This is a small, but very good and free modern art museum on the campus of the U of Minnesota. The building has the iconic shape of architect Frank Gehry. The exhibits are on one floor with restrooms and a small terrace with a great view of the river and downtown Minneapolis. I really liked the permanent collection and the special exhibit by Asian artists, including a 165 foot-long beautiful painted scroll. If you are into modern art, it is well worth a visit. Another nice touch is the inexpensive, garage parking in the base of the building. You part and take the elevator directly up into the museum lobby. read more

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I attended a gala here a few years ago and it was such a fun venue space. We were able to mingle amongst the art exhibits as well. Great experience read more

Nice little free museum on UMN campus! I walked past this museum so many times during grad school and working here, but never went in until now. It has such an iconic exterior I'm glad I finally went in! This is a pretty small collection, easily doable in under an hour. They have some nice collections: my favorites were the Turkish rugs/rug exhibition and the Korean cabinets and dressers. It's all on one floor so very accessible and easy to get around. Bathrooms on the second floor with a deck view too. We loved their gift shop - so many unique and awesome things there that would be perfect for gifting! read more

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In town visiting relatives and looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon. Despite the Gopher football game that afternoon we ventured onto campus and easily found parking in the art museum's parking lot. The museum's exterior is typical Frank Gehry and very interesting. The museum itself is free and actually rather small. Given its size I am guessing much of their collection cannot be displayed. What they did have displayed was mildly interesting. I think we spent maybe 30 minutes or so exploring. Bottom line I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this unless you are a big fan of Frank Gehry's architecture. read more

Building is cool, only one floor of art. Lots of things that pertain to building plans for Minnesota. Parking garage or street parking. read more

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Went to the museum today only to find the ramp under the museum had a sign saying "reservation only". No where on the web does it state you need a reservation to park in the ramp. read more

Really like this museum! It's free! The exhibits change frequently enough that I'm always able to come in and see something new. The have a Spanish book shop for anyone interested, a little study area, and an awesome gift shop! Only issue is that it's pretty small so you go through it pretty quickly. read more

My friend and I visited the Weisman Art Museum when we were in Minneapolis for Memorial Day weekend. It isn't huge (especially because we had just missed an exhibit, so several rooms were closed off), but I thought the collection was really special - lots of contemporary artists and works. I really loved pieces by Wangari Mathenge, Salah Elmur, Joy Labinjo, Dawoud Bey, Jacob Lawrence, and Jim Denomie. Their collection was diverse and interesting and not the typical collection of the average American art museum. If you're interested in contemporary art, definitely don't sleep on the Weisman Art Museum: small but special! read more

Visitors will probably be more impressed with the outside more than inside, but nevertheless, the museum is full of interesting artworks of the traditional and non-traditional variety, is relatively small compared to many other art museums and, most importantly, is free! As part of our trip to Minneapolis, my wife and I stopped by to visit the Weisman Art Museum, but really we wanted to see the amazing Frank Gehry-designed exterior. If anyone has seen photos of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, then the Weisman museum will look very familiar with its shiny, silver, twisting steel shell. The Weisman Art Museum has a much lower profile than the Guggenheim in Bilbao, but it looks every bit like a piece of architecture right out of a Picasso painting. For photos, visitors could take the elevator down to the street level and get their shots in there, but an even better location is probably by the pedestrian bridge (Washington Avenue Pedestrian Bridge) outside. The museum sits right in the heart of the University of Minnesota's campus so there is plenty of foot traffic around the museum's entrance. On the Friday afternoon that we visited, school was back in session at the university, but it was very quiet in the museum. There were a few visitors here and there inside, but we were free to roam around inside without anyone else around. The museum was only 1 floor and very manageable. It took us about only 1 hour to walk around the museum at a leisurely pace and that was even cutting it long. The collection of art inside varied with a lot of it not actually only being paintings. Overall, the Weisman Art Museum was a nice, quiet, chill spot to relax and just look at some art while not letting that one activity hog up half of your day. read more

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Great museum, a nice variety of art for everyone. Parking ramp is easy to navigate. No food or drink allowed. Great views super cool building read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Great art museum. Easily able to see everything in a few hours with some rotating exhibits. When we went there was a feature with digital art that was really interesting. The hotel exhibit is great and really interactive. My kids loved the museum too. Great way to spend a couple of hours and it is free! Very cool exterior too. Lovely place read more

Weisman Art Museum - One of their huge pieces - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Very nice art but staff was EXTREMELY bitchy. Lots of workers just sitting in chairs chatting ready to yell at you for having a water bottle. Fix your face next time you wanna tell grown people what to do. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This is part of the University of Minnesota campus. Great architecture designed by Gehry. It's right along the Mississippi River. Don't miss the fish inside. And read why fish were important to Gehry. They have yoga and lectures and events. Admission is always free! There's some great works to see here. read more

