1 tracked destination
across 1 tracked cities in Minnesota
20 of 20
Categories shifted this check
Latest findings
How Minnesota compares, rolled up
Confirmed-open rate
Minnesota
81%
Network average
81%
Distinctiveness
Minnesota
20%
Network average
11%
Presence rate
Minnesota
4%
Network average
11%
Minnesota's benchmark numbers averaged across its tracked cities, compared to the network average across all tracked destinations.
Each metric shows two bars: the rolled-up average across Minnesota's tracked destinations and the network average for that metric, so you can see how it compares. See how these scores are calculated.
Key takeaways
What this check tells you
Concentration
In Best Family Hotels, if AI recommended all tracked hotels equally the top 3 would get about 7.3% of mentions, but Great Wolf Lodge, Mall of America, and Grand View Lodge instead capture 29.4%.
Concentration
Best Fine-Dining Restaurants shows a similar pattern, with Spoon and Stable, Owamni, and Alma taking 29.4% of mentions against an expected 10.7% if all fine-dining picks were equal.
Volatility
Best Local Experiences is the least concentrated category tracked, with the top 3 picks getting only 8.6% of mentions across 206 tracked entities, all of which moved between checks.
Movement
Nearly every category tracked for Minnesota is fully volatile, including Best Winter Experiences and Best Hidden Gems where all 85 and all 82 tracked entities respectively moved between the August 26 and September 3 checks.
Lead finding
Mall of America—arguably Minnesota's most iconic asset—shows just 10% distinctiveness in AI answers, far below the 25% network average.
Minnesota's AI presence skews toward Family-Friendly experiences and fine dining as core themes, backed by supporting notes on Comfort food, Jucy Lucy burgers, and Cities and Culture. Yet Mall of America, one of the state's signature draws, is significantly underrepresented, scoring only 10% distinctiveness versus a 25% network average. This gap is notable given that sentiment around Minnesota's themes is overwhelmingly positive, with 93% of 371 rated mentions favorable and none negative. The opportunity lies in closing this visibility gap so AI assistants better reflect Mall of America's prominence alongside the state's already strong culinary and family-friendly reputation.
How AI sees Minnesota
Across the prompts we've tracked, AI most consistently associates Minnesota with:
Comfort foodFamily-Friendlyfine diningBudget-FriendlyCities and CulturecozyDriftless RegionhistoricIndigenous CuisineIndigenous HistoryJucy Lucy burgers
How Minnesota benchmarks
Confirmed-open rate
Minnesota
77%
Network average
81%
Distinctiveness
Minnesota
10%
Network average
11%
Presence rate
Minnesota
0%
Network average
11%
Minnesota's AI benchmark numbers compared to the network average across all tracked destinations.
Each metric shows two bars: Minnesota's rate and the network average for that metric, so you can see how it compares. See how these scores are calculated.
Presence beyond Minnesota-specific questions
How often Minnesota comes up in regional and national AI questions that aren't specifically about it (out of 12 tracked questions, as of Sep 15, 2026):
See all questions
Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Direct
Not mentioned
Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Conversational
Not mentioned
Two-Week Must-See Itinerary in the United States — Recommendation
Not mentioned
Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Direct
Not mentioned
Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Conversational
Not mentioned
Best Winter Destinations in the United States — Recommendation
Not mentioned
Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Direct
Not mentioned
Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Conversational
Not mentioned
Best Foodie Cities in the United States — Recommendation
Not mentioned
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Direct
Not mentioned
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Conversational
Not mentioned
Best Romantic Weekend Destinations in the United States — Recommendation
Not mentioned
Where AI might be wrong
The Bachelor Farmer
— Best Fine-Dining Restaurants(+2 more)
Closed
Flagged closed by 1 source, still recommended by Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4o.
The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis permanently closed and will not reopen.
SourceYoung Joni
— Best Restaurants
Closed
Flagged closed by 1 source, still recommended by Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4o.
Young Joni closed on September 12, 2025, according to its official website.
SourceDays Inn
— Best Budget Hotels
Closed
Flagged closed by 1 source, still recommended by Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4o.
The Days Inn in Rochester, Minnesota closed in September, according to the Star Tribune; the article describes it as the former Hotel Carlton site.
