By early evening in downtown Saint Paul, the light rail is still busy with commuters and the first people heading out for dinner and drinks. Later, the crowds thin into the districts where the bars and music venues are, and on a Thursday night you might find a dance floor filling up before nine.
Saint Paul's nightlife is quieter and more spread out than its twin city across the river. It suits visitors who prefer live music, breweries and neighbourhood bars over a single concentrated club strip, and who are happy to move between a few different areas over the course of an evening. The legal drinking age in the United States is 21, and venues that serve alcohol will ask for identification.
Where to go out in Saint Paul
1. Downtown
Downtown is the most convenient place to start an evening, with bars and music venues within walking distance of each other and of the light rail. Amsterdam Bar and Hall on West 6th Street is a bar and music venue, and Barrio on East 6th Street is a tequila bar that also serves Mexican bar food.
Near the north side of Mears Park you will find The Bulldog, which offers a large beer selection, food including vegetarian options, shuffleboard and darts, and runs a shuttle to the Xcel Energy Center on game nights. This area suits a night that mixes dinner, drinks and a show.
2. Lowertown and Mears Park
Lowertown, around Mears Park, is a walkable cluster of bars and music rooms close to Union Depot. It suits an evening built around a few stops rather than one long stay in a single venue.
It is served by the light rail at Union Depot, so it works well as an early stop before moving on to downtown.
3. The Midway and University Avenue
University Avenue in the Midway is where you go for live local music and a more casual bar scene. The Turf Club on University Avenue West is among the better Twin Cities venues for local bands and occasionally touring acts, with cover charges on live music nights usually in the range of $5 to $10. The Midway Saloon, also on University Avenue West, is a dive bar with occasional live music.
This stretch suits a night focused on a gig rather than a formal dinner, and it is reachable by light rail at the Snelling Avenue stop.
4. Grand Avenue
Grand Avenue is a neighbourhood strip rather than a nightlife district, useful for an early-evening film followed by a drink nearby. The Grandview Theater on Grand Avenue is a two-screen cinema with evening shows and cheaper matinées.
It suits a low-key night out, and the area is served by bus route 63.
5. Breweries and taprooms
Saint Paul's brewery taprooms keep earlier hours than its bars, so they work best as the first stop of an evening. Summit Brewing Tap Room on Montreal Circle serves a rotating schedule of beers from the brewery, often with food carts outside, and runs tours during the day with sampling afterwards for visitors over 21.
Urban Growler on Endicott Street is a woman-owned microbrewery and taproom that also sells growlers. Both suit groups who want to talk over a drink rather than stand in a crowd.
6. Swing nights
Wabasha Street Caves on South Wabasha Street hosts a swing night every Thursday with a big band and a crowded dance floor. Lessons begin at 6:15PM and the dancing runs from 7PM to 10PM, with admission at the door.
It suits anyone who wants to dance rather than simply drink, including beginners who arrive for the lesson.
How a night out unfolds
Saint Paul's evenings start early by the standards of larger cities. Brewery taprooms close well before the bars, and the downtown bars listed here run until 2AM. Live music at the Turf Club typically starts in the evening and the venue stays open until 2AM. The swing night at Wabasha Street Caves is over by 10PM. If you want a long night, plan to begin with a taproom or a film, move on to dinner and a bar, and finish at a music venue.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Saint Paul Winter Carnival — January, with events in Downtown and Como Park, noted for the annual Ice Palace.
- Grand Old Day — the first Sunday in June, along Grand Avenue, with free parking at the University of St. Thomas north and south lots and free shuttle buses for event visitors.
- Irish Fair of Minnesota — August, at Harriet Island just south of Downtown.
- Minnesota State Fair — mid-August through Labor Day, at the State Fairgrounds on Snelling Avenue North, reachable by Metro Transit routes 3 and 84 or by shuttle from park-and-ride lots.
Frequently asked questions
How late do bars stay open?
The bars listed in this guide are generally open until 2AM, including Amsterdam Bar and Hall, The Midway Saloon and The Bulldog. Brewery taprooms close considerably earlier, so treat them as an early stop.
Where can I hear live music?
The Turf Club on University Avenue West is known for local bands and occasional touring acts, with cover charges usually between $5 and $10 on live music nights. Amsterdam Bar and Hall is a downtown bar and music venue, and The Midway Saloon has occasional live music.
Do I need to book anything in advance?
For the swing night at Wabasha Street Caves, admission is paid at the door, and lessons begin at 6:15PM before dancing from 7PM to 10PM. For ticketed sporting and fair events, tickets are available online and through box offices.
Is it easy to get between areas?
Downtown and Lowertown are served by the light rail, with stops at Central and Union Depot, and the Midway is served by the Snelling Avenue stop. Grand Avenue is reached by bus route 63.
Decide which part of the evening matters most to you, check the times that apply, and plan your route between stops before you head out.