Minneapolis is the sister city to St. Paul, which grew up beside each other on opposite banks of the Mississippi River. These 2 cities are almost the same, but there are some differences such as most of the downtown area of Minneapolis is new and more eclectic than St. Paul's renovated historical buildings. The future site of Minneapolis was at St. Anthony(1848), a settlement built next to Minneapolis(1856). In 1872, these two areas were merged together to make the city of Minneapolis. The word Minneapolis comes from the Sioux word for minne, meaning water, and the Greek word for polis meaning city. In the Twin Cities metro area the population amounts to over 2 million people. One of the great things in both cities you can find large skyway systems to get around the cities. With this system, everything is indoors or not in the cold during the winter. Visit the Falls of St. Anthony, which give a lot of the city's power, the Minneapolis Planetarium, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome thats home to the Minnesota Vikings, University of Minnesota football teams, and the Minnesota Twins. In the downtown skyway area, look for the Norwest Center, the Gaviidae Common, a shopping mecca, the IDS Building, the Piper Jaffray Tower, the Lutheran Brotherhood Building, and the Foshay Tower that was the city's first skyscraper which provides an observation deck of the city. Museums in the area include the Minneapolis Institute of Arts displaying over 80,000 works of art, the American Swedish Institute, the Firefighters Memorial Museum, and the Historical Society Museum. Exploring the other sites such as the Minnesota Zoo with 1,700 animals, Historic Fort Snelling, and parks such as the Minnehaha Park containing Minnehaha Falls and the Wirth Park. Around the city you can enjoy the city's lakes, shopping centers,thearter, arts, sports, recreation fun, or just take a stroll on the Stone Arch Bridge, a restored railroad bridge for people to enjoy.