Showing 1-15 of 15 results
-
Chain of Lakes
Uptown is a convenient jump-off point to the Chain of Lakes - ie Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet and Cedar Lake. It seems all of Minneapolis is out frolicking by the water - not surprising, really, since this is known as the 'city of lakes.' Paved cycling paths (which double as cross-country ski trails in winter) meander around the four lakes, where you can go boating in summer or ice-skating in winter.
-
Children's Theatre Company
The local Children's Theatre Company is so good it has won a Tony award for 'outstanding regional theater.'
-
Fort Snelling State Park
Located at the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, the historic Fort Snelling is the state's oldest structure. The fort was established in the early 19th century as a frontier outpost in the remote Northwest Territories. Now, guides in period dress show restored buildings and displays of frontier life.
-
Guthrie Theater & Endless Bridge
Definitely head next door to the cobalt-blue Guthrie Theater and make your way up to its 'Endless Bridge' - a cantilevered walkway overlooking the river. You don't need a theater ticket - it's intended as a public space - though see a show if you can, as the Guthrie is one of the Midwest's finest companies. Next door is spiraling Gold Medal Park.
-
Mall of America
What can you say about a mall housing more than 500 stores, 70 restaurants, 14 movie screens, a wedding chapel, an 18-hole mini-golf course, a gargantuan aquarium and a Camp Snoopy amusement park under one roof? For starters you could say it's the largest darn mall in America, an immense consumer-driven entertainment complex that simply boggles the mind.
-
Mary Tyler Moore statue
Nicollet Mall is the pedestrian-friendly portion of Nicollet Ave in the heart of downtown, dense with stores, bars and restaurants. It's perhaps most famous as the spot where Mary Tyler Moore (of 70s TV fame) threw her hat into the air during the show's opening sequence. A cheesy Mary Tyler Moore statue depicts our girl doing just that.
-
Mill City Farmer's Market
On Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, the Mill City Farmer's Market takes place in the Mill City museum's attached train shed.
-
Mill City Museum
You can pick up a free trail map at the Mill City Museum . To learn more about the era when Minneapolis led the world in flour milling, pay the admission price and descend the stairs. The building is actually a former mill, and the highlight is a ride inside an eight-story grain elevator ('the Flour Tower'). There are also Betty Crocker exhibits and a baking lab that gives out free samples. Honestly, the whole thing is a bit dull unless you're really into milling history.
-
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The fabulous Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses a veritable history of art. A new wing has enabled the museum to bring out its whopping modern and contemporary collection. The Prairie School and Asian galleries are also highlights.
-
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Beside the Walker Art Center is the 7-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, studded with contemporary works, like the oft-photographed spoon and cherry. The garden is connected to attractive Loring Park by a sculptural pedestrian bridge over I-94.
-
Advertisement
-
Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota's excellent zoo has more than 2700 animals living in their 'natural' habitats. A highlight is the Discovery Bay aquarium centre, a maze of underground tunnels and walkways that bring you face-to-face with sharks and rays. The emphasis is, funnily enough, on cold-climate creatures.
-
St Anthony Falls Heritage Trail
At the north edge of downtown at the foot of Portland Ave is the St Anthony Falls Heritage Trail, a recommended 2-mile path that provides both interesting history (markers dot the route) and the city's best access to the banks of the Mississippi River. View the cascading falls from the car-free Stone Arch Bridge. On the north side of the river, Main St SE has a stretch of redeveloped buildings housing restaurants and bars.
-
St Paul Curling Club
Stop in and watch the action just across the Mississippi at the St Paul Curling Club. For those uninitiated in northern ways, curling is a winter sport that involves sliding a hubcab-sized 'puck' down the ice toward a bulls-eye. While you might not understand it at first, it's fun to see the 'pitcher' scream at the frantic ice brushers.
-
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, by the river southeast of Minneapolis' center, is one of the USA's largest campuses, with over 50,000 students. Most of the campus is in the East Bank neighborhood. A uni highlight is the Weisman Art Museum (www.weisman.umn.edu; 333 E River Rd), which occupies a swooping silver structure by architect Frank Gehry. Works inside include early 20th-century American paintings. Dinkytown, based at 14th Ave SE and 4th St SE, is dense with student cafés and bookshops.
-
Walker Art Center
The first-class, recently expanded Walker Art Center has a strong permanent collection of 20th-century art and photography, including big-name US painters and great US pop art.
Showing 1-15 of 15 results
