ELUNA 2024 Local Information

Hotel Information ✨ Getting to the Hilton ✨ Traveling Around Minneapolis
Libraries and Museums ✨ Nature (and the Universe) ✨ Concerts/Theatre/Comedy
Sports ✨ Activities  ✨ Shopping ✨ Food

Hotel Information

Conveniently located in downtown, the Hilton Minneapolis is a gateway to all this great city has to offer! Minneapolis is known for its many lakes, parks, and walking and biking trails within the city limits; its arts, music and theater scene; and its extensive downtown skyway system.  The hotel provides great amenities such as a fitness center and a heated indoor pool.

Hilton Minneapolis
1001 Marquette Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403

The planning committee has secured a great rate for attendees:

  • $199.00 for singles/doubles
    • $20.00 per additional person
  • $249.00 for junior suite
  • $269.00 for deluxe junior suite
  • $499.00 for one bedroom deluxe suite
  • $684.00 for two bedroom deluxe suite

Reserve your room now!  Negotiated rates expire April 12, 2024.

Getting to the Hilton

Arriving by plane: Both terminals at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) have convenient access to the light rail Blue Line to downtown Minneapolis; fare is $2.00 or $2.50, depending on time of day. Pay at the ticket machine before boarding the train. They accept credit cards, coins and $1 to $20 bills. Change, up to $19.50, is in dollar coins and quarters (http://www.metrotransit.org/how-to-use-a-ticket-machine).  More information about airport ground transportation, including shuttle service to hotels, is at https://www.mspairport.com/GroundTransportation.aspx

Latest News on Shared Ride Services: www.minneapolis.org/map-transportation/uber-lyft/

Arriving by train: The Amtrak Empire Builder arrives at the Union Depot in St. Paul. From there, take the light rail Green Line to downtown Minneapolis (see payment info above).

  • Head northwest on S 5th St toward Nicollet Ave/Nicollet Mall
  • Turn left onto Nicollet Ave/Nicollet Mall
  • Turn left onto S 11th St
  • Turn left onto S Marquette Ave
  • Destination will be on the right.

Getting from light rail to hotels: Exit the train at the Nicollet Mall Station, about 0.6 miles from the Hilton Minneapolis.

Arriving By Car: When you get to the conference hotel, there is on-site parking at $25/day. There are also several other lots nearby with similar pricing. When you need to fuel up, we added a list of the closest gas stations in the shopping information below.

Traveling Around Minneapolis

In addition to Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul also has the traditional taxi services and car rental options, too. Even SuperShuttle will take you on trips around town.

If you want to explore town at a more leisurely rate on a bike, there are some companies offering bicycle share options. The City of Minneapolis has a page gathering the details: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/bicycling/bike-share/

*General Metro Transit Information:

Metro Transit provides Trip Planner on their website where you can enter your starting point and destination. Then, it will tell you where you need to be and when, along with the light rail/bus designation, and a map on of those locations and any walking paths you need to include. Visit https://www.metrotransit.org/home for more information.

The fares are inexpensive ($2 – 3.25*), but you should use the trip planner’s time of day feature in advance to figure out how much cash you need in exact change because the rates vary based on when you are using Metro Transit and if you are staying in the downtown area – and you might not be going by a convenient pay station that provides change. In addition to paying with cash, there is an app and some prepayment options too. Remember if you need to transfer buses to ask for a transfer. Also, if you are going to sight see for a day, there are all-day passes you can purchase at a METRO ticket machine or on the app.

https://www.metrotransit.org/ride-the-bus gives you tips on how to ride the Metro Transit and https://www.metrotransit.org/fares provides more fare information.

*There are also some buses you can board for free close to the METRO Blue and Green lines or the Convention Center go on a short route between those locations along Nicollet Mall, but you would need to pay to use the Blue and Green lines to go further than that: https://www.metrotransit.org/free-ride-buses

*And if you are staying in the Downtown Zone, the fare is .50. Let the driver know you’re staying in the Zone before you pay.

Metro Transit Trip Planner Tips: use these names or addresses in trip planner for the airport terminals, conference hotel, and Amtrak station.

  • Amtrak Depot, Saint Paul
  • MSP – Terminal 1, Fort Snelling
  • MSP – Terminal 2, Fort Snelling
  • 516 2nd Ave N, Minneapolis, MN, 55403 (Ramp B – For those of you arriving via Greyhound or Jefferson Lines at Ramp B)
  • 1001 Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 554003 (conference hotel)

Libraries and Museums

Close to the hotel is the Foshay Museum and Observation Deck.

Minneapolis Central Library is open to 8 most nights during the week and has historic architecture, special collections, and art you can view.

Minneapolis Institute of Art is open late on Thursday evenings until 9pm.

Textile Center  is open late on Thursdays until 7pm.

University of Minnesota Libraries has a lot of libraries with late hours you can explore.

University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum has their late night on Wednesday, when they are open until 8pm.

Walker Arts Center – For those of you who might be busy at the conference during regular museum hours, the outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture garden is open 6am-12 midnight, and is free and open to the public. See http://walkerart.org/visit/garden or https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/parks-lakes/gardens__bird_sanctuaries/minneapolis_sculpture_garden/ for more information.

