My husband and I moved to Minnesota after finishing our bachelors at Texas A&M in 2019. He also received a generous scholarship at UMN law school and I have a lot of advice to give here.
The hardest part about your move will probably be the winter. Minnesota can get extremely cold in the winter but if you have proper snow boots and a good jacket, you can learn to enjoy it.
Personally I loved the cold but I was not prepared for the lack of sunshine. I struggled with seasonal depression the entire time we were in Minnesota because of this. Eventually I discovered cross country skiing and sun lamps which helped a lot.
We lived in Richmond (about 15-30min drive to the law school) for 1L and 2L but our last year we moved to Vadnais Heights/White Bearlake (about a 30 min drive to the law school). Personally I loved Vadnais Heights because it felt more small town and surrounded by nature vibes. If you like the busy city life than it’s not going to be for you. Also traffic was always the worst heading back to Richmond.
My biggest piece of advice though is to make sure that you and your partner are on the same page. The first year of law school (1L) is going to be very tough and you are going to be extremely busy. Sometimes partners of law school students do not understand the pressure or expectations that are put on students because it’s very different than undergrad.
My husband and I had check-in meetings every week and planned date nights a head of time. He was open and honest about his capacity and where he was mentally during the week. There were a lot of late nights and endless reading but I know he loved his experience.
Minnesota is a beautiful place and as a former southerner it changed me into a winter lovin gal and now we live in Canada but that’s another story.
Anyway, to answer your question about cool things to do. I LOVED the Minnesota Zoo, GaleWood Farms in the spring, and endless trips to Ely. Our last year there we went dog sledding with the Wintergreen crew in Ely. They also hand make the best snow coats.