Beautiful historical building with grey photo opportunities and a few small but exquisite museums…read moreinside! I walked into this center while attending a conference in the Saint Paul hotel across the street. I was so pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the inside is, how nice the two museums (a musical instrument museum, with amazingly beautiful old pianos, and a woodwork museum with a great collection of carved wood items) are, and how friendly and helpful the staff/volunteers were inside the center. And all of that is free to the visitors! What a wonderful opportunity to see the region's history and culture , and meet some friendly locals! I can't recommend this place enough!

Gorgeous historical building with a variety of exhibits and restored courtrooms. The woodwork…read morethroughout the building was all hand-carved, as was the stonework. A wonderful space in which to wander!

Very fun in a nice small park downtown. We are Peanuts fans and enjoyed the display. If you bring a…read morepicnic lunch you could enjoy it in the park.

Gotta check these out in you're in the area. I want to say the Peanuts creator was from the area so…read morethey're here as a tribute to him.

Constructed between 1881 and 1883 in Minneapolis, MN as a railroad bridge, the stone arch bridge…read morewas converted in 1994 as a pedestrian/cycle bridge crossing the Mississippi River. It provides some great views of the old time milling operations in the area, as well as St Anthony Falls. It consists of 23 stone arches spanning 2,100 feet, and is the only stone arched bridge still on the Mississippi. It is on the National Register of Historic Places (1971) and is considered a National Historic Engineering Landmark. The entry from downtown would be via Mills Ruins Park. On my visit during mid March, there was still a lot of snow on the ground from a large snowfall a couple days before, and there was a path cleared, though to get better views on the river, some waterproof boots would have been handy.

This former railroad bridge crosses the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in downtown…read moreMinneapolis. It is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi. This is the second oldest bridge on the river. It's now a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a great place to visit for a walk. You can start at the Guthrie Theater or Mill City Museum, then head across the bridge to get breathtaking views of the downtown skyline, and end up in the neighborhood of St Anthony Main which has cobblestone roads and cute small businesses. I got the chance to see it and walk across it on a snowy December afternoon. It was gorgeous and I'd love to come back when it's warmer.

Back in 1973 a friend and I crashed the grand opening ceremony and I recall walking away with a…read moreglossy multi-page booklet, a complementary hard hat (not remotely useable) and various other minor swag. The Philip Johnson designed IDS center seemed glittery, glamorous, exotic and impressive. I will admit to being a bit awestruck. Over the years I have innumerable fond memories whether entering at street level, walking in on the skyway level, sitting out on a balcony overlooking the Crystal Court or very occasionally parking below and taking in the scenery from the long lost observation level. In fact, at the risk of TMI I proposed to my late wife in 1978 while seated at a corner window table at the then still newish restaurant Windows on Minnesota (another casualty of change). Back in the day my father used to describe the IDS tower by slowly raising his middle finger. He dismissed it as "the box that the Foshay Tower came in." Well... that was then and this is now. My most recent memories are of of a tired, sparse, neglected and lonely place. Maybe an homage to glories past but one that has decidedly seen better days. Perhaps it is inevitable that as downtown Mpls has changed and become significantly repurposed structures such as the once inspiring IDS have lapsed into a rather sad reality. A veritable shadow of itself. I'm left with some great memories however!

The IDS center is the center of downtown Minneapolis. It is the hub of the skyways everything you…read moreneed right downtown and the IDS is in the center of it very comfortable very inviting friendly environment. I love it.

When visiting Europe, taking a picture with a small, but significant statue is often a way to…read moreremember and record the visit (e.g. Manneken Pis in Brussels, LIttle Mermaid in Copenhagen). In the States, these small cultural icons tends to gravitate towards TV shows? This famous one depicts the end shot of the beginning sequence from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she throws her tam hat (always thought it was a beret, but learned that it's a tam, more appropriate for the Minneapolis weather) into the air, expressing her joy and independence (and the need to bundle up stylishly). Of course, my wife had to reproduce that scene (no tam, but a skull cap) and it was a fun thing to do (taking very little time). We had visited the statue many years before (just like we had with the Fonzie statue in Milwaukee), and was super glad that it's still very well maintained (polished, no graffiti, etc). MTM passed in 2017, and this statue is a nice tribute to her, and her ground breaking TV show.

I remember watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show with my mother when I was younger, so when I had the…read morechance to see the MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue in person I took advantage of it. Located in downtown Minneapolis, where her famous opening credits hat toss took place, you might walk by it, if you weren't looking for it. The life size MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue was very nice, it got the details right. There is a parking garage not too far away, if you're not able to find street parking. This little bit of nostalgia and TV history was fun to see. I highly recommend the MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue!

