Things to do in Minnesota
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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 long list of local beers washes it all down. The on-site theater always has something intriguing and odd going on too.
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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. It morphs into a club with DJs late on weekend nights.
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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. Cash only.
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Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The 11-acre garden, studded with contemporary works such as the oft-photographed Spoonbridge & Cherry by Claes Oldenburg, sits beside the Walker Art Center. The Cowles Conservatory, abloom with exotic hothouse flowers, is also on the grounds. The garden connects to attractive Loring Park by a sculptural pedestrian bridge over I-94.
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Mall of America
The Mall of America, located in suburban Bloomington near the airport, 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. And an 18-hole minigolf course. And an amusement park, aka Nickelodeon Universe, with 24 rides, including a couple of scream-inducing roller coasters. To walk through will cost you nothing; a one-day, unlimited-ride wristband is $30; or you can pay for rides individually ($3 to $6). What's more, the state's largest aquarium, Minnesota Sea Life – where children can touch sharks and stingrays – is in the mall too. Combination passes are…
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Minneapolis Institute of Arts
This museum is a huge treasure trove housing a veritable history of art. The modern and contemporary collections astonish, while the Prairie School and Asian galleries are also highlights. Brochures at the front desk can help you winnow it down to the must-sees if you're short on time. The museum is 1 mile due south of the convention center via 3rd Ave S.
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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 Friday and 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. Check out the exterior stars; they're all bands that have graced the stage.
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Guthrie Theater
This is Minneapolis' top-gun theater troupe, with the jumbo facility to prove it.
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Bar La Grassa
Chef Isaac Becker won the 2011 James Beard award for 'best in the midwest,' so expect great things from the small plates menu of fresh pastas, bruschetta and secondi. It is located about a mile northwest of downtown's core.
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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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International Marketplace
The nation's largest enclave of Hmong immigrants live in the Twin Cities, and this market delivers their favorite Vietnamese, Lao and Thai dishes at its humble food court. Find the West Building and head to the back where vendors ladle hot-spiced papaya salad, beef ribs, sticky rice and curry noodle soup. Then stroll the market, where you can fix your dentures or buy a cockatoo or brass gong.
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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 not terribly exciting 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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Schubert Club Museum
The Schubert Club Museum has a brilliant collection of old pianos and harpsichords - some tickled by Mozart, Beethoven and the like - in the basement. It displays old manuscripts and letters from famous composers on the 2nd floor. A free wood-turning museum (it's a decorative form of woodworking) is also on the 2nd floor.
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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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Cathedral of St Paul
Modeled on St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the cathedral presides over the city from its hilltop perch.
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Julian H Sleeper House
A visit to the privately owned Julian H Sleeper House lets you see how the upper crust really lived. The place is filled with chandeliers, oriental carpets and decorative arts from the late 19th century. The owner is a colorful storyteller and will show you his antique postcard collection and other weird stuff.
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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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Voyagaire Houseboats
Houseboating is the region's rage. Outfitters such as Voyagaire Houseboats can set you up. Rentals range from $260 to $685 per day, depending on boat size. Novice boaters are welcome and receive instruction on how to operate the vessels.
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