Museums · Minneapolis · United States
5 best museums in Minneapolis
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Walker Art Center and Mill City Museum. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 9–10 hours across 5 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 9–10 hours
- Areas
- Whittier, Loring Park and Mill District
Museums in Minneapolis
Museum · Whittier
1.Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia)
Mia's free collection of around 90,000 objects spans 5,000 years, from Chinese jade and a reconstructed Japanese teahouse to Rembrandt's Lucretia, Van Gogh's Olive Trees and period rooms from Europe and America.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Gallery · Loring Park
2.Walker Art Center
One of the leading contemporary art centres in the United States, the Walker shows modern and contemporary painting, sculpture, design and film, with a strong collection including works by Andy Warhol, Chuck Close and Frida Kahlo.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Mill District
3.Mill City Museum
Built into the burned-out ruins of the Washburn A Mill, once the largest flour mill in the world, this museum tells how Minneapolis became the milling capital of the world.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
Museum · Phillips
4.American Swedish Institute
A 33-room chateau-style mansion built in 1908 for newspaper publisher Swan Turnblad houses this museum of Swedish and Nordic culture, with carved woodwork, tiled stoves and changing exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Food
- Rainy day
Gallery · University of Minnesota
5.Weisman Art Museum
Frank Gehry's crumpled stainless-steel museum on the University of Minnesota campus looks out over the Mississippi from the east bank.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Whittier | Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) | 2–3 hours |
| Loring Park | Walker Art Center | 2 hours |
| Mill District | Mill City Museum | 2 hours |
| Phillips | American Swedish Institute | 1.5 hours |
| University of Minnesota | Weisman Art Museum | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 2 free, 3 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia); group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Whittier and Loring Park): Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) → Walker Art Center, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Mill District, Phillips and University of Minnesota): Mill City Museum → American Swedish Institute → Weisman Art Museum, at least 5 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of -3°C (27°F), about 7 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still deep winter, but with lengthening days; frozen lakes host skating, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.
- January: highs of -6°C (21°F), about 9 rainy days, very quiet crowds. The coldest month, with snow on the ground and wind chills well below −20°C on some days; use the skyways and indoor attractions.
- November: highs of 5°C (41°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and grey, with the first lasting snow often arriving late in the month; theatres and museums are the focus.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Mill District — Riverfront mill ruins, the Guthrie and the Stone Arch Bridge
- Loring Park — A small lake park between downtown and the Walker Art Center
- St. Anthony Main and Marcy-Holmes — Cobblestone Main Street, river views and the University of Minnesota nearby
More of Minneapolis
All things to do in Minneapolis · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). Mia's free collection of around 90,000 objects spans 5,000 years, from Chinese jade and a reconstructed Japanese teahouse to Rembrandt's Lucretia, Van Gogh's Olive Trees and period rooms from Europe and America.
+Which of these are free in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and Weisman Art Museum.