The larger of Minnesota’s Twin Cities is known for its cold winters. But there is more to Minneapolis than ice and snow: an energetic theater scene (the city is second only to New York when it comes to number of theater seats per capita), plenty of art on display and an impressive menu of public places to enjoy the urban outdoors. And it’s not cold year round. Swimming and sun-tanning are as much a part of the Minneapolis experience as skating and skiing.
Like many of its Midwest peers, Minneapolis is a cheap travel destination compared to cities on the coasts. With plenty of outdoor options, year round festivities and public art, Minneapolis is also a great place to find free attractions.
1. The Walker Art Center is a modern art museum with galleries that go well beyond the usual array of paintings and sculptures offerings at traditional museums. The exhibit halls host everything from photography to prints to multimedia art. There are also special performances and events. Locally-based corporation Target sponsors Free Thursday Nights. Anyone can enter the museum between 5 and 9 p.m. on Thursday without having to pay an admission fee.
2. Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Many of these waterways sit in the rural portion of the state, but there are several urban lakes that attract thousands of locals (and tourists) daily. The paved pathways around Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake, and Lake Calhoun are filled with joggers, walkers, bikers and rollerbladers on most summer evenings. The lakes have beaches and picnic areas as well.
3. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival, held in late January and early February, is a popular festival that takes place in the smaller of the Twin Cities. Popular events include ice and snow sculptures (on display in Downtown Saint Paul), a torch-light parade, and plenty of offbeat characters. Downtown Saint Paul is only 15-20 minutes from central Minneapolis by car.
4. Cinco de Mayo is another Saint Paul event worth crossing the river for. Usually held on the weekend closest to May 5th, the event is held in District del Sol, on Saint Paul’s West Side, the city’s Mexican enclave. Attractions include a parade, live music and a car show. There are lots of food vendors and places to eat in the District del Sol area. These are not free, but quite cheap, all things considered.
5. Minneapolis parks roll out the entertainment during the summer. Places like the Lake Harriet Bandshell (see #2) host free concerts and free movies are screened at dusk at parks around the city. There are even outdoor theater performances, ranging from comedy improvisation to Shakespeare plays.
6. The Minneapolis Institute of Art, in South Minneapolis, offers free admission every day of the year. The museum has an interesting collection of ethnic art and artifacts, as well as paintings, sculptures and modern art installations. The museum is funded by members. Current exhibits include a photography show featuring Czech photographers and a collection of Sub-Saharan folk art.
7. Minneapolis does not rival Portland, Oregon in terms of micro-breweries, but there are several regional beer-makers in town who are well-known for producing quality suds. Some offer free tours of their facilities that culminate in free beer tastings. Summit Brewery is arguably the most famous. It offers free brewery tours. The tours only last about 45 minutes, but there is a chance for of-age tourists to sample the company’s products at the end of the tour.
8. The Minneapolis Aquatennial is a 10 day celebration of summer held near Downtown Minneapolis in late July. Aquatennial events include parades, plenty of food, and live music. The most popular feature of the summertime revelry is the nightly fireworks show. In terms of scale, the pyrotechnics at the Aquatennial rival those of any cities’ 4th of July celebrations.
9. Surdyks is known for being one of the largest liquor stores in town. It claims to be the largest in the Upper Midwest. While that fact might be arguable, it is one of the oldest, having been in operation since the early 1930s. They often put on free wine tastings and it is always fun to simply window shop through the unusual bottles that are found in the isles.
10. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is located on the outskirts of Downtown Minneapolis. It is adjacent to Loring Park (Minneapolis’ Downtown green space) and the Walker Art Center (see #1). Whereas the Walker is free only on Thursday evenings, the Sculpture Garden (most known for the iconic cherry on a spoon installation that sits over a pond) is always free. Though it is arguably more pleasant to stroll the gardens during the summer, it is possible to visit any day of the year.
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