Things to do in Minneapolis
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Bryant-Lake Bowl
A workingman's bowling alley meets epicurean food at the BLB. Artisanal cheese plates, mock duck rolls, cornmeal-crusted walleye strips and organic oatmeal melt in the mouth. A lovely list of local suds washes it all down. The on-site theater always has something intriguing and odd going on too.
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Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The 7-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, studded with contemporary works, like the oft-photographed Spoonbridge & Cherry by Claes Oldenburg. The garden is connected to attractive Loring Park by a sculptural pedestrian bridge over I-94.
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Hell's Kitchen
Descend the stairs to Hell's devilish lair, where spirited waitstaff bring you uniquely Minnesotan foods, like the walleye bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich, bison burger and lemon-ricotta hotcakes. Happy hour (3pm to 6pm) at the bar is a dandy deal.
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Al's Breakfast
It's the ultimate hole-in-the-wall: 14 stools at a tiny counter. Whenever a customer comes in, everyone picks up their plates and scoots down to make room for the newcomer. Fruit-full pancakes are the big crowd-pleaser.
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Mall of America
In Bloomington, the Mall of America is the USA's largest shopping center. Yes, it's just a mall, filled with the usual stores, movie theaters and eateries. But there's also a wedding chapel inside.
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Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The fabulous Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses a veritable history of art, with a whopping modern and contemporary collection. The Prairie School and Asian galleries are also highlights.
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Peninsula
Malaysian dishes - including achat (tangy vegetable salad in peanut dressing), red curry hot pot, spicy crab and fish in banana leaves - rock the palate in this contemporary restaurant.
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Nye's Polonaise Room
The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band lets loose Thursday through Saturday. It's smashing fun, and enhanced if you find yourself an old-timer to twirl you around the room.
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First Avenue & 7th St Entry
This is the bedrock of Minneapolis' music scene, and it still pulls in top bands and big crowds.
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Guthrie Theater
Minneapolis' top-gun theater troupe, with the jumbo facility to prove it.
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Chino Latino
This shiny, spangled place is the Uptown scenester hangout. The food is Latin-Asian fusion, with novelties such as a satay bar and the large, shared pupu (Polynesian- influenced appetizer) platter.
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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.
The University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, straddling both banks of the Mississippi River, is one of the USA's largest campuses with over 55,000 students. The university was founded in…
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Chain of Lakes
- Minneapolis, USA
- Sights › Lake
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.
The Lake Calhoun kiosk (base of Lake St) rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboats for around US$15 per hour. Thomas Beach, also on Lake Calhoun, is popular for swimming.
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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.
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Mill City Museum
The building is indeed a former mill, and highlights include a ride inside an eight-story grain elevator ('the Flour Tower'), Betty Crocker exhibits and a baking lab. It's a bit dull unless you're really into milling history. The Mill City Farmer's Market takes place in the museum's attached train shed; cooking demos fire up at 10am.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Gluek's
There's nothing like a hearty meal at Gluek's to see you through Minneapolis' frostier days. Pot roast, walleye, macaroni-and-cheese with spaetzle (similar to noodles) and other good meals have emerged from the Gluek's German kitchen since 1902. It even has its own beers on tap, which are the perfect accompaniment.
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Red Stag Supper Club
The exposed-beam Northwoods lodge look belies Red Stag's LEED-certified architecture. The locally sourced arugula-and-pine-nut flatbread sandwiches, smelt fries, smoked trout and cassoulet soothe the stomach. There are good deals for Sunday brunch and Tuesday dinner.
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Mayslack's
It's hard to beat their meat. Mayslack's has been slicing garlicky roast beef onto sandwiches and pouring icy brewskis since 1955. Walleye, pizza and breakfast omelets also make appearances, as do local rock bands thrashing Thursday through Saturday.
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Café Barbette
Intimate, Parisian-style Barbette welcomes with low booths and art-filled walls. It's good for wine, cheese and appetizers with friends, or for a romantic dinner with a date, but whatever you do, don't miss the warm chocolate cake.
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Fort Snelling
The Fort Snelling is the state's oldest structure, established in 1820 as a frontier outpost in the remote Northwest Territory. Guides in period dress show restored buildings and reenact pioneer life.
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Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo in suburban Apple Valley, which is 20 miles south of town. It has naturalistic habitats for its 400-plus species, with an emphasis on cold-climate creatures. Parking is $5.
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Solera
Curving booths, art deco furnishings and mosaics fill out Solera's three floors, where tapas and sangria (especially when served on the rooftop patio) keep the hipsters flocking in.
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