Both Doncaster and Southend airports welcomed their final commercial flights at the end of last year. For them, it was the slow recovery after a difficult couple of years of pandemic travel restrictions that put the final nail in the coffin. Other airports just never really take off.

So what’s next for an airport without planes? That is, aside from seeing out its days as an eerie and abandoned potential horror movie set. Well, one of the most popular ways to reimagine an airport and its vast open space is as a park.

Tempelhof Airport in Berlin was an important asset to Germany’s National Socialist government in the 1930s, before seeing monumental success as the site of the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War. Since eventually closing for good in 2008, Tempelhof’s 386 hectares of outdoor space have been reclaimed for exercising, gardening and BBQing. The former runway is particularly popular on a windy day, when the conditions are - unsurprisingly - ideal for flying kites.

The airport building is still also well-preserved and open for tours, which we highly recommend if you get the chance.

Berlin isn’t alone, either - airports around the world have been turned into recreational spaces, from Floyd Bennett Field in New York, to Old Chiang Rai Airport in Thailand, and even Croydon Airport in London.

Another kind of park landed at New Orleans Airport last year, when Red Bull took over its old terminal building and gave it a whole new purpose. For one weekend only, baggage carousels, check-in desks and jet bridges became one really unique skate park. We hope everyone remembered their boarding passes...!

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak airport was famous for its hair-raising approach that required pilots to undergo special training. After closing in 1998 to make way for the new Hong Kong Airport, it seemed fitting that the site become more than just another green space. Kai Tak now primarily serves as a futuristic cruise ship terminal, complete with rooftop garden terrace - though plans for a runway park seem to be in the works as well.

Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado, took an entirely different direction after it closed in 1995, however. Having lain empty for 22 years, the airport control tower was eventually converted into a restaurant and bowling alley in 2017. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought that to a swift end in 2020, leaving pins un-struck and the putting green un-putt for two years.

That is, until the next most millennial business imaginable moved in - an aviation themed brewery named FlyteCo. If there’s anywhere you absolutely have to order a flight of beer, we suppose it’s this place.

Each week in 2023, we’ll be going on a whirlwind tour of a different randomly generated US state. This week, we’re heading to Minnesota.

According to Explore Minneapolis, Minnesota’s number one tourist attraction is the Mall of America - yep, that’s right, a shopping mall. But it’s not just any mall! It’s the largest mall in the USA… excuse us if we don’t seem thrilled.

In our opinion, that’s truly doing Minnesota a disservice. Outdoorsy types and road trippers will feel right at home, with scenic drives north along Lake Superior towards Canada serving up spectacular waterfalls, a rare black-sand beach, hiking trails through the Sawtooth Mountains, and plenty of tasty beer.

For a spot of indoor adventure, you’ll want to pop your head lamps on for some caving. The largest and best-known cave system is the Niagara Cave, where you can mix geology with nuptials at the subterranean wedding chapel.

Anyone who likes snooping around other people’s homes should schedule in time for a historic house museum or two. James J. Hill House is everything you could want from a haunted mansion, with an added side of historical significance thanks to its former owner earning himself the nickname "The Empire Builder". Afterwards, slip on your raspberry beret and head to Paisley Park for a tour of Prince’s home and recording studio.

There are several more intriguing museums across the state, but if we had to pick just one to spend an afternoon at, it would be the Spam Museum. There’s a certain draw to learning about the misunderstood food and its WW2 history, but it’s the free samples and opportunity to pretend we’re in a Monty Python sketch that we’re really interested in.

Plus, it's rare to see a museum with so many rave reviews on TripAdvisor - bravo, SPAM!