Things to do · Minneapolis · United States
17 best things to do in Minneapolis
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Minneapolis are Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls. Of the 17 picks below, 9 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Walker Art Center
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis Sculpture Garden | Loring Park | 1 hour | Free |
| Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) | Whittier | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls | Mill District | 1 hour | Free |
| Mall of America | Bloomington | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| First Avenue | Downtown | An evening | Mid-priced |
| Paisley Park | Chanhassen | 2 hours | Expensive |
| Walker Art Center | Loring Park | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mill City Museum | Mill District | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Guthrie Theater | Mill District | 30 minutes, or an evening for a show | Free |
| Chain of Lakes | Southwest Minneapolis | Half a day | Free |
| Minnehaha Falls | Minnehaha Park | 1–2 hours | Free |
| American Swedish Institute | Phillips | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Minneapolis Skyway System | Downtown | As needed | Free |
| Weisman Art Museum | University of Minnesota | 1 hour | Free |
| Midtown Global Market | Lake Street | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Basilica of Saint Mary | Loring Park | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Northeast arts and taprooms | Northeast | Half a day | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Park · Loring Park
1.Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Spoonbridge and Cherry, a 15-metre spoon holding a cherry over a pond, is the city's best-known image and the centrepiece of this free 4.5-hectare garden of around 60 works. It sits opposite the Walker Art Center, and Katharina Fritsch's giant blue rooster Hahn/Cock is nearby.
Walk across the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge from Loring Park for the best approach, and come at golden hour for photos of the spoon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Art
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Museum · Whittier
2.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. The neoclassical building faces Washburn Fair Oaks Park, south of downtown.
Pick up a map and head for the Asian galleries and period rooms, which most first-time visitors miss.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Landmark · Mill District
3.Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls
Railroad baron James J. Hill's curving granite and limestone viaduct of 1883 is now a pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Mississippi, with views of St. Anthony Falls, the lock and dam and the downtown skyline. Interpretive signs along the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail explain the mill ruins on both banks.
Walk the loop from Mill Ruins Park across the bridge to St. Anthony Main and back over the Hennepin Avenue Bridge at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Experience · Bloomington
4.Mall of America
The largest shopping mall in the United States has around 500 shops plus Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor theme park with roller coasters under a skylit roof, the SEA LIFE Minnesota aquarium and mini golf. Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing and shoes, which adds to its appeal for shoppers.
Take the Blue Line light rail from downtown or the airport; it stops right at the mall's transit station.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Experience · Downtown
5.First Avenue
Prince filmed and performed Purple Rain at this former bus depot, which remains one of the most important independent music venues in the country. The black exterior is covered in silver stars bearing the names of acts who have played there, and the smaller 7th St Entry stage is next door.
Look for Prince's gold star on the outside wall, and check the calendar for gigs at both the main room and 7th St Entry.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Iconic
- History
Historic site · Chanhassen
6.Paisley Park
Prince's home, studio complex and private estate, about 30 km southwest of downtown, is open for guided tours of his recording studios, sound stage and memorabilia including stage costumes and instruments. His ashes are kept in an urn in the atrium.
Allow about 40 minutes by car from downtown; there is no direct public transport, and phones must be secured during tours.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Tours run on a limited schedule; book online in advance.
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Gallery · Loring Park
7.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. Its theatre and cinema programme runs through the year.
Check the Walker's calendar for free-entry days and evenings, and combine a visit with the Sculpture Garden across the road.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Mill District
8.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. The Flour Tower ride lifts you through eight storeys of mill history in a freight elevator, ending at a rooftop deck over St. Anthony Falls.
Go up to the ninth-floor observation deck at the end for the best view of the falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
Architecture · Mill District
1.Guthrie Theater
Jean Nouvel's dark-blue theatre complex on the riverfront has three stages and the Endless Bridge, a cantilevered lobby that juts about 54 metres towards the river. The public lobbies and the yellow-tinted Amber Box window are open to non-ticket holders when the building is open.