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[61/100] I appreciate art museums when I travel. The art is always new to me but the purpose is familiar. I went early morning and was able to eat breakfast at their park. There was so many sculptures and the garden was so green. Parking was easy and free at the residential areas. The museum and park is enormous. I drove around one time before picking a spot. The museum is well maintained and there are plenty of other places to check out. There was a parade starting when I left which was good timing because a lot of the streets were closed off. Tips: - Wear comfortable walking shoes. - Bring water - Bring a snack or lunch. I recommend a visit, especially if you don't have too much time. The city is beautiful and spacious. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We loved stopping in here on a rainy spring day. It was cozy and welcoming and FREE!! This is an easy museum to wander with signage denoting your directions for walking. There is some great art here from artists that are not as well known to this visitor. The Frank Gehry building and the giant glass sculpture of a fish were super impressive. We loved the exhibits on display at this time (April 2021) and would visit again in a hot second. read more

Excellent modern art museum housed in it's own work of art designed by Gehry. Gehry also designed the glass fish that used to be in the sculpture garden, but is vacationing here while that area is undergoing construction. Admission is free, but a donation box suggests $3. I was so impressed I put in $5! Stopping in on a Saturday right as they opened was the perfect time to enjoy the gallery almost to myself. They have paintings, sculptures, and all sorts of interesting art to enjoy! It's located right on campus and the Mississippi River so lovely walks all around! read more

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The Weisman Art Museum sits inside an eclectic, abstract building on the outskirts of the University of Minnesota campus. Easily noticeable as you drive across the river, the museum building's sleek, silver, curved sides jut in and out, simultaneously catching your attention and also perhaps making you wary of what you'll find inside. In fact, the exhibits inside weren't nearly as abstract or strange as I would've expected from the building's exterior. Which isn't a bad thing (at least for me)! The museum is larger than I expected and has rooms on a variety of topics, including Indian art, Asian sculpture and pottery, and contemporary American art. I appreciated that every piece on display had not just an artist name and a title, but also a paragraph or two about the art's meaning or origin. This made it a great way to learn about history or different cultures, and it also helped to extend the visit. Even despite reading just about everything, seeing the entire museum only took about an hour. But it was a fun hour, and the museum is completely free to the public! So if you're looking for a fun artistic adventure some lazy weekend, check out the WAM for a good time! read more

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I've acclimated to the twisted style of architecture of this once strange building. Now I appreciate the creativeness. We are the U, we are Mn we don't need to look like the rest. That said there were concerns that the folding and twists could not drain water properly and would stain quickly, which it does. Now on to the insides. The displays change fairly quickly giving us some variety and there is no admission. There is a donation jar which generally has a few bills and loose change on the bottom. Certainly not enough to pay the electric for a day. Modern Art and photo exhibits enhance the browsing experience and there are often educational tours and lectures for students. Not unusual to see an eclectic sample of 18-24 yr olds sketching and learning as they go. The apartment hallway is most peculiar and reminds me of my first apartment in South Minneapolis many years ago. read more

Weisman Art Museum - The famous apt. creation. - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Designed by Frank Gehry the Weisman Art Museum no doubt sticks out amongst the rest of Minneapolis' architecture, but between the small collection and price it simply lacks the relevance of Minneapolis Institute of Art though the few Master's pieces contained in the space are worth seeing if one is in the area. read more

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The Weisman Museum is yet another example of the tremendous marriage of art and architecture that you find in the Twin Cities. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful spaces to view art. The Weisman Museum is located on the campus of the University of Minnesota--a beautiful location over-looking the Mississippi River along the river road. Parking is made easy by having their own parking lot below the building, and another campus garage nearby. The building itself is world-famous thanks to Frank Gehry, who has designed numerous iconic structures all over the world (my favorite of which is the Stata Center on the campus of MIT). It is definitely true to Gehry's style and an inconic piece of Twin Cities architecture. The collection isnt what you might find at the Walker or MIA, but it's definitely impressive in its own right. There are pieces by Warhol & O'Keeffe just to name a couple. The space is bright thanks to many ceiling windows which allow you to view the art in good light. The new addition to the facility will also allow more of the 17,000 pieces in the collection to be displayed. One thing that I really appreciate, aside from FREE admission of couse, is that lenient photography policy. It's a great place to shoot some great art. Pros: FREE admission, beautiful architecture by Frank Gehry, nice collection, lenient photography policy, parking is easy, location overlooking the river Cons: Dont expect a collection like the MIA or Walker, the surrounding area can be busy--it's on a college campus read more

