The land of the 10,000 lakes and the bread and butter state has one of the most highly literate populations in the States, which should bode well for those in search of a good book.

Sinclair Lewis was the first American writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Another writer from Minnesota is Tim O’Brien, who was inspired by the area, but also by his time spent in Vietnam.

Film from Minnesota focuses on the comic, although it can be of the dark variety, such as Joel and Ethan Coen’s film Fargo; the hilarious, Juno; or the romantic, New in Town, starring Renée Zellweger.

Musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Andrews Sisters, tended to leave Minnesota to seek work in the cultural capitals across the states, although more recently the local music industry has grown significantly. Music in Minnesota is a mix of that of the Native Americans from the area and European folk music.