Minneapolis - Places to Visit
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
A free museum in a park the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden has been wowing visitors for 22 years. Housing forty permanent large works of art the centrepiece is the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry designed by husband and wife Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Other works include David Nash’s Standing Frame and Brower Hatcher’s Prophecy of the Ancients. The Sculpture Garden is part of the Walker Art Centre which offers free garden tours Thursdays to Sundays at 2pm.
top ↑Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Bringing fine art to the public is the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, a free museum that houses around 80,000 works of art over an area of 8 acres. Not limited to paintings the museum houses some of the worlds best examples of photographs, prints & drawings, textiles, architecture, and decorative arts, some dating back over 5000 years. Special events and exhibitions are regularly put on by the Institute and educational programmes are offered to encourage people to get interested in art.
top ↑Minnehaha Park
Minneapolis’ oldest park, Minnehaha, is also one of its most popular attracting over 850,000 visitors each year. The natural beauty of the park is its main draw and highlights include a 53-foot waterfall and spectacular views over the Mississippi River. During the summer months there is plenty to do in the park. Visitors can hire bikes and explore its 193 acres or simply relax and enjoy a peaceful family picnic, take in one of the music concerts or cool down in the wading pool.
top ↑Frederick R Weisman Art Museum
Housing a superb collection of contemporary art as well as classic works from the American artists Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden Hartley is the Frederick R Weisman Art Museum. The building itself is something of a work of art; an imposing stainless steel and glass structure designed by the world famous architect Frank Gehry. The museum offers a range of events for the general public to get involved in including; lectures, performances, film screenings and more, as well as providing educational resources to family’s and schools.
top ↑Foshay Tower
Although not the tallest, the only skyscraper in Minneapolis to offer a birds-eye view of the city to the public is the Foshay Tower. Built in 1929 as homage to the Washington Monument, its owner Wilbur Foshay, a Minnesota plumbing magnate lost the tower and his fortune during the great depression that same year. Now home to a museum celebrating its history, the tower is open all year round offering spectacular views from the open-air observation deck on the 31st floor.
top ↑Mill City Museum
Once the milling capital of the world, Minneapolis celebrates its industrial history through the Mill City Museum at the old Washburn A Mill; the largest flour mill in the world during its heyday. The fantastic short film “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat” gives visitors a brief history of the town and the surrounding area. The beautiful old building houses a museum filled with treasures form this bright time in the city’s past and modern day artists have contributed works, adding to the wonder of the place.
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