The Midwestern state of Minnesota was admitted to the United States just before the outbreak of the Civil War, and ever since, it has been a popular place for tourists to visit. Today, holiday rentals in Minnesota allow vacationers to explore the state at their leisure, enjoying the many parks, forest, and wilderness areas that offer visitors a large range of recreational sports and activities.
Tourists to Minnesota can expect to see western prairies such as those recounted in the beloved Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Other major biomes in the state consist of deciduous forests, particularly in the North Woods region. Visitors from urban areas will be fascinated to get a close look at actual working mines and the large-scale agricultural operations that dominate some parts of the state.
The largest city in Minnesota is known colloquially as the Twin Cities. Composed of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Twin Cities feature an arts community that is internationally recognized. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center here are both open to the public, and the annual Minneapolis summer art festival features over 800 performances over the course of 11 days. The Guthrie Theatre has three stages overlooking the Mississippi, one of the most important waterways in the state.
The state is also notable for being a focal point of Scandinavian American culture, although in common with all states, there is a significant degree of ethnic diversity.