Even without a ticket, walk out onto the Endless Bridge for a free view of the river and the Stone Arch Bridge.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes, or an evening for a show
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- After dark
Park · Southwest Minneapolis
2.Chain of Lakes
Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake are ringed by separate paved paths for walkers and cyclists, part of the Grand Rounds parkway system. In summer there are swimming beaches, boat and paddleboard rentals and free concerts at the Lake Harriet Bandshell; in winter locals skate and ski on the ice.
Rent a bike and ride the 5-km loop around Bde Maka Ska, then continue to the rose garden and bandshell at Lake Harriet.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- Nature
Nature · Minnehaha Park
3.Minnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Creek drops about 16 metres over a limestone ledge in one of the city's oldest parks, made famous by Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha. Stairs lead down to the base of the falls and a trail follows the creek through a wooded glen to the Mississippi.
Visit after spring rain for the strongest flow, or in deep winter, when the falls freeze into a wall of ice.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
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. A modern wing holds the Fika café, known for Nordic open-faced sandwiches and pastries.
Visit in December, when the mansion rooms are decorated for Nordic Christmas traditions.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Food
- Rainy day
Architecture · Downtown
5.Minneapolis Skyway System
About 13 km of enclosed second-floor footbridges connect around 80 blocks of downtown, so office workers can cross the city in shirt sleeves in January. It links hotels, food courts, shops, the Target Center and the light rail.
Use the skyway maps posted at junctions; on cold days it is the quickest way to cross downtown on foot.
- Time needed
- As needed
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Gallery · University of Minnesota
6.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. Inside are American modernist paintings, ceramics and Korean furniture, and entry is free.
View the building from the Washington Avenue Bridge, where the steel facade catches the light over the river.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Market · Lake Street
7.Midtown Global Market
Inside the huge former Sears building on Lake Street, now the Midtown Exchange, dozens of small food stalls and shops serve Mexican, Somali, Vietnamese, Moroccan and Scandinavian food. It is one of the easiest places to sample the city's immigrant cooking in one stop.
Come hungry at lunchtime and share several small plates from different counters.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Religious site · Loring Park
8.Basilica of Saint Mary
Completed in the early 20th century and designated the first basilica in the United States in 1926, this Beaux-Arts church has a copper dome, a long nave and stained-glass windows. It faces the Sculpture Garden across the interstate.
Combine it with a walk through Loring Park to the Sculpture Garden; dress modestly and avoid visiting during Mass.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Neighbourhood · Northeast
9.Northeast arts and taprooms
Northeast Minneapolis combines working artists' studios in former factories, such as the Northrup King Building on Central Avenue, with a dense cluster of craft-beer taprooms. Studios open on the first Thursday of many months, and the area's open-studio weekend, Art-A-Whirl, is usually held in mid-May.
Rent a bike or use a rideshare between taprooms; they are spread out across several neighbourhoods.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Food
- After dark
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Walker Art Center and Mill City Museum |
| History | Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Mill City Museum, Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls and American Swedish Institute |
| Views | Mill City Museum, Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls and Guthrie Theater |
| Outdoors and nature | Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls |
| Food and markets | American Swedish Institute, Midtown Global Market and Northeast arts and taprooms |
| After dark | Guthrie Theater, First Avenue and Northeast arts and taprooms |
| With children | Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Mill City Museum, Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls |
| On a rainy day | Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Mill City Museum and Mall of America |
What to book ahead
- Paisley Park: Tours run on a limited schedule; book online in advance.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Spoonbridge and Cherry, a 15-metre spoon holding a cherry over a pond, is the city's best-known image and the centrepiece of this free 4.5-hectare garden of around 60 works.
+What can you do for free in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls, Guthrie Theater and Chain of Lakes. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Minneapolis when it rains?
Head indoors to Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), Mill City Museum and Mall of America.
+What is there to do in Minneapolis at night?
Guthrie Theater, First Avenue and Northeast arts and taprooms are best after dark.