Sightseeing Overview
The key attractions are not concentrated in any one central area but are dotted throughout the Twin Cities, so sightseeing is most easily done by car. The key attractions of Minneapolis are arts-related and include the world-class Walker Art Center and the extensive collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Frederick R Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus. However, some of the most enjoyable times in the city are spent simply walking around the Downtown area, surrounding Nicollet Mall, admiring the architecture,

shops and skyways, or exploring the historic area around St Anthony Falls along the river or the trendy Uptown district. Highlights of St Paul include the Science Museum, the Downtown area, the State Capitol and the Victorian houses along Summit Avenue. The Twin Cities’ major parks and lakes are also delightful distractions. Harriet Island Regional Park is particularly lovely.

Tourist Information
Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association
250 Marquette Avenue South, Suite 1300, Minneapolis
Tel: (612) 767 8000.
Website: "http://www.minneapolis.org/"
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 0800-1630.

St Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau
175 West Kellogg Boulevard, Suite 502, St Paul
Tel: (651) 265 4900 or 1 800 627 6101.
Website: "http://www.stpaulcvb.org/"
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1700.

Key Attractions:

Mall of America® General Information
952-883-8800

Mailing Address
60 East Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425

Walker Art Center
One of the country’s top contemporary art centers, the Walker Art Center, has a permanent collection of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture featuring works by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning and other leading artists. It also stages inspiring traveling exhibitions, as well as a series of music, dance, theater and film performances. A building expansion that doubled the Walker’s size and was designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, of London’s Tate Modern fame, was completed in April 2005.

Adjacent to the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardencovers 4 hectares (11 acres) and in doing so is the largest urban sculpture garden in the USA. It contains works by Alexander Calder and Ellsworth Kelly, as well as ‘Spoonbridge and Cherry’, designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, which has become a symbol of the city.

1750 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis
Tel: (612) 375 7600.
Website: "http://www.walkerart.org/"
Opening hours: Tue-Wed and Sat-Sun 1100-1700, Thurs-Friday 1100-2100 (museum); daily 0600-2400 (garden).
Admission charge; gardens free.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Housed in a striking white marble Beaux Arts building and designed by the renowned American firm of architects, McKim, Mead and White, in 1915, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts contains an outstanding collection of over 85,000 artworks, dating back to 2000BC. These range from old masters and contemporary regional art to Asian and African pieces. Highlights include a fine collection of French Impressionists, a tapestry collection and period rooms. Investments of around US$50m in recent years led to the unveiling of a new wing and remodeled galleries in June 2006.

2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis
Tel: (612) 870 3131.
Website: "http://www.artsmia.org/"
Opening hours: Tue-Wed and Fri-Sat 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-2100, Sun 1100-1700.
Free admission.

Frederick R Weisman Art Museum
This museum features American artists of the early 20th century, including Georgia O’Keeffe and an extensive collection of works by Marsden Hartley and Alfred Maurer, as well as pieces by a number of contemporary artists. The ‘World’s Fair Mural’ at the entrance is by Roy Lichtenstein. The brick and stainless steel building is itself a sculptural masterpiece, designed by Frank Gehry, in 1993.

333 East River Road, Minneapolis
Tel: (612) 625 9494.
Website: "http://www.weisman.umn.edu/"
Opening hours: Tue-Wed and Fri 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-2000, Sat-Sun 1100-1700.
Free admission.

Cathedral of St Paul
Set on a hill, overlooking the city and the Mississippi River, this impressive cathedral is one of the country’s largest churches and seats 3000 people. The Cathedral of St Paulwas designed by architect Emmanuel Masqueray and took nearly a decade to build, opening in 1915. It is topped by an enormous 57m-high (186ft) copper dome. The Shrines of Nations honor the various nationalities that have settled in Minnesota.

239 Selby Avenue at Summit Avenue, St Paul
Tel: (651) 228 1766.
Website: "http://www.cathedralsp.org/"
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0730-1800, Fri 0730-1600, Sat 0800-2000, Sun 0800-1800.
Free admission; donations welcome.