I have been to the history center multiple times in my life, starting with the classic minnesotan…read morefield trip in grade school. I have been back a few times for a few of their special exhibits. We went when the peanuts exhibit was here, I went with the Junior League of Minneapolis when there was a womens exhibit and we just went to see the Julia Child exhibit that ends at the end of May. Every Thursday evening admission is free which is absolute treat (Parking too!). We found ourselves here for the final game of round 1 for the Wild (GO WILD) and discovered they were allowing parking for the game and there was a line to get in (I think they charged $20). I called as there was a line to see if they had different parking for museum guests, which they did reserve several for museum guests, so we got to park for free which was amazing. The History Center does a really great job of mixing the educational and interactive aspects. On the day we attended we discovered they also had a music series going on (starting at 6:30) so we were able to sit and hear some beautiful music as well which was a added bonus and something we didn't know they did. There are exhibits that are totally kid friendly which is great as it caters to such a wide variety of people.

Revised Version Bon…read moreAppétit. This exhibit at the Minnesota History Center tells the story of Julia Child's life, from college to the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency) to becoming one of television's first celebrity chefs. Julia's life story is one of adaptation and surprise. She grew up wealthy, went to Smith College, and joined the Office of Strategic Services because she was too tall for the Women's Army Corps (WAC). She was promoted from typist to the Secret Intelligence division. It was in this role that she met her husband, Paul Child, who also worked for the OSS. She later worked in several restaurants, developed recipes, and wrote best-selling cookbooks. Eventually, she became the host of the television show The French Chef, which debuted in 1962. She appeared on television until near the end of her life in 2004. The exhibit at the Minnesota History Center does an excellent job of presenting her entire life story, mostly through photographs and descriptions. It includes many of her cooking implements, handwritten notes, letters, and recipes. There are also several video displays showing episodes of The French Chef. However, I think the highlight of the exhibit is the giant (and I mean GIANT) cookbook display that scrolls through pages of the book. Another highlight is a replica of the kitchen studio she used on her TV show, which was designed by her husband, Paul. When we visited, there were many school groups. However, I don't feel this exhibit is really designed for kids, since most of them would have no idea who Julia Child was--even as a TV chef--since she died more than 20 years ago. I also don't think the exhibit is interactive enough to hold the attention of anyone in high school or younger. That's not really a criticism--just an observation. If I were a parent or school volunteer, I would probably steer kids toward some of the other exhibits in the History Center. One amusing moment came from a kid standing in the kitchen display and yelling, "I'm Gordon Ramsay!" I suspect Julia would have been disappointed in how some cooking shows have evolved since her time--but I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

Rice park is an adorable spot right in the heart of the city. Featuring the peanuts characters,…read moreplenty of benches and lights, it is a breath of fresh air! Very well decorated and a popular spot for events. Currently hosting the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship events including s'more's, plenty of hockey games, and more family fun in the park.

Rice Park has a beautiful water fountain, plenty of seating and shade under the large trees. Events…read moreare often hosted here on the weekends and throughout the summer. In the winter there are ice sculptures and displays.

For a newbie in this area, trying to figure out where Landmark Plaza starts and ends was a…read morechallenge. There really isn't an official sign that says that you are here. My touristy impression is that Landmark Plaza is the small park in front of the historic Landmark Center. The plaza connects to both Hamm Memorial Park and Rice Park. It also has a few bronze Peanuts statues. I had parked at Infor Commons. When I had stepped out of the building and crossed the street (jaywalking across a one-way street is easy), I was at Landmark Plaza. It's cute. I can see it being a small greenspace to take a break and people-watch when it's warmer. I'd guess that Rice Park has more people there when the weather is nice, so hanging out at Landmark Plaza is a good alternative. Landmark Center is pretty cool. I learned that it used to be a post office and court house. It's now a cultural centre for music, theatre, exhibitions, dance, and more. It was nice discovering Landmark Plaza on my way to a Minnesota Wild game. I enjoy such discoveries and learning about them. (105)

This is a small pocket park that looks like a walk through. It was previously the Orpheum Theatre…read moreand later a state bank. It is a half an acre and features a couple of Peanuts statues, including one of Lucy and Linus leaning on a low wall, one with Charlie Brown sitting with a dog on his lap, and another depict Schroeder playing the piano while Lucy is leaning on it, swooning all over him. If you look closely, you will see small interpretive plaques embedded in the tops of the seat walls. It is near the Landmark Center, where it gets its name from. There is paved and cobblestone walkways that are starting to break off and come apart, along with some benches to sit. You add a little green space and that is basically all the plaza has to offer. You will find metered street parking around the perimeter of the plaza. Be sure to check the meters' enforcement hours. You may not have to pay depending on when you are there. It is a decent place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city or walk your pooch. I will admit though that this is not a destination spot and will probably be visited by people that are passing by the plaza on the way somewhere else or just wanting to take a quick break of the hustle and bustle of the city.

This water tower has quite a lot of history if you google it. The park itself isn't much to visit…read moreand surround the tower is pretty run down. I rode my bike up here just to check it out, wasn't worth it.

Come for the amazing view of the city. At nighttime. Daytime. Anytime it's a great view. Now you…read moredon't get to go up in the water tower. (Except I guess one day a year) but it's still a really great view of downtown Minneapolis. The park is also not a bad spot for a picnic.