Minneapolis Travel Guide

From an urban sculpture garden to one of the largest malls in America, Minneapolis boasts an abundance of unique sights. Throughout the city, neighborhoods house unique shops and ethnic eateries, while the Mississippi River and more than 20 lakes within the city limits add to the landscape. During your stay, you will find no shortage of leisure activities in the area, including cultural events, professional sports and festivals galore.  The city boasts of three world-class museums, and has more theatres per capita than any other city outside of New York.  Culture is not only supported here but thrives.

A string of lakes along the west side of town features many old, large and expensive homes nestled amid more comfortable middle- and working-class residential neighborhoods. A drive or walk around The Lakes, from Cedar Lake with its public and "Hidden" beaches in the north, around Lake of the Isles with its bird sanctuary island, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet in the south, emptying into Minnehaha Creek, will reveal some of the most picturesque houses with spectacular views of the lakes. Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles could be called the most popular in the city-thousands of people can be found walking, biking, running, swimming, skating and boating on and around them.

Just south of downtown Minneapolis you find the Uptown Neighborhood of Minneapolis, the center of the 30-something scene. It contains mostly rental properties in old brownstone buildings with hardwood floors. It also features some of the best shopping in Minneapolis; its main streets, Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, are lined with unique shops. Other highlights of the area include great restaurants and bars, numerous coffee houses and alternative movie theaters.

Lyn-Lake Just a few blocks east of Uptown is Lyn-Lake a great up-and-coming neighborhood with creative hang-out spots popping up all the time and creative retail outlets. Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theatre, a unique combination of a bowling alley, restaurant and 100-seat theater is a great place to join friends for the evening. For a cultural experience, visit the Jungle Theater, an acclaimed local theater, featuring plays by Sam Shepard and other local artists.

For dining and entertainment, the Warehouse District in the Downtown area has great places to explore, from the International Design Center to renovated warehouses with galleries, shops and offices.

Just east of Downtown on a bend of the Mississippi River, you'll find the Minneapolis Campus of the University of Minnesota, linked by buses to the smaller St. Paul campus. Much of the Twin Cities' thriving small theatre culture centers around the West Bank and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods, from the U of MN's theatre complex to the decades old Theatre in the Round to new performances by Pig's Eye Theatre at the Cedar Riverside People's Center.

Dinkytown is a thriving arts and shopping area of about six blocks centered on University Ave and 4th Street S.E. just north of the U of MN main campus, with bookstores and eateries that have been there for generations of students and and long-time residents.