Top 5 Best Places in Minneapolis
Known as the “Mill City” or the “City of Lakes”, Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and is larger than its other Twin City, St. Paul. Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Twin Cities on the upper course of the Mississippi, together form the largest city in Minnesota. The city’s name came from a combination of a Dakota word “minne ha-ha” which means laughing water and a Greek word “Polis” which means City, which was suggested by Charles Hoag.
St. Anthony falls which lies on the Mississippi River, helped build the city of Minneapolis has has been a nexus of the early inhabitants of the city. The falls was a significant factor in the city’s economic growth during the early days. Minneapolis was a lumber and flour-milling center and by 1870, the city became the top producer of flour. Today, Minneapolis is a quintessence of contemporary American City boasting tourist attractions from State Parks to Museums to its modern city center. One good thing about visiting Minneapolis is that many of the city’s popular attractions can be accessed by public transportation. a great way to get around,if not the most recommended route, is by renting a bike and utilizing the multi-use pathways, like the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. Truly, Minneapolis has a a lot to offer to tourists and here’s our pick of the best places to visit while you’re in the Bold North:
1. Minnehaha Regional Park
Address: 4801 S Minnehaha Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417
Overlooking the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest and most popular parks, attracting over 850,000 visitors annually.. The park has been a crowd-pleasing tourist spot in Minneapolis, with the Minnehaha falls being the top visited park both in the summer and during winter when the falls freeze into a dramatic wall of ice. This striking park of wilderness is also home to statues of Hiawatha and Minnehaha, the main characters in Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha. Families can enjoy having a nice picnic here on weekends as the park has picnic tables and it also has a playground where kids can enjoy nature and play at the same time, and an off-leash dog park for those who have pets to bring. Minnehaha Park has three garden areas in the park but the most popular is the Pergola garden. Overlooking Minnehaha Falls, Pergola Garden is a vogue spot for a wedding location.
Hours of Operation
6:00 am-midnight in Developed areas
6:00 am-10:00 pm in Undeveloped areas
2. Guthrie Theater
Address: 818 South 2nd Street Minneapolis, MN 55415
Founded in May 17, 1963, Guthrie Theater is the heart of theater performance, production and education in Minneapolis. The theater opened with a production of Hamlet, directed by its founder Sir Tyrone Guthrie. Today, it showcases classic and contemporary productions on three different stages and has remained true to its commitment to offer productions of Shakespeare's plays. More than 40 years after Guthrie Theater has been founded, a new building was built in 2006. The unique building is situated along the Mississippi River and now exhibits large images of past performances on its exterior. Friday and Saturday mornings are the best days to visit the Theater as it offers a guided backstage tour which is not only fun but educational.
Box Office Hours
11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
(performance days)
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(non-performance days)
3. Weisman Art Museum
Address: 333 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
The Weisman Art Museum, located inside the campus of University of Minnesota, is an architectural accent of both the campus and the city. Designed by Frank Gehry, the museum was built in 1934 and this eye-catching, four-story, stainless steel structure of a hard-to-define shape houses over 20,000 art pieces in a beautiful white interior that focuses primarily on American Modernism, traditional Korean furniture, and ancient Mimbres pottery from the American Southwest. This unique building with its varying shapes was supposed to look like a fish jumping up the waterfall, according to the building’s architect, Frank Gehry.
The view from within the Weisman Art Museum’s west-facing facade provides magnificent view of the Minneapolis landscape, with the Mississippi River seen below and the Washington Avenue Bridge on the left. On the upper right side, a sublime view of the Minneapolis Skyline can be enjoyed. The building’s mixture of stainless steel and brick is so beautifully crafted and provides a certain character to the campus where it is situated. Another thing to note is that General admission to the facility and all exhibitions is free
Hours of Operation
Monday: Closed
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
4. Mill City Museum
Address: 704 South 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55401
Originally Washburn A Mill, Cadwallader C. Washburn built the building back in 1874 on the shores of the Mississippi in what would later become the heart of Minneapolis. The building was strategically built on the shores of Mississippi to harness the power of the river and the resources of the burgeoning city. Washburn A Mil was the largest of its kind at that time and chronicles the rise and fall of Minneapolis’ milling industry. Four years after it was built, a spark that ignited airborne floor dust caused an explosion leveling the mill and claiming 18 lives of people working at that time. This prompted Cadwallader C. Washburn to rebuild the mill with ventilation systems and dust collectors that would prevent the build-up of combustible flour dust. In 1880, a larger Washburn A Mill is a hallmark of Minneapolis flour milling industry. But by the 1960s, transportation rates, tariff rates, and energy technology changes led the industry to move out of Minneapolis, and the old mills fell into disuse. Sadly, the Washburn A Mill closed in 1965. Another fire hit the building in 1991 and all that was left of the old mill were the concrete of the interior and crumbling limestone walls. Shortly thereafter, Minnesota Historical Society developed the site to what is now known as the Mill City Museum.
Built on the ruins of the once glorified Washburn A Mill, the present day museum features an eight-story glass facade, giving the building a contrasting historic and modern look. Today, the museum exhibits recounts of Minneapolis' status as a world leader in flour production from 1880 to 1930.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Sunday Noon–5:00 pm
Monday Closed
5. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Address: 726 Vineland Place Minneapolis, MN 55403
An 11-acre park located near the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden showcases more than 40 artworks with the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry being the most popular. It also houses Cowles Pavilion & Regis Promenade and the Alene Grossman Memorial Arbor and Flower Garden with seasonal displays.
The park opened in 1988 and has welcomed numerous visitors since then. The pride of Minnesota’s park system, Minneapolis Sculpture garden combines nature and cultural life and is truly a must see when you’re in Minneapolis.
Garden Hours
6 am to midnight
Sometimes we have to travel, leave our work for a while and designate our house chores to experts. Minneapolis is one great city that is full of beauty, cultural charm and historical adventure. Go on an adventure, travel to be lost and fall in love with the city and its wonderful people!