What Minneapolis is known for

Within the Carver Park region, the performing art scene is relatively well-known, with several performing art centers located within the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, each displaying the local and national talent of those who perform. Among those include the Orpheum Theatre, which has held several band concerts and musical performances throughout its years of operation. Other art centers include the Guthrie Theater and the Minneapolis Institue of Arts, with the latter focusing more on art display than performing arts.[2] Outside of the larger cities, hiking and boating are popular activities, with several lakes within a short traveling distance. Lake Harriet, the Lake of the Isles, and Lake Calhoun are all located in the region, each offering water-based activities for residents and tourists. The Three Rivers Park District owns and operates over twenty parks, with each including various hiking trails. Within Carver Park, the Carver Winter trailhead is a hiking trail that offers snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities for guests during the winter.[10] 

The peak travel season is listed as May through September, with the months of December through February being seen as below-freezing temperatures in the evenings. Tourists come from all portions of the world, with the central travel being stateside travelers from the United States. Roughly 34.5 million people visit the region annually, with that number increasing each year. The Mall of America is found in the city of Bloomington, MN, containing a vast section of retail stores and a theme park in its center. The mall opened in 1992 and is currently the seventh-largest mall in the world.[1] Within the Mall of America, the Nickelodeon Universe is located, which is a theme park based on Nickelodeon characters and more. The theme park is the largest indoor theme park in the United States. Products produced in the region include the Milky Way chocolate bar, General Mills cereals, Green Giant veggies, sandpaper, scotch tape, and more.[5] 

Geography

The Carver Park region includes the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the Wisconsin border ending in the small village of Baldwin, WI. Minneapolis and St. Paul, referred to as the Twin Cities, are included in this region and make up the most populated portion of the surrounding area. Buildings and structures make up most of the Twin Cities, with greenery and open fields stretching out to the western sections of the region border. Carver Park is located in Waconia, MN, near the western border, along with the cities of Olivia and Willmar. Near the northern boundaries of the region include the cities of Princeton and St. Cloud, with St. Cloud being home to Minnesota's third-largest university, St. Cloud State University. Bloomington, MN, the fifth largest city in the state of Minnesota, is also found within the region's boundaries. Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, and Lake Calhoun are all situated in the region, along with Interstate 35 and Interstate 96, which connect tourists and residents to various parts of the state of Minnesota.[13] 

The weather within the area averages 55 degrees Fahrenheit annually, with the hottest months being June and July. The coldest months of the year involve December through February, where it averages at 25 degrees Fahrenheit. An average of 73 days of precipitation a year occur, with the highest day count occurring during the months of May and June, where it averages nine days per month. During the peak travel season, listed as May through September, the weather is seen as warm. It averages out at 76 degrees Fahrenheit during that time, with popular activities including boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking. Animal life found within the surrounding fields include mammals such as foxes, moose, black bears, raccoons, porcupines, and more. Birds found in the area include chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, sparrows, jays, and the common loon. The common loon is Minnesota's state bird and is commonly nicknamed the "great northern diver."[11]

History

Carver Park is located within Carver County, named after Jonathan Carver, an explorer who traveled from Boston to the Minnesota River in the late 1700s. The park is one of several owned by the Three Rivers Park District, which was formed in 1957 by the Minnesota State Legislature, despite early proposals for a park district dating back to the early 1900s. Once the district was approved, nearly 21,000 acres of land were purchased during that time. From 1967-1970, woodland, prairies, wetland, and wildlife restoration initiatives were presented to help return the parkland to its original state before settlement, which occurred during the 1800s. During the 1970s and 1980s, various park facilities were built as well as paved biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing trails.[7] 

The state of Minnesota was initially owned by a subculture of the Sioux known as the Dakota people. Europeans took over the land, before it officially became apart of Spanish Louisiana in 1762, where it stood until 1802. From that point, Minnesota became a part of various territories before formally being listed as the 32nd state of the United States of America on May 11, 1858.[12] Culturally, the area of Minneapolis and St. Paul is made up of five large ethnic groups, with those being White(Non-Hispanic), Black or African American, Asian, White(Hispanic), or Other(Hispanic). English is the primary language in the area, with 91.5% of the people of Minneapolis being listed as U.S. citizens. The largest universities in the area include the St. Cloud State University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Walden University, and Capella University.[8]