Source
Top picks by traveler intent
Rankings: Volatile
37 places moved rank this check
22 new1 in & out
Owamni
34 of 38
rank #1–#8
Spoon and Stable
34 of 38
rank #1–#5
Young Joni
27 of 38
rank #2–#10
Hai Hai
25 of 38
rank #3–#9
Matt's Bar
14 of 38
rank #1–#12
New Scenic Cafe
14 of 38
rank #1–#13
Rankings: Volatile
31 places moved rank this check
24 new
Hotel Ivy
25 of 30
rank #1–#5
The Saint Paul Hotel
24 of 30
rank #1–#7
Grand View Lodge
19 of 30
rank #3–#9
Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis
14 of 30
rank #1–#5
Madden's on Gull LakeNew
12 of 30
rank #4–#10
Mall of AmericaNew
12 of 30
rank #4–#11
Loews Minneapolis HotelNew
11 of 30
rank #2–#4
Larsmont Cottages On Lake Superior
9 of 30
rank #5–#9
Rankings: Volatile
45 places moved rank this check
27 new8 in & out
Mall of America
28 of 31
rank #1–#11
Minnehaha Park and Minnehaha FallsNew
23 of 31
rank #1–#7
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
22 of 31
rank #1–#12
Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
22 of 31
rank #2–#15
Itasca State Park
21 of 31
rank #2–#14
Voyageurs National Park
18 of 31
rank #3–#13
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park↔
16 of 31
rank #1–#14
Minnesota State Fair
15 of 31
rank #8–#23
Rankings: Volatile
42 places moved rank this check
35 new2 in & out
The Saint Paul Hotel↔
24 of 31
rank #1–#11
Grand View Lodge
22 of 31
rank #1–#12
Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior↔
16 of 31
rank #1–#7
The Hewing Hotel
15 of 31
rank #1–#13
Larsmont Cottages On Lake Superior
11 of 31
rank #2–#8
Hotel IvyNew
9 of 31
rank #1–#12
St James Hotel
9 of 31
rank #3–#12
Naniboujou LodgeNew
8 of 31
rank #3–#7
Rankings: Volatile
47 places moved rank this check
28 new
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
27 of 30
rank #1–#8
Mall of America
27 of 30
rank #1–#5
Minnesota Zoo
26 of 30
rank #1–#7
Science Museum of Minnesota
25 of 30
rank #2–#11
Minnesota Children’s Museum
21 of 30
rank #1–#9
Itasca State Park
19 of 30
rank #5–#16
Minnehaha Park and Minnehaha FallsNew
17 of 30
rank #5–#13
Gooseberry Falls State Park
15 of 30
rank #4–#14
Rankings: Volatile
65 places moved rank this check
53 new9 in & out
Quang Restaurant
17 of 35
rank #1–#9
Matt's Bar
16 of 35
rank #1–#7
Al's Breakfast
15 of 35
rank #1–#10
Gordy's Hi-Hat
8 of 35
rank #1–#10
The Nook↔
8 of 35
rank #2–#6
Holy Land↔
7 of 35
rank #3–#9
Ideal Diner
7 of 35
rank #1–#11
Lu's Sandwiches
7 of 35
rank #2–#10
See more categories
Rankings: Volatile
206 places moved rank this check
110 new43 returning29 in & out1 classic
Matt's Bar
37 of 56
rank #1–#18
Minnesota State Fair
29 of 56
rank #1–#39
First Avenue
24 of 56
rank #4–#31
Northeast Minneapolis
24 of 56
rank #1–#21
5-8 Club↔
23 of 56
rank #2–#16
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
22 of 56
rank #1–#15
Hmong Village & HmongTown Central Market
16 of 56
rank #2–#19
Midtown Global Market↔
16 of 56
rank #3–#19
Rankings: Volatile
82 places moved rank this check
56 new7 returning11 in & out2 classics
Franconia Sculpture Park
31 of 47
rank #1–#15
Jeffers Petroglyphs
30 of 47
rank #1–#16
Blue Mounds State Park
24 of 47
rank #1–#10
Soudan Underground Mine State Park
21 of 47
rank #2–#11
Pipestone National MonumentBack
20 of 47
rank #1–#21
The Lost 40
17 of 47
rank #1–#8
Wabasha Street Caves
17 of 47
rank #5–#15
LanesboroBack
13 of 47
rank #4–#10
Rankings: Volatile
64 places moved rank this check
28 new11 returning11 in & out5 classics
Matt's Bar
36 of 45
rank #1–#8
5-8 Club
33 of 45
rank #2–#9
Spoon and Stable
33 of 45
rank #1–#14
Owamni
29 of 45
rank #1–#11
Minnesota State FairBack
25 of 45
rank #1–#19
Young Joni
24 of 45
rank #2–#13
Surly Brewing Co.
