Hopkins (Minnesota)

View of Downtown Hopkins

Hopkins is a city in the Twin Cities.

Understand

Hopkins was founded in 1893, when residents of Hopkins sent the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners a petition signed by 41 residents, asking that a separate village be formed from unincorporated parts of Minnetonka and Richfield townships. Following an election, the community was then incorporated as the village of West Minneapolis. In 1928 the village name was changed to Hopkins, and in 1948 Hopkins officially became a city.

Hopkins is a dynamic community of over 17,000 residents located just 13 minutes west of Minneapolis. Founded rich in tradition and growth, Hopkins offers the advantages and conveniences of a large city but yet the security of a small town.

Get in

By plane

The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is only fifteen miles from Hopkins.

By car

Highway 7 runs east-west through Hopkins and connects the city to Interstate 494 and Highway 100. Highway 7 also continues east into Minneapolis. Highway 169 runs north-south connecting the city to Interstate 694 and Interstate 394.

Get around

Most people travel by car in Hopkins. Metro Transit serves the Hopkins area with bus service and schedules can be found on their website. Taxi service is also available by request, although it would be rather hard to hail a cab down from the street.

See

• 🌍 The Depot Coffee House, 9451 Excelsior Blvd, ☎ [phone]. 7AM-6PM daily. The Depot is a renovated train depot that now serves as a coffee house, youth community project, and trailhead for area bike trails. 
• 🌍 Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. The Center is a focal point for arts, culture and entertainment. It is located in downtown Hopkins, within walking distance of several restaurants, antique and other shops and a movie theater complex. Parking is free. 

Do

Hopkins has the unique distinction of being the trailhead for the Southwest Regional LRT Trail and the North Trail Corridor. It also contains 18 parks and recreational areas, a large percentage of its 4 square miles.

Golf

• 🌍 Meadowbrook Golf Course, 201 Meadowbrook Rd, ☎ [phone]. This is a very demanding course. It was built on gently rolling hills, and features tree-lined fairways and large greens. The course overlooks the scenic Minnehaha Creek. Water hazards come into play on five holes. 
• 🌍 Oak Ridge Country Club, 700 Oak Ridge Rd, ☎ [phone]. This course was built on hilly terrain, so you can expect many changes in elevation and uneven lies. $75. 

Theater

• 🌍 Stages Theatre Company, 1111 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. A theater for kids, by kids, with excellent local talent, fun shows, and a venue that is very family-friendly. 
• 🌍 Hopkins Cinema 6, 1118 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. 6 theater cinema. Open for matinees on Fridays through Sundays. Offers 'Terrific Tuesdays' where all tickets are $2.50. (updated Jan 2017)

Buy

Hopkins has a concentration of hard-to-find specialty shops and family-owned restaurants. Most businesses are located along Mainstreet.

Antiques

• Ah...Boheme!, 5 9th Ave S, ☎ [phone]. Offering antiques, collectibles, memorabilia, and boutique gifts. 
• Hopkins Antique Mall, 1008 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. 2 levels and 68 dealers provide a wonderful mixture of antiques and collectibles—the largest antique mall in the west metro! 
• Blake Antiques, 901 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Nineteenth and early 20th century furniture, pottery, jewelry, silver and more from 50 dealers! 

Clothing

• Baby Grand, 1010 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Family owned and operated boutique, offers nursery furniture, strollers, car seats, custom bedding, unique gifts & more. 
• Corset Styling, 715 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Offers women's clothing, jewelery, fashion advising and styling services. Doesn't sell corsets, despite the name. 
• Heartstrings Bridal, 1605 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Carries luxurious but affordable bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, accessories, etc. 

Specialty

• Bud's Music Center, 820 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Music instruction and education, instrument rental and purchase, local CDs. 
• Sea Level, 8590 Excelsior Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Tropical fish, aquariums, and supplies. Specialize in salt water fish and coral, koi and pond fish, exotice fresh water fish. 

Eat

Hopkins has a good selection of unique restaurants, especially along Mainstreet. For travelers on a budget Hopkins is home to quiet a few different fast food restaurants.

• 🌍 Big 10 Restaurant & Bar, 1106 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM-11PM, F-Sa 11AM-midnight. A collegiate sports cafe serving award-winning food including hot subs, fresh hand-pattied hamburgers, malts and shakes, wraps and chicken wings. 
• 🌍 Hoagies Restaurant, 824 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M-F 5AM-2:30PM, Sa 5AM-2PM, Su 7AM-2PM. Full breakfast menu with homemade cinnamon and sticky rolls. Lunch includes a daily special along with homemade soups. 
• 🌍 Jasmine Garden Chinese Cuisine, 1601 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-10:30PM, Su noon-10PM. Dine-in, carry-out and catering available. 
• 🌍 Munkabeans, 1206 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M-F 6AM-6PM, Sa-Su 8AM-5PM. Handcrafted sandwiches on homemade bread, soups, exquisite coffees, malts, shakes, sundaes, homemade bakery treats, and pizzas. 
• 🌍 Mainstreet Bar & Grill, 814 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M-W 11AM-1AM, Th-F 11AM-2AM, Sa 10AM-2AM, Su 10AM-1AM. Great food with fun atmosphere, everything from bingo to live music. Homemade soup and daily specials. 
• 🌍 Pizza Luce, 210 Blake Rd N, ☎ [phone]. M-W 11AM-1AM, Th-F 11AM-2AM, Sa 8AM-2AM, Su 8AM-1AM. Since 1993, Pizza Luce has been a Twin Cities favorite. Innovative specialty pizzas, regionally brewed craft beer, vegan and gluten-free options. 
• 🌍 Samba: Taste of Brazil, 922 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M 10AM-8PM, Tu-Th 10AM-9PM, F-Sa 10AM-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Authentic Brazilian cuisine and grocery. Live music on Thursday nights. 

Drink

• 🌍 Pub 819, 819 Mainstreet, ☎ [phone]. M-W 11AM-1AM, Th-F 11AM-2AM, Sa-Su 9AM-2AM. Friendly sports bar--a great place to watch the next big game! Buzztime trivia, bar bingo, meat raffles, karoake, and more. 
• Tuttle's, 107 Shady Oak Rd, ☎ [phone]. Locally-owned family entertainment center with 24 bowling lanes, Shady Oak Grill, lounge with live entertainment, and more. 

Sleep

There aren't any places to stay inside the Hopkins city limits, however, there are plenty of places to stay in nearby cities like Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and Edina.

Connect

• 🌍 Hopkins Library, 22 11th Ave N (at Mainstreet), ☎ [phone]. M-W 9AM-8PM, Th-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Local branch of the Hennepin County Library. Free wireless internet. 

Go next

In the Twin Cities metro

• Mall of America in nearby Bloomington. Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing.
• Valleyfair is an amusement park that's within an hour's drive in nearby Shakopee.
• Minnesota Zoo is in nearby Apple Valley.
• Minneapolis is only a five minute drive from Hopkins and offers plenty to do.

Routes through Hopkins

Grand Rapids ← Minnetonka/St. Louis Park ←	N  S	→ Edina → Mankato
Hutchinson ← Minnetonka ←	W  E	→ St. Louis Park → Minneapolis