Minnesota Study Tour

For a map of all Minnesota locations, eating options, site visits, etc., click here. 

Basic Info About Minnesota

• Nickname: "The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes." (Actually: 11,842 lakes of 10 acres or more). 

• Population: 5.3 million (2010 census). Over 85.0% of Minnesota's residents are of European descent, with the largest reported ancestries being German (39%), Norwegian (17%), Irish (12%), and Swedish (10%). Newest immigrants are Hmong, Somali, Mexican, and Vietnamese.

• Religion: 52% Protestant (29% Mainline Protestant, 19% Evangelical Protestant), 22% Catholic, Mormons, Jews, Muslims are around 1%, 20% are unaffiliated. 

• History: first residents were Ojibwe and Dakota. Became a territory in 1849 and a state in 1858. To learn about the history of the Twin Cities, click HERE.  

• Things to do: 

  • View the historic Victorian mansions along Summit Ave. Info HERE.

  • Visit Mall of America - the largest shopping mall in the U.S. - Info HERE. 

  • Visit shops along St. Paul's Grand Avenue. Info HERE.

Interfaith Organizations in Minnesota

Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning

• Dr. Hans Gustafson from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and Dr. John Merkle from St. John's University/College of St. Benedict will be hosting the SUSI Scholar group in Minnesota. The organization aims "to foster understanding, cooperation, and friendship among people of diverse religious identities through academic study and civic engagement." 

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition

• From their website: "Guided by God's vision of the common good as reflected in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, the JRLC mobilizes religious communities to influence public policy in Minnesota."

Carleton University's Religious Diversity in Minnesota Initiative  

Christians in Minnesota

St. John's Abbey: Collegeville, MN 56321

Park Avenue United Methodist Church 3400 Park Ave. S, Minneapolis MN 55407. A multi-racial/cultural "mainline" Protestant church located in a highly diverse neighborhood of Minneapolis. 

Hindus in Minnesota 

Click here for general info on Hindus in the U.S.

Minnesota Hindu Milan Mandir: 501 Walnut St, Farmington, MN 55024; Phone: (651) 365-0331

• This is a small but growing Hindu community in the downtown of a small farming community 30 miles south of Minneapolis. The community purchased an old Lutheran church building and transformed the interior into a Hindu temple. Listen to a MN Public Radio interview with temple co-founder Satya Balroop. 

Hindu Society of Minnesota:10530 Troy Ln N, Maple Grove, MN 55311; Phone: (763) 425-9449.

• A large, impressive temple building in Maple Grove, a northwest suburb. It attracts many visitors, they have several tours available. The Hindu temple has a sunlit prayer hall, 20+ shrines & frequent festivals & religious events. 

Muslims in Minnesota

Click here for general info on Muslims in the U.S.

• Muslim Experience in Minnesota: a collection of audio stories from individual Muslims

Buddhists in Minnesota 

For general information on Buddhists in the U.S., click HERE. 

Watt Munisotaram 925 220th St E, Hampton, MN 55031

• This is a (Cambodian Theravada Community) located in rural Minnesota. 

Indigenous People of Minnesota

The first residents of the state were mostly from the Anishanaabe and Dakota people. 

Key events: Dakota War of 1862

Indigenous names still mark places in MN. Some names are being restored to sites such as Lake Calhoun renamed as Bde Maka Ska. Read about name change conflict HERE.