19 of 45
rank #3–#23
Midtown Global Market
16 of 45
rank #1–#16
Rankings: Volatile
44 places moved rank this check
36 new2 returning3 in & out
Stillwater
32 of 35
rank #1–#8
Red Wing
31 of 35
rank #2–#12
Duluth
28 of 35
rank #1–#14
New Ulm
20 of 35
rank #5–#18
Interstate State ParkBack
16 of 35
rank #1–#11
Lanesboro
16 of 35
rank #5–#14
Taylors Falls and St. Croix River Valley
10 of 35
rank #1–#3
NorthfieldNew
9 of 35
rank #4–#8
Rankings: Volatile
27 places moved rank this check
17 new3 in & out
Spoon and Stable
32 of 35
rank #1–#7
Owamni
30 of 35
rank #1–#10
Meritage
22 of 35
rank #3–#10
Kado no Mise↔
15 of 35
rank #4–#10
The Bachelor FarmerNew
13 of 35
rank #1–#6
Travail Kitchen & Amusements↔
13 of 35
rank #2–#10
Rankings: Volatile
44 places moved rank this check
32 new8 in & out
AmericInn
15 of 33
rank #4–#13
Super 8↔
15 of 33
rank #1–#12
Days Inn↔
14 of 33
rank #2–#11
Motel 6↔
12 of 33
rank #1–#10
Rochester
12 of 33
rank #2–#15
Mall of America
10 of 33
rank #1–#11
Duluth
9 of 33
rank #2–#11
Hampton Inn↔
8 of 33
rank #1–#8
Rankings: Volatile
54 places moved rank this check
40 new8 in & out
Meritage
23 of 33
rank #1–#6
Spoon and Stable↔
19 of 33
rank #1–#6
W.A. Frost & Company
17 of 33
rank #1–#9
Nicollet Island Inn↔
12 of 33
rank #1–#7
Bar La Grassa↔
11 of 33
rank #3–#9
New Scenic Cafe
11 of 33
rank #1–#13
The Bachelor FarmerNew
8 of 33
rank #2–#6
Rankings: Volatile
32 places moved rank this check
20 new4 in & out
Fort Snelling
29 of 32
rank #1–#7
Mill City Museum
29 of 32
rank #1–#9
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
29 of 32
rank #1–#11
James J. Hill House
26 of 32
rank #3–#13
Grand Portage National Monument
24 of 32
rank #2–#13
Pipestone National Monument
23 of 32
rank #1–#7
Minnesota State Capitol↔
19 of 32
rank #4–#19
Jeffers Petroglyphs
17 of 32
rank #1–#10
Rankings: Volatile
42 places moved rank this check
36 new2 in & out
The Hewing Hotel
19 of 31
rank #1–#2
Fitger's Inn
15 of 31
rank #4–#10
Hotel IvyNew
14 of 31
rank #1–#6
Lora Hotel
13 of 31
rank #3–#8
Celeste Hotel↔
10 of 31
rank #2–#7
The Chambers HotelNew
10 of 31
rank #2–#10
The Saint Paul HotelNew
10 of 31
rank #2–#5
Hewing Hotel Rooftop SaunaNew
9 of 31
#1 every time
Rankings: Volatile
56 places moved rank this check
43 new7 in & out
Owamni
19 of 31
rank #1–#8
Matt's Bar
17 of 31
rank #1–#11
5-8 Club↔
14 of 31
rank #2–#12
Hell’s Kitchen
12 of 31
rank #1–#11
FIKA
11 of 31
rank #1–#14
Ingebretsen's↔
11 of 31
rank #1–#12
Kramarczuk’s↔
11 of 31
rank #4–#7
Al's Breakfast↔
10 of 31
rank #3–#10
Rankings: Volatile
62 places moved rank this check
41 new9 in & out
Science Museum of Minnesota
28 of 31
rank #1–#9
Mall of America
27 of 31
rank #1–#11
Minneapolis Institute of Art
26 of 31
rank #1–#12
Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
20 of 31
rank #2–#7
Minnesota History Center↔
15 of 31
rank #1–#15
Mill City Museum↔
13 of 31
rank #3–#11
Como Park Zoo & ConservatoryNew
12 of 31
rank #4–#11
Great Lakes Aquarium
12 of 31
rank #7–#14
Rankings: Volatile
41 places moved rank this check
34 new1 in & out
Mall of America
25 of 30
rank #1–#10
Great Wolf Lodge
21 of 30
rank #1–#4
Grand View Lodge
18 of 30
rank #1–#11
Arrowwood Resort
13 of 30
rank #2–#8
Cragun's Resort↔
11 of 30
rank #4–#10
Fitger's InnNew
7 of 30
rank #6–#12
Lutsen ResortNew
7 of 30
rank #4–#9
Breezy Point ResortNew
6 of 30
rank #3–#8
Rankings: Volatile
53 places moved rank this check
41 new
Palisade Head
26 of 30
rank #1–#5
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
21 of 30
rank #1–#10
Barn Bluff
16 of 30
rank #2–#14
Great River Bluffs State ParkNew
15 of 30
rank #2–#12
Blue Mounds State Park
14 of 30
rank #5–#17
Eagle MountainNew
14 of 30
rank #3–#14
Stone Arch Bridge and Mississippi Riverfront
13 of 30
rank #2–#16
Itasca State ParkNew
11 of 30
rank #4–#16
Rankings: Volatile
85 places moved rank this check
62 new11 in & out
St. Paul Winter Carnival
22 of 30
rank #1–#28
Ice fishing
19 of 30
rank #1–#8
Dog sledding
18 of 30
rank #1–#14
Ice Castles
15 of 30
rank #2–#15
Cross-Country Skiing or SnowshoeingNew
12 of 30
rank #1–#16
Lutsen Mountains
11 of 30
rank #1–#44
Gooseberry Falls State Park
10 of 30
rank #1–#14
Luminary Loppet
9 of 30
rank #2–#30
Where Perplexity's answers about Minnesota come from
The web domains Perplexity's live search pulled most while answering tracked travel questions about
Minnesota (last 90 days). ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini aren't grounded in our tracking yet.
See the network-wide ranking.
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Other U.S. destinations TakeScout tracks