Minnesota State Capitol
The Italian Renaissance-style State Capitol building (1904) is a masterpiece by architect Cass Gilbert. Over two dozen varieties of marble, granite and sandstone were used in its construction and throughout the lavish interior. The crowning glory is the unsupported marble dome, which rises 73m (220ft) high. The State Capitol is set high on a hilltop and affords sweeping views over the city and Mississippi River Valley. Guided tours are available.

75 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, St Paul
Tel: (651) 296 2881.
Website: "http://www.mnhs.org/statecapitol"
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600, Sat 1000-1500 and Sun 1300-1600.
Free admission; charge for special events.

James J Hill House
Life in America’s so-called ‘Gilded Age’ (the late 19th century) is on display in the former home of Great Northern Railway magnate James J Hill. The enormous stone Richardsonian Romanesque mansion, completed in 1891, measures 3,240 sq meters (36,000 sq ft) and is an ode to opulence, with crystal chandeliers, stained-glass windows, sky-lit art gallery, intricate wood carving and a huge pipe organ.

240 Summit Avenue, St Paul
Tel: (651) 297 2555.
Website: "http://www.mnhs.org/hillhouse"
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 1000-1530 and Sun 1300-1530, tours every half hour; reservations recommended.
Admission charge.

Landmark Center
Dedicated as a federal courthouse, in 1902, this ornate Victorian jewel, with its fairytale turrets and towers, was saved from demolition in the 1960s and is now used for art exhibitions and civic activities. Originally, the Landmark Center would have witnessed many gangster trials, as St Paul was notorious in the 1920s and 1930s as a safe haven for Big City gangsters such as Ma Barker, John Dillinger and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly. Interiors are extravagantly decorated with high ceilings, marble and mahogany details.

75 West Fifth Street, St Paul
Tel: (651) 292 3233.
Website: "http://www.landmarkcenter.org/"
Opening hours: Mon-Wed and Fri 0800-1700, Thurs 0800-2000, Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Free admission.

Minnesota History Center
Impressive displays on Minnesota history and culture are spread throughout this purpose-built, three-story building, which was completed in 1992. Different aspects of Minnesota history and culture are creatively portrayed according to the alphabet, such as ‘B for Baseball’ and ‘Z for Below-Zero’.

345 West Kellogg Boulevard, St Paul
Tel: (651) 296 6126 or 1 800 657 3773.
Website: "http://www.mnhs.org/"
Opening hours: Tues 1000-2000, Wed-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Free admission.

Science Museum of Minnesota
This city favorite combines science and entertainment, with plenty of hands-on and high-tech exhibits amid the outstanding collections of fossils and artifacts. The McKnight-3M Omnitheatershows state-of-the-art IMAX films on a 27m (90ft) diameter screen and there are also 3D laser shows.

120 West Kellogg Boulevard, St Paul
Tel: (651) 221 9444.
Website: "http://www.smm.org/"
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 0930-1900, Thu-Sat 0930-2200.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Minnehaha Park
Winding along the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Park, one of the oldest and most popular parks in Minneapolis, contains the city’s first frame house, located west of the river. There are views over Minnehaha Fallsand a statue commemorating the Native Americans, Hiawatha and Minnehaha, who were the subjects of Longfellow’s famous poem, ‘The Song of Hiawatha’.

Hiawatha Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway
Tel: (612) 230 6400.
Website: "http://www.minneapolisparks.org/"
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2200.
Free admission.

Historic Fort Snelling
This 1820s US Army outpost has been restored to depict military life in the frontier era. Costumed guides on the site demonstrate musket and cannon drills, blacksmithing and other skills, while the history center contains exhibits and videos.

Junction of Highways 5 and 55, Fort Snelling exit
Tel: (612) 726 1171.
Website: "http://www.mnhs.org/"
Opening hours: Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700 (early May and late Sep-Oct); Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700 (late May-early Sep); closed (Nov-Apr).
Admission charge. From: "http://www.iexplore.com/cityguides"