Located across the mighty Mississippi River from the metropolitan hub of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the state’s capital city of Saint Paul has its own historic feel and diverse menu of activities, eateries, and cultural outlets. The two hubs make up the iconic Twin Cities, each with its own vibe that both contrasts and pairs well with the other.

Downtown St. Paul is framed by the capitol building to its north and the Mississippi River to its south, anchored by the Saint Paul RiverCentre, Xcel Energy Center (home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild), the Science Museum of Minnesota, CHS Field (home of Minor League Baseball’s St. Paul Saints), and several other venues, hotels, and landmarks.

Minnesota Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Minneapolis

St. Paul’s surrounding neighborhoods add to its cultural canvas, boasting local communities that offer ways to explore and connect with the roots of the city. One of the oldest cities in Minnesota, St. Paul thrives on its history seen in historic neighborhoods and landmarks like the Summit Avenue neighborhood, the James J. Hill House, and the Cathedral of Saint Paul.

Whether you’re exploring the city during the refreshing peak of summer or the cozy height of winter, its abundance of things to do and places to see might well lead to needing a bit of TLC. Check out our Minnesota spa guide that highlights the best spas and wellness outlets in St. Paul where you can stop in to relax and rejuvenate before getting back out to see St. Paul at its best.

Estetica Salon & Spa

165 Western Ave. N, St. Paul, MN 55102; (651) 228-9327

Visitors looking for a wellness experience that embodies the history of St. Paul should consider Estetica Salon & Spa, located in the historic Blair Arcade Building in the Summit-University neighborhood. The multi-level salon spans over 7,000 square feet in size and features 20 styling chairs, five treatment rooms, and a boutique. Managed and operated by an all-women team, the salon provides a menu of hair, skin, and body treatments.

Hair care options include basic shampoo and styling, foils, balayage, deep conditioning treatments, and extensions. To feel like a new you, consider a wax, brow and lash tints and lifts or makeup application. Keep your skin at its brightest with treatments like facials, eye brightening, facial masks, and exfoliation. Massages span 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-minute options, with available add-ons including reflexology, eye treatments, and hot stones.

Juut Salonspa

857 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105; (651) 222-4121

Located west of downtown in St. Paul’s Summit Hill neighborhood, Juut Salonspa was first established in 1996 and prioritizes diversity within the wellness sphere. Each of its services is rooted in the belief that if you feel good inside, you’ll glow on the outside—an idea embodied by its team of stylists, estheticians, massage therapists, nail technicians, and colorists that work to help customers restore, replenish, and reimagine themselves.

Its services fall under four categories: hair, skincare and makeup, nails, and massage. Haircare spans cuts, styling, coloring, treatments, extensions, perms, and special occasions. Whether you’re treating yourself to a blow-out, dimensional highlights or low-lights, a balayage, hydration treatments or an unforgettable style for a special event, the options are nearly endless.

Skincare and makeup highlights include facial treatments, dermaplaning, facial peels, brow and lash services, waxing, and even makeup lessons to learn tips and tricks for yourself. End the visit with a relaxing massage— options range from traditional to polar wraps.

Northern Aura Wellness

688 Hague Ave., Suite 22, St. Paul, MN 55104; (612) 323-1660

Founder Erin Spero began her career in corporate healthcare at a pharmaceutical company, and after 14 years came to the conclusion that she wanted to do more—she saw customers as more than consumers and wanted to find a way to make a real impact on their health and wellness. This realization coincided with a larger priority on self-care in her own life, pursuing facials and massages to improve her personal quality of life.

The intersection of these two experiences created a path for the idea of a holistic, intuitive wellness spa—and Northern Aura Wellness was born. Focused on the whole person, Northern Aura offers a menu of services that target the body, mind, and spirit in an intersectional way to help clients shine inside and out.

Massages are custom-tailored to each visitor, whether you need to reduce stress or target sore muscles. Skincare treatments include facials and peels, and clients can also receive hand-picked products to take home and use to maintain a rejuvenating routine. 

A stand-out body treatment is the infrared sauna, which works to penetrate the skin at a lower temperature using FDA-approved Solocarbon heating panels that heat the body directly as opposed to the surrounding air. The panels distribute infrared waves evenly around the body, resulting in a dryer sauna experience at a more manageable temperature (120-150 degrees Fahrenheit). Additional services include brow, lash, and waxing treatments.

Spa MD

400 Selby Ave, Unit T, St. Paul, MN 55102; (651) 222-4490

Spa MD is an owner-operated and woman-owned small business also located in the Summit-University neighborhood near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The medical spa provides a long list of treatments and procedures at affordable price points—all designed with the goal of bringing out the beauty in each customer.

Service highlights include photofacials, laser hair removal, dermaplaning, chemical peels, microneedling, IV infusion therapy, and more. The intense pulsed light therapy photofacials target sun damage, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation to reduce redness and brighten overall facial complexion.

If you’re feeling a bit under the weather and are looking for that internal boost, consider an IV therapy treatment. Using a Myers Cocktail Drip loaded with a combination of vitamins and minerals—including magnesium, calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin C—the treatment is designed to strengthen immunity, improve nerve function, and increase energy levels.

The Darling Den

526 Selby Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102; (651) 358-3916

Nourish your sense of internal peace with a visit to The Darling Den, located on Selby Avenue in the Summit-University neighborhood. Owned by esthetician and St. Paul native Sara May, the spa was built on a mission to give customers a personalized experience that feels inclusive, private, and safe. Available services primarily target facial skincare but also include massage, reiki, and classes.

There are several facials to select from. The Peace of Mind is considered The Darling Den’s standard facial and uses plant-based, organic products to promote cellular rejuvenation and overall glow. Other options include the Lift Me Up (gua sha facial), The Healer (extraction facial), the Blow Me Away (oxygen facial), the Daymaker (a holistic “everything” facial), the Sunkissed Facial, the Quick Fix, and more. Additional facial treatments include waxing, brows, and lash tinting.

Reiki is a form of energy work that can benefit emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. During a session at The Darling Den, customers will be reclined on a massage table with warm blankets and soothing music. The practitioner will then go through a series of hand movements and placements above, and lightly on the body to put the client in a state of peaceful daydreaming that can promote an overall sense of balance and clarity.

[Photos courtesy of spas and resorts]

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Amanda Christensen is a writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with experience covering a range of business, lifestyle, and tourism topics. She has a passion for traveling and experiencing the world through a multitude of lenses, using her work to share with readers how they might best accomplish that themselves. View her work at amandachristensen.journoportfolio.com.