Get In The Mood For Spring In This Delightful Twin Cities Suburb
When the snow melts, the ground starts to thaw and spring fever sets in, you know it’s time to get outdoors and release all that pent-up energy. Inver Grove Heights is the perfect place. The Twin Cities suburb offers lots of sights to see and things to do that will help you leave winter behind and embrace the warmer weather. Use this early spring guide to plan a getaway.
Why not lean into the changing seasons and spend a weekend in Inver Grove Heights with the family? Or get your girlfriends out of hibernation to enjoy the longer days?
You can find convenient and affordable hotels in Inver Grove Heights, all just a short drive from a variety of springtime attractions all over town. Here are four stops that will definitely get you in the mood for spring!
Gertens in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota’s Destination Garden Center
Inver Grove Heights is where you’ll find Gertens, a fourth-generation family business that has been Minnesota’s Destination Garden Center since the early 1900s. With more than 40,000-square-feet of retail space, Gertens has the largest selection of plants anywhere in the state.
You’ll find everything you need to get a head start on making your home as beautiful as ever, from annual and perennial flowers to trees and ornamental shrubs. You don’t have to wait until Memorial Day to get this year’s garden in the ground!
Gertens is also the place for all your gardening tools and supplies as well as landscaping materials, lawn care items and outdoor living needs such as patio furniture, fire pits and grills. It’s a true one-stop shop that’s a must-visit in the spring!
Visit Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Just up the road from IGH in St. Paul you’ll find the historic Como Park Zoo and Conservatory open 365 days a year with FREE admission and parking! In addition to a spectacular collection of animals including giraffes and gorillas, lions and lemurs, seals and sloths, there are several gardens with exotic plants and beautiful displays.
The fascinating variety of indoor and outdoor gardens at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory features everything from a butterfly haven and frog pond to a fern room, orchid house, palm dome and tropical rain forest. There’s also a Japanese garden, bonsai collection and the only public garden in Minnesota that grows the massive South American “Queen of the Water Lilies.” While some of the gardens flourish only in the summer, others are blooming in the spring.
Golf (Or Disc Golf) in Inver Grove Heights
Just as the beginning of baseball season is a sure sign of spring, so is the opening of golf courses. Inver Grove Heights is home to the 27-hole Inver Wood Golf Course, a gorgeous 1992 design that was renovated several years ago. The main 18-hole course is plenty challenging with a slope rating of 142 from the back tees and water in play on seven holes, while the 9-hole executive course with six par-3s is a nice way to ease back into the swing of things. A unique practice center with multiple fairways and strategically placed greens and bunkers is a good place to work out the kinks from winter.
The 9-hole Arbor Pointe Golf Club is another beauty in IGH, lauded as one of the most affordable golf courses in Minnesota. Each hole on the par-31 layout carries its own name such as “Woody Woodpecker” and “All Hell Breaks Loose.”
If frisbee golf is more your jam, then spring is the perfect time to discover the North Valley Park Disc Golf Course in Inver Grove Heights. The 18-hole track offers four different routes for different skill levels. For example, you can play the par-4, 11th hole anywhere from 280 feet to 640 feet in length. While there’s a daily fee from May to September, the course is free to play from October through April.
Hiking and Biking in Inver Grove Heights
Inver Grove Heights has lots of parks and trails where both kids and adults can get back outside in the fresh air. From the 28-mile Mississippi River Greenway that runs right through town to the wooded Marianna Ranch Trails and the scenic mountain biking paths at Harmon Park Reserve, there are many picturesque places to go for a walk or ride.
Be sure to discover unique IGH landmarks including the historic Rock Island Swing Bridge, then stop into one of the many places to eat and drink in Inver Grove Heights. You’ll even find outdoor patios and riverside tables open on nice spring days!
Book a Twin Cities Getaway to Inver Grove Heights!
Enjoy all the amenities of the Twin Cities, with the convenience, proximity, and local charm of staying in Inver Grove Heights.