Location: Minneapolis
Top Things to do in Minneapolis
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10 Museums in Minneapolis That You Shouldn't Miss
With its gleaming skyscrapers set amid glittering lakes, Minneapolis makes for an attractive and fun getaway. A truly year-round destination, the city offers activities for every season. In winter, one can explore the downtown area through more than seven miles of glass-enclosed skyways. In addition to keeping you warm, they create a lively thoroughfare filled with specialty shops, restaurants and services. Whether you want to escape the winter cold or the summer warmth, the Mall of America offers shopping, dining and entertainment options for any time of the year and every member of the family. Art lovers have plenty to see at the Minneapolis Art Institute, Walker Art Center and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, which all house world-renowned collections. The theater scene is thriving. With more than thirty theaters, Minneapolis has more seats per capita than any U.S. city except New York. See a Broadway show and enjoy dinner and live jazz at a fabulous restaurant. With kids in tow, check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, where visitors can produce their own video, or come face to face with a shark at the UnderWater Adventures Aquarium. In summer, the action moves outside. Known as "The City of Lakes," Minneapolis has 22 lakes located within city limits and many more in the surrounding area. In town, hordes of locals and tourists in-line skate or stroll around Lake Calhoun, stopping for ice cream along the way. Just outside of town, Fort Snelling State Park offers outdoor recreational activities from hiking to biking and golf to boating. No matter when you visit, Minneapolis offers lots for everyone to enjoy.
Restaurants in Minneapolis
1. Minneapolis Institute of Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,356 reviews
Travel through 4,000 years of world history as you view more than 80,000 works of sculpture, photography, paintings, drawings and prints.
Reviewed By RedYoga - Benicia, United States
I was visiting Minneapolis for a conference, and saw an ad for the special exhibit of Native American women's art at MIA. Kudos to MIA for putting together such an amazing exhibit--it is fantastic! I walked through the special exhibit twice to better take it all in. I would encourage everyone to go see it! Not to be missed.
2. Northland Visions
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Northland Visions is a destination to share with friends. We specialize in Native American art from the Woodlands and plains tribes surrounding Minnesota. We also carry native foods like Wild Rice and wild berry jellies and syrups and much more.
3. The James J. Fiorentino Foundation
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Established over the last 40 years, The James J. Fiorentino Foundation Museum houses North America's largest collection of more than 700 Blackforest German cuckoo clocks. In addition to clocks, the collection includes curiosities such as old radios, musical players, painted plates, embracing the beauty of human ingenuity and craftsmanship. Housed in Minnesota's North Loop, the James J. Fiorentino Foundation Museum is one of a kind and is sure to inspire wonder and amazement.
4. Firefighters Hall and Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
5. Purcell Cutts House
6. House of Balls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
The House Of Balls is three decades old art institution in Minneapolis. Come see the sculptural oddities out of repurposed artifacts.
7. Weisman Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 255 reviews
Located on the campus of the University of Minnesota, this museum features fine arts from the contemporary period.
Reviewed By jerb2014 - Bristol, United States
This museum is a very interesting on. Architecturally, it is very contemporary in design, which intrigued us. Inside the collection is a substantial one so be prepared to spend a good part of a morning here. There is on the street parking and also a parking garage and the admission is free. The entrance is a bit convoluted as when you enter from the street where the parking garage entrance is, you must go up a couple of floors to the entrance of the museum. Inside there are over twelve galleries filled with contemporary art of the first half of the twentieth century pottery, paintings and sculpture. Don't miss Georgia O'keeffe's Poppies. There is a very nice display of traditional Korean furniture. They do offer classes, talks, workshops, etc. There are tours on the weekend. Be sure to go to the floor with the public restrooms. There is a terrace on that floor that provides a very interesting view of the city of Minneapolis from the opposite side of the Mississippi. Now is more classical art is your thing and time to spend in art museums is limited. You might want to visit the MIA, which houses a much larger collection of art from many different eras. We truly enjoyed this museum.
8. American Swedish Institute
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 495 reviews
Founded in 1929 by Swan J. Turnblad, this castle serves as a combination historic house/museum that features exhibits and programs of the Swedish culture.
Reviewed By Netanders - Herndon, United States
My Swedish heritage friends and I came to have lunch (meatballs, of course) and tour the Viking exhibit. I liked the exhibit but was amazed by the mansion itself. It’s beautiful!
9. Foshay Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 277 reviews
After recent renovation, our museum and observation deck are now open seven days a week from 12:00pm-9:00pm. Weather permitting, both will be open year round.
Reviewed By terrencet960
I grew up in Minneapolis and I was always fascinated with a building that looked like the Washington Monument. It was constructed in 1906 and it was the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast until the early 1970’s and was converted into a Hotel in 2008. This fall my wife a visited family and we were pleased to stay in this historic building. The hotel is very interesting, step into the elevators and jump back in time, the rooms have a wonderful view of the downtown (ask for an upper floor room) and the décor in the rooms are fun. Minneapolis is a great walking town, with walkways that connect most of the downtown, we were able to walked to the Twins baseball field which is about a mile way. Easy access to restaurants and shopping. You can also visit the Foshay museum and observation deck located on the 30th floor
10. The Bakken Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 117 reviews
The Bakken Museum inspires a passion for innovation by exploring the potential for science, technology, and the humanities to make the world a better place. A beautiful Gothic and Tudor Revival-style mansion, unique artifact and book collections, dynamic exhibits, and rich education experiences - we have something for every member of the family.
Reviewed By Doxiemama3 - Cambridge, United States
I had never even heard of Bakken Museum and was invited to join a group of other families with special needs kids. It was fantastic. The staff were accommodating, everything is handicapped accessible, the tour guide was incredibly interesting and made learning fun. I would recommend it for any age from 5-105. Fascinating!
