Minneapolis Attractions

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis opened on May 7,1963 with a production of Hamlet directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie, the theater's founder. Today the theater presents classic and contemporary productions with backstage tours available.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden features numerous sculptures in an 11-acre urban garden. The Cowles Conservatory features palm and orange trees and a sculpture pond.

To the south-east of the city, extending along the banks of the Mississippi at the 55 ft high Minnehaha ("Laughing Water") Falls, is Minnehaha Park, with statues of Hiawatha and Minnehaha, the chief characters in Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha".

The 193-acre park is one of the oldest and most popular in Minnesota.

The American Swedish Institute on the east side of I 35 West has many different exhibits that demonstrate the importance of the surrounding region's Swedish heritage.

The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis was founded in 1929 by Swan J Turnblad and is housed within the Turnblad mansion. Carved oak, walnut and mahogany are featured throughout the interior and painted plaster sculpturing decorates the ceilings. Swedish glass, textiles, decorative and fine arts are displayed.

To the east of Nicollet Mall is City Hall (1891). The statue in the Rotunda, "Father of the Waters", is carved from a single block of Carrara marble.

The Minneapolis City Hall is also known as the Municipal Building.

The Eloise Butler Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary is a public wildflower garden that presents woodland, swamp and prairie areas with seasonal displays of native wildflowers.

The Gateway Center District in Minneapolis was the great staging area from which pioneers left to settle the Northwest in the late 1800s. The fountain has colored light patterns from dawn to midnight.

Exhibits at the Hennepin History Museum in Minneapolis include bicycles, fashions, the history of Hennepin County, Dakotah and Ojibway objects, vintage signs from area businesses, and a hands-on gallery for children.

The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis was built within the Washburn A Mill and chronicles the flour milling industry. Hands-on exhibits and the eight-story Flour Tower recount Minneapolis' status from 1880 to 1903 as it dominated world flour production.

There is an excellent view of the Mississippi and the 49 ft high St Anthony Falls from the walkway of the Stone Arch Bridge, a 19th C railway bridge. Beyond the waterfalls begins the navigable stretch of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. There are also good views from the locks at Portland Avenue and Westriver Parkway.

Over 325 quack medical devices, dating from 1790, are on display at the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Exhibits include a phrenology machine that measures the size of bumps on the head; a machine that claimed to increase virility and cure prostate problems with a few volts of electricity; a foot powered breast enlarger; and weight reduction glasses.

The Upper Lock in Minneapolis has a lift of nearly 50ft/15m which permits river traffic to reach the railheads, industrial and commercial parts of the city. An observation deck allows visitors to view lock operations.

The Walker Art Center is devoted to 20th C art. Opposite it is the Sculpture Garden, the finest work in which is Claes Oldenburg's "Spoonbridge and Cherry".

Paintings, sculpture and prints of American and European art are featured.