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The headline things to do in Minneapolis

From the Minneapolis guide — these are the items that anchor a 2-day visit. For the full breakdown, read the Minneapolis travel guide.

1. Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden — Loring Park / Lowry Hill

   One of the most-visited contemporary art museums in the US — sleek Herzog & de Meuron architecture, rotating exhibitions, and outdoor sculpture park (Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen, the iconic spoon-and-cherry on a long pond, is the city's most photographed sculpture). Sculpture garden free; museum $18, free Thursday evenings 5–9pm. Allow 3 hours minimum.

2. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) — Whittier (south of downtown)

   A 90,000-piece encyclopedic museum — the third-largest art museum in the Midwest, with strong African, Asian, and American collections. The Doryphoros (a Roman copy of the famous Greek sculpture) and the Roman bust of Antinous are highlights. Free admission permanently; closed Mondays. Less crowded than the Walker but with deeper depth across periods.

3. Stone Arch Bridge & St. Anthony Falls — Mill District / St. Anthony Main

   A 2,100-foot stone railroad bridge across the Mississippi just below St. Anthony Falls — built 1883, converted to a pedestrian bridge in 1994. Walking it gives the iconic Minneapolis skyline view (Mill Ruins Park on the west bank, the Pillsbury A Mill on the east bank, the falls themselves). The St. Anthony Main district at the east end is the original 1850s settlement of Minneapolis. Free; both banks have walking paths upstream and downstream.

4. Mill City Museum — Mill District

   Built into the ruins of the 1880 Washburn A Mill — once the largest flour mill in the world, partially destroyed by fire in 1991, and reopened in 2003 as a museum that preserves the ruined wall and original equipment. The Flour Tower elevator ride takes you through eight floors of milling equipment. The rooftop observation deck has the best view of St. Anthony Falls. $15 admission; allow 2 hours.

5. Chain of Lakes / Bde Maka Ska — Uptown

   The 4-lake chain south of downtown — Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun), Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake Harriet. The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway connects all four with paved bike and walking paths. Bde Maka Ska Beach has lifeguards in summer; the Lake Harriet Bandshell hosts free concerts most evenings June–August. Bike rental from Nice Ride or Wheel Fun Rentals. Free; allow a half day for a full Chain of Lakes loop.

6. First Avenue & 7th Street Entry — Downtown (1st Ave & 7th St)

   The legendary Minneapolis music venue where Prince filmed Purple Rain — the building's exterior is covered in stars commemorating the artists who have played there (Prince, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Nirvana, R.E.M., dozens more). The 7th Street Entry next door is the smaller "Entry" room, where many bands break before moving to the main First Avenue room. Tickets $15–$60; night-of shows still happen.

7. Mall of America (Bloomington) — Bloomington (12 mi south)

   12 miles south in Bloomington — the largest shopping mall in the Western Hemisphere (5.6 million square feet). 520+ stores, an indoor amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe), an aquarium, and a movie theater. Critics call it the apotheosis of American consumerism; defenders point out it's legitimately useful for cold-day winter shopping. 25 minutes from downtown via the Blue Line light rail. Free entry; rides $40+ for full-day passes.

8. Paisley Park (Prince's Estate) — Chanhassen (25 mi southwest)

   Prince's 65,000-square-foot recording studio and home in Chanhassen (25 miles southwest of downtown) — the place where he lived, recorded most of his music, and died in 2016. Now a public museum; tour includes the Studio A console, his costumes, his motorcycles, and the atrium where his ashes are interred in a custom urn. $50 standard tour, $130 ultimate experience; book ahead. Closed Tuesdays.

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