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How did I accidentally not write a review of the Fred? The main things you need to know are: 1) The Weisman is an art museum, primarily modern and they have other more traditional exhibits 2) It's FREE 3) It's on the U of MN campus. There are other things to do in the area. It's a cool free museum, go! There is kind of pricey parking in the garage under the Fred, or you can drive a bit more and park at the river flats and walk over. The building itself is very cool looking on the outside with the shiny silver surfaces. I used to think it was a bit ugly, but it grew on me. The outside is best viewed at sunrise or sunset when you can see the gorgeous colors of the sky reflected in the exterior. In the middle of a sunny day you have to be a bit careful about peering at the Fred. The inside has a few different galleries. The last time I was there they had a bunch of modern art paintings with blocks of color in different shades of the same tone, photographs of a bunch of very poor African countries where you could see the colonial buildings still in use or being re-purposed, pottery, traditional paintings, Asian furniture, and a mocked up old apartment to name a few. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Recently,I saw a fine temporary retrospective featuring quality oil paintings by 20th Century American Painter,B.J.O. Nordfeldt.Favorite paintings produced by Nordfeldt in this large exhibit were;"Green Woods"(very Expressionistic),"Chicago Artists Crossing Bridge To Hades","Self Portrait","Rock Forms","Antelope Dance,1919",and "Steamship in Canal,Venice". I also saw fine works of Art from the Weisman's permanent collection by Roy Lichtenstein("Mural For World's Fair"),James Rosenquist,and Frank Gehry("Glass Fish")in this small art museum on the huge University of Minnesota Campus.Admission at this art museum is free.Masks at this art museum are encouraged,but not compulsory. read more

Went to the Weisman, Walker, and MIA while I was in Minneapolis. Really didn't think Weisman was worth the visit; I'd skip it and spend an extra day at MIA. Poor curation in a small space. I spent my whole experience wondering "is this it? Am I missing something?" read more

This is a 5-star destination if you're a contemporary art and architecture junkie. It's also a fantastic destination. I'd give it 5 stars as a site for visitors to Minneapolis. During my visit (9 Dec 15), there was a 5-star show installed (The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection). The permanent collection items on display during my visit were worth seeing and represented their artists (Lichtenstein, Rosenquist) well. BONUS - free admission BONUS - interesting gift shop TIP - open Wednesday evenings TIP - closed Mondays BONUS - in-building parking TIP - in-building parking could be expensive - I paid $6 for, maybe, two hours BONUS - One Wednesday per month there is study hall held in a public space off the lobby of the museum. read more

It's the building more than anything else that brings me back to the Weisman once a season. I get a little thrill over Gehry's creation everytime I cross the bridge, but it's not what I would call beautiful. More like a metallic sea creature or maybe a city on the moon. Iconic, certainly. We have the only art museum that Frank Gehry ever built in the US and now he's coming back to expand it. The inside is what gets me. I don't anticipate being able to afford to have a private party here anytime soon, but the wood floors, high slanted ceilings and river views put it at the top of my list for a big event. The light! The collection itself seems peculiar, but I guess someone has to specialize in pottery and Korean art. The American moderist paintings are my favorite - lovely O'Keefes. Other exhibitions come through of course, which are worth watching out for. I know the expansion is intended to be a boon for the museum since it will mean more space, but I also appreciate how small it is now. Just the right amount of art for me - probably because you can see it all in under an hour and leave feeling like you didn't skip or miss anything. Very satisfying. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Obviously the architecture is a big draw. I didn't know the area so I parked in the lot underneath the building. Driving around here is a little confusing because it's also part of a university. There's a $3 suggested donation which I gladly paid because it's important to support the arts. I liked the museum and exhibits (about 70% modern art) but it was somewhat small (compared to what I was expecting from the size of the building). No big deal, just don't plan to spend all day here (unless you're sketching or something). Tip: Non-flash photography IS allowed, which is nice, because I was not doing a good job trying to take surreptitious pictures without the staff seeing me. There's a nice gift shop by the upstairs entrance. read more

This is a beautiful building designed by Frank Gehry, and the museum inside is free. Yes. FREE! There are actually some really interesting pieces; I just saw some really neat photos by a local Twin Cities resident, an amazing wall-size painting of chicken coops stretching for miles and a neat interactive piece from a restored hotel. Oh yeah, and a few Andy Warhols. You do have to pay for parking, but this is one of the best deals going in the Cities. Free! read more