Nature and the Universe

Six public parks are located within a mile or less of the hotel, with several others located within the 1-2 mile range.

1. Franklin Steele Park (.7 miles) – a park where you can enjoy a picnic and a little bit of playing
2/3. Elliot Park (.8 miles) – a park devoted to playing…baseball, basketball, soccer, and more!
2/3. Loring Park/Loring Park Garden of the Seasons (.8 miles) – has a volunteer-maintained garden and is full of dog lovers (and their dogs in an off-leash puppy play area if your canine travel companion is seeking fun!)
4. Stevens Square Park (.9 miles) – a park that is devoted to being a neighborhood social space
5. Gateway Park (.9 miles) – features the Gateway fountain which has colored lights to sparkle in the water at night
6. First Bridge Park (1 mile) – features a view of the first Mississippi River permanent bridge for the whole length of the river!

Just a little over the 1-mile mark is the Mill Ruins Park/Water Works at Mill Ruins Park if you want to add a little history.

Look for other parks that may interest you at the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Website – https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/park__destination_search/

The parks also have paths and trails connecting them if you’re visiting the parks to get in your miles!

Other ways to explore nature

Bell Museum (with a Planetarium) – If you’re arriving on the weekend or staying through the weekend, you might want to check out this UMN natural history museum.

Como Planetarium – They don’t have their spring schedule posted yet, but maybe one of their public Tuesday evenings will be May 14th.

Como Zoo – Staying for the weekend and want to visit a smaller zoo, then Como Zoo is the place to visit. It has free admission.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary – While closed Mondays and only open to 6pm most nights, they stay open until 8pm on Thursdays.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum – If are arriving early or staying late, you might want to visit the grounds of the Arboretum.

Minnesota Zoo – This larger zoo has a tree top trail and tons of things to see if you are looking for a weekend of adventure.

SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium – This Mall of America attraction is open to 7:00 or 8:00 most nights, except Sundays, and is close to other Mall of America attractions.

Concerts/Theatre/Comedy

For huge Star Wars fans, Star Wars: The Last Jedi with the Minnesota Orchestra runs Thursday, May 16-Saturday, May 18th @ 7pm. The Minnesota Orchestra is performing the score live for the movie playing at Orchestra Hall, which is right beside our conference venue!

While a lot of the smaller concerts will begin adding their information closer to the event, you can check out what people are adding at Ticketmaster.

Blended (Harmony): The Kim Loo Sisters will be at the History Theatre from May 4-26.

MJ, the musical will be at the Orpheum theatre from May 14-May 26.

The Guthrie Theatre is all about Shakespeare, as it offers Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, and then jumps into contemporary drama with Skeleton Crew.

There are several other theatres, including Illusion Theater, and TicketMaster will list other venues as they begin scheduling into May.

For those you who love comedy, TicketMaster should begin adding shows for venues soon!

Sports

While a lot of these teams do not have their schedules loaded for the season that May 2024 falls into, they might have in-town games.

The Minnesota Twins will be playing the New York Yankees at home May 14-May 16th. Times TBD.

Minnesota United Football Club’s MNUFC and MNUFC2 and might have a home game.

Looking for other sporting events. Check out events that have loaded their information to Ticketmaster.

Other Activities

Just want to have fun? The Mall of America has an abundance of attractions you can visit.

If we missed anything, you might find it at the tourism offices!

Shopping

Forgot something at home, need a prescription refill, or need something to repair your eyeglasses?

There’s a Target about three blocks from the hotel with a Target Optical and CVS pharmacy. Target Optical and CVS pharmacy may have different closing time from store.

There’s also a Walgreens about five blocks away. The pharmacy has different hours from store.

If you didn’t get to Target or Walgreen’s before they closed, there is also a Lund’s and Byerly’s grocery store half a mile from the hotel where you can get some snacks:

There are some gas station convenience stores, too!

24-hour convenience store gas stations

There is another late night and early morning convenience store with gas station close too. The Holiday Stationstore (1.1 miles) isn’t open the full 24-hours, however.

If you want to go further afield or to a more adventurous destination, there is the IKEA and Mall of America (including the LEGO store).

Finally, Level Up Games has comics, graphic novels, and games of all kinds – and is not that far away!

Food

After shopping until you want to drop your bags, there are tons of restaurants to explore!

There are African, Asian, European, Middle Eastern, North American, and South American restaurants and cafes in walking distance of our venue. It might be fun to get pasta for one meal, sushi off a conveyer belt for another, score some traditional Irish pub food, try an elk dish, and top it off with snacks, like a 24-hour diner milkshake and pie!

One restaurant tied to the Minnesota region is Owamni by The Sioux Chef!

Prohibition Bar is also two blocks away from our conference venue. You can visit this bar that is located on the 27th floor of a building and view the Minneapolis skyline.

We only called out a couple, but the local attendees will have tons of recommendations! Or you can simply see what Google gives you when you click on on of the location pins using the restaurant link above!

Disclaimer: Information compiled mid-October 2023. We apologize if any information changes and we don’t catch it immediately. If you do find out some of the information is now incorrect, feel free to email [email protected] about the entry needing updated.