There’s a particular kind of magic to a warm Minneapolis night in June: the light lingers until almost ten, the gardens hum with crickets, and the whole city seems to exhale. At 300 Clifton — the historic Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion tucked into Loring Park — the best seat in the house for all of it is out back, with your shoulders under warm water and the stars overhead.
A Four-Season Hot Tub Under the Stars
Hidden in 300 Clifton’s English gardens is a four-season hot tub that comes into its own on a summer evening. Steam curls into the cool night air, fireflies blink through the hedges, and downtown feels a thousand miles away even though it’s only steps from your room. It’s the kind of slow, unhurried soak that turns an ordinary weekend into something you’ll still be talking about in January.
Book direct and you’ll also get a daily $20 breakfast voucher to the neighborhood Nicollet Diner — a generous, no-fuss way to start the morning after a late night in the garden.
The Mansion Behind the Garden
The hot tub is only the beginning. The mansion itself is on the National Register of Historic Places and is widely considered the finest example of Georgian architecture in Minnesota. Inside you’ll find hand-painted murals, intricately carved fireplaces, and a collection of distinct guest rooms — the Crystal Mansion, the Grand Edwardian, the Georgian, the cozy Coachman’s and Blacksmith’s Forge, and more — each with its own personality and history.
Loring Park has been one of Minneapolis’s grand residential corners since the Gilded Age, and the Minnesota Historical Society is a wonderful rabbit hole if you want to read up on the neighborhood’s stately past before you arrive.
After Dark in Gertrude’s Cistern
When you’ve had your soak, head down to Gertrude’s Cistern, the mansion’s hidden speakeasy and “haunted” video lounge, where heated reclining seats and a flicker of playful mystery wait below stairs. If you enjoy a little theatrical spookiness with your nightcap, you’ll feel right at home — and you can carry the theme across town at the haunted Pillsbury Club, set inside the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion.
Summer Right Outside the Garden Gate
One of the quiet joys of 300 Clifton is that you can do almost nothing — or everything. Step out the front door and you’re in Loring Park, with its pond, walking paths, and the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge arcing over the highway to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and the Walker Art Center. The garden — home to the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry — is free, open daily, and especially lovely in the long summer light.
- Stone Arch Bridge Festival (June 20–21) brings 200-plus artists, live music, and a culinary market to West River Parkway. Meet Minneapolis keeps a running list of the city’s summer happenings.
- Twin Cities Pride (June 27–28) takes over Loring Park itself with the largest free Pride festival in the country — you’ll have a front-row mansion just steps from the action.
- Loring Park Art Festival (July 25–26) transforms the park’s gardens and ponds into a showcase of 150+ juried artists, strolling musicians, and family activities. Details are on the festival’s official site.
See the City by Vintage Trolley
For an effortless overview of Minneapolis, hop aboard Minneapolis Trolley Tours for a scenic, ghost, or true-crime ride through the city’s most storied corners. Their things-to-do guides are a great way to plan the rest of your weekend, too.
Stay a Night — or Settle In for a While
A summer soak is the perfect excuse for a one- or two-night escape. But if you’re in town longer — for work, a slow-travel summer, or a between-homes stretch — our sister property Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished, month-to-month studio apartments right downtown.
However long you stay, the garden hot tub will be warm, the stars will be out, and the city’s best summer is waiting just beyond the gate.
Ready for your own night under the stars? Book your stay at 300 Clifton and reserve your soak in the garden.