Minneapolis and St. Paul welcome visitors during the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and beyond.
photo: Lane Pelovsky / Meet Minneapolis
Fans attending the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship can root hard for their favourite teams, but can’t control who wins the medals. Fortunately, you do control your tourism, dining, and recreation options between games. And both Minneapolis and St. Paul, our two host cities, offer winning options galore.
Make your first stop the Bold North Breakaway Fan Festival in St. Paul – with outdoor excitement at Rice Park and indoor thrills at Saint Paul River Centre, which adjoins Grand Casino Arena.
Make your first stop the Bold North Breakaway Fan Festival in St. Paul – with outdoor excitement at Rice Park and indoor thrills at Saint Paul River Centre, which adjoins Grand Casino Arena.
Enjoy the Bold North Breakaway Fan Festival in St. Paul's Rice Park.
photo: Lucas Aykroyd
The good times in Rice Park include skating at the TRIA Skills Rink, cocoa at the PNC Bank Bonfire Zone, photo ops with the World’s Largest Puck, and much more amid festive lights. At Saint Paul River Centre, watch World Junior action on the big screen, attend autograph sessions with former World Junior stars, shop for local merch with 40 vendors at the Hockey Moms Market by Mich, and enjoy live music energizing the Minnesota Wild Street Hockey Rink.
Hungry? Just steps from Minneapolis’s 3M at Mariucci Arena, Stub and Herb’s is a down-home college pub where you can watch World Junior highlights while downing buffalo chicken salad and housemade chili. It’s a family-friendly atmosphere: expect to see a table with (say) a dad in a Wild jersey, his son in a Gophers jersey, and his daughter in a Frost wool hat.
Hungry? Just steps from Minneapolis’s 3M at Mariucci Arena, Stub and Herb’s is a down-home college pub where you can watch World Junior highlights while downing buffalo chicken salad and housemade chili. It’s a family-friendly atmosphere: expect to see a table with (say) a dad in a Wild jersey, his son in a Gophers jersey, and his daughter in a Frost wool hat.
Mickey's Diner is one of St. Paul's oldest and best-known restaurants.
photo: K.K. Marais
For a taste of old-school St. Paul, head to Mickey’s Diner, a neon-lit, 1939-founded eatery modelled on a classic railway car. Signature menu items range from the half-pound “Big Sam” burger to the fried chicken melt. Famous people who have chowed down here include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep, and Marian Gaborik.
It’s easy to locate Herbie’s on the Park just steps from Rice Park. A dramatic statue of 1980 Miracle on Ice coach Herb Brooks stands outside this upscale, wood-panelled restaurant with high ceilings. Dig into pan-seared walleye cakes – a Minnesota fish specialty – and kale salad. Don’t miss the framed collages celebrating the legacy of Brooks and the gold-medal Olympic team from Lake Placid.
It’s easy to locate Herbie’s on the Park just steps from Rice Park. A dramatic statue of 1980 Miracle on Ice coach Herb Brooks stands outside this upscale, wood-panelled restaurant with high ceilings. Dig into pan-seared walleye cakes – a Minnesota fish specialty – and kale salad. Don’t miss the framed collages celebrating the legacy of Brooks and the gold-medal Olympic team from Lake Placid.
Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub attracts NHL personalities and local hockey fans alike with its treasure trove of photos and memorabilia.
photo: Lucas Aykroyd
A few blocks from Grand Casino Arena, Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub is laden with vintage memorabilia from a 1972 Soviet national team poster to vintage Minnesota North Stars goalie equipment. Sip a local Summit EPA while devouring the North Stars nachos with ground beef and enjoying hockey on innumerable screens.
Minnesota is home to a burgeoning craft beer scene. At St. Paul’s Barrel Theory, head brewer Tim Johnson is an avid hockey fan, and signature beers include Rain Drops Hazy IPA and Dawn of Sorrow Imperial Stout. Play pinball on four machines between pints.
The Juicy Lucy is to Minneapolis what the Philly cheesesteak is to the City of Brotherly Love. This classic hunk of Americana consists of a cheeseburger with melted American cheese inside the patty. Matt’s Bar and Grill, founded in 1954, claims to have originated the calorific delicacy.
If your appetites run more toward culture, check out the free-of-charge Minneapolis Institute of Art. Current exhibitions include Along the Nile with David Roberts and Crowning the North: Silver Treasures from Bergen, Norway. Supporters of the Scandinavian teams may find the American Swedish Institute (ASI) of special interest. Learn about Norse sagas and shop for Nordic glassware and cookbooks. ASI is decked out for the holidays with tomtens, mythical Swedish gnomes.
Minnesota is home to a burgeoning craft beer scene. At St. Paul’s Barrel Theory, head brewer Tim Johnson is an avid hockey fan, and signature beers include Rain Drops Hazy IPA and Dawn of Sorrow Imperial Stout. Play pinball on four machines between pints.
The Juicy Lucy is to Minneapolis what the Philly cheesesteak is to the City of Brotherly Love. This classic hunk of Americana consists of a cheeseburger with melted American cheese inside the patty. Matt’s Bar and Grill, founded in 1954, claims to have originated the calorific delicacy.
If your appetites run more toward culture, check out the free-of-charge Minneapolis Institute of Art. Current exhibitions include Along the Nile with David Roberts and Crowning the North: Silver Treasures from Bergen, Norway. Supporters of the Scandinavian teams may find the American Swedish Institute (ASI) of special interest. Learn about Norse sagas and shop for Nordic glassware and cookbooks. ASI is decked out for the holidays with tomtens, mythical Swedish gnomes.
Rock star Prince hailed from Minneapolis and his legacy is celebrated with murals citywide.
photo: Meet Minneapolis
If you’re all about celebrating classic rock history, downtown Minneapolis offers huge, colourful murals that portray area musicians. Don’t miss the towering Prince mural by Hiero Veiga near the Target Center, or the psychedelic Bob Dylan mural near the Warehouse District light rail stop.
From the free Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, featuring more than 60 outdoor sculptures, to the Mall of America in Bloomington, with more than 520,000 square metres of shops and restaurants to discover in the U.S.’s biggest mall, the choices are endless.
There are just a few days left to discover the attractions of the Twin Cities. So get out there and enjoy yourself as we march toward the grand finale at Grand Casino Arena!
Be sure to check ahead for hours of operation and admissions. For more information, visit Explore Minnesota, Meet Minneapolis, and Visit Saint Paul.
From the free Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, featuring more than 60 outdoor sculptures, to the Mall of America in Bloomington, with more than 520,000 square metres of shops and restaurants to discover in the U.S.’s biggest mall, the choices are endless.
There are just a few days left to discover the attractions of the Twin Cities. So get out there and enjoy yourself as we march toward the grand finale at Grand Casino Arena!
Be sure to check ahead for hours of operation and admissions. For more information, visit Explore Minnesota, Meet Minneapolis, and Visit Saint Paul.