff--outdoors, 10,000+ Lakes

• Going "up north"

• Try ice fishing, biking- very bike friendly community

• All major state of the art sporting facilities: Football, Soccer, Hockey, Baseball (Major & Minors), Basketball

• Great art scene

• Several theatres

• A lot of cultural food options

The Minnesota Department of Health is supporting the integration of international medical graduates (IMG) through the implementation of the International Medical Graduate Assistance Program. The Minnesota Legislature established this program, in 2015 Minnesota Session Laws, Chapter 71, Article 8, Section 17, to address barriers to practice and facilitate pathways to assist immigrant international medical graduates (IIMG) to integrate into the Minnesota health care delivery system, with the goal of increasing access to primary care in rural and underserved areas of the state. 

More information

For spectator sports, there is an abundance of professional or top-level amateur sports to enjoy in the Twin Cities. The annual Twin Cities Marathon is held in the fall with a course running through Minneapolis and St. Paul. Several residents and faculty run the marathon each year. It is known as the "most beautiful urban marathon in America".

The Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball team plays in the new Target Field, and the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL Football team, play at the new US Bank Stadium. The program director's favorite out of the bunch is the Major League Soccer team the Minnesota United FC Loons that play at the new world-class, soccer-dedicated Allianz field in Saint Paul.

U.S. News named Minneapolis and St. Paul the 5th "Best City for Public Transportation" in the United States!

• Metro Transit: Blue/Green Light Rail Lines

  • The light rail system began regular operations in June 2004, and is run by Metro Transit. Current lines include the “Central Corridor” line connecting downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, the “Northstar Commuter” line that connects the northwest suburbs to downtown Minneapolis, and the “Hiawatha” line that connects downtown Minneapolis to the airport, Mall of America, and several other locations south of Minneapolis. The light rail system has been expanding and adding new lines and makes movement through the Twin Cities quite efficient.

• Metro Transit: NorthStar Commuter Train

• Metro Transit: Bus

  • Metro Transit, by far the biggest bus service provider in the area, owes its existence to the old streetcar lines that ran in the area. Metro Transit provides about 95% of the public transit rides in the region, although some suburbs have other bus services. Their website will guide you to any information you might need about the system.

• Uber/Lift/Taxis

• Minneapolis Skyways

• GME Transportation and Safety Policy

• Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

  • The main airport in the region is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). MSP houses all the major carriers, however is a hub city for Delta Airlines and Sun Country airlines, and therefore these airlines frequently have the cheapest airfare to/from the Twin Cities. 

Owing to its northerly latitude and inland location, the Twin Cities experiences the coldest climate of any major metropolitan area in the United States. However due to its southern location in the state and aided further by the urban heat island, the Twin Cities is one of the warmest locations in Minnesota. What many people love about the state are its distinct 4 seasons. Our summers are hot and find the beaches full, fall is a great season with the changing of the leaves, winter brings a full plate of new activities and beauty, and spring breaks a cold winter to bring a magnificent green blanket to the state. 

• ESSENTIAL: Clothing--Long Johns, Nice Warm Coat, Waterproof/warm Boots