Weisman Art Museum - Copyright Michelle Massey, 2009 - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The museum itself was ok, it may depend on the exhibitions. The building was interesting shape covered with alminum like material. I don't know the value of this building as an architecture, but seeing it is fun. Also the landscape from the upper level was good. You can see the scenery of Mississippi river. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Is this a famous architecture? - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This museum is a must-see in Minneapolis. The architecture is so cool, it's free, and it's pretty small, so you can browse the exhibits in a relatively short period of time. The building is a real architectural wonder. With all the curved surfaces and shiny metal, descriptions and pictures don't do this place justice - it looks so cool in person! The exhibits were a mix of modern art and historic art (my preference). The interior is architecturally not as interesting as the exterior, but there are some cool corners and parts of the ceiling. Even if you only have half an hour to check it out, I'd definitely recommend doing so! read more

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Wonderful Exhibition with a lot of different styles. You have different rooms where you can Look at Great Art und you have also the Option to sit down And Look at one or another painting. A Must See in the Twin Cities. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Sculpture in the entry area - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

great on the outside, great on the inside. a true gem for the twin cities. I like to ride up river road with out of towners and then casually point out the window and show them the bldg. spectacular design, great art, I wish there more examples of such great architecture in the cities. read more

Awesome drive by Museum. The Frank Gehry designed building is interesting to look at, especially as the sun is setting, but unless there is a specific exhibit, it is small and non-impressive. There is no cafe, coffee cart or snacks within a 1 mile radius... don't go hungry or thirsty. read more

Weisman Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Crazy silver abstract box. Gotta love it. My rehearsal dinner was held here, and it was a fabulous spot for it. Damico catered it and we had a jazz band. Truly lovely. The museum was open while the event was going on, which allowed for people to walk around and gaze at the wonderful art here. Great views of the river as well. I'd recommend anyone planning on throwing a smallish (60) event to check out the Weisman. read more

This is an fascinating art museum, first of all the building itself is a work of art-- - it looks like a tinfoil from afar- - which is actually beautifully sculpted stainless steel. It's a gorgeous unique building that you can not help notice and be awed. The design is by world -renowned architect Frank Gehry. The first and still the only Gehry-designed art museum in the United States. The curvy,shiny, magical looking building is so stunning, from wherever I view it. I love that it is different, yet it still relates to the University of Minnesota (my Alma Mater! )campus and the buildings that surround it. Many people say Washington Avenue Bridge is the best place to view it, but my favorite view is from West River Pkway, just breathtaking during sunset especially during summer and autumn...I read a post by someone here that the reflection is blinding..it is only "blinding" if you look directly into the reflection...it is interesting to note that studies have been done by MNDOT about the reflection and how not hazardous it is to motorists when it first opened .I guess it just shows how ingenious Gehry is! The interior of the museum also is full of light day-lighting the interior, without ever having direct sunlight on any of the artwork..WOW! The windows not only let in light, but also offer fabulous views of the campus, river, and skyline. The art collection does not disappoint as it houses a nice collection of early 20th century American artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden Hartley and contemporary art. If you haven't been there, it's definitely worth a visit. I'm really grateful for this gem of a museum right here, at my beloved Alma Mater in Minnesota. Admission is free, and it can't get better than that! read more

Weisman Art Museum - It's like a aluminum castle on the buff....such a stunning building. - Art Museums Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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A Frank Gehry design, but not executed under his auspices? OK, shoot me now, but it looks like a bunch of hacks put this together when you look at the interior window sills are light wood and the exterior is all gleamy. Executed like the Guthrie it is NOT! Inside's nice and all but I can't get over how cheaply put together it makes it look. Maybe they wanted to match the covered walkway across the river that's been needing maintenance from the university for the past 20+ years. I'm probably the only one that noticed, so don't worry, you'll enjoy it. Another thing to check off your list. read more

The Weisman probably deserves 3-3.5 stars, but I'm bumping up because it's [other than a suggested donation] free. I actually really like the Weisman's permanent collection - there's Lichtenstein, Rosenquist, O'Keeffe - and I'm not even much for remembering artists. Another favorite is the condemned apartment building; an experience of city/shared living and voyeurism. The exhibits... hit or miss. I love their current (April 09) portrait collection. I don't love their current Vietnam women exhibit. In the past I've seen ones I love and ones that bore me. Overall though, I really like their dedication to constant change and free art for the masses. I don't love that they're not open until 11 am on Sundays. I know this is a campus thing, and students are all lazy and sleepy, but I got thaaaangs to do. However, it should be noted that it only takes about 45 minutes to walk the entire museum (well, if you're non-particularly-artistically-enthused-but-interested-in-intellectual-enlightenment-when-it's-convenient like me). Plus - the Gehry-designed building is awesome. Just don't try to take a picture of it - you'll never capture it properly. Just ask my aunt, who tried for like, kind of a long time and ended up disappointed. read more

This is a fun museum to go to. Period. Since it is right on the U of M campus, there are lots of students around and the area is nice. Personally, I like the outside of the building but I have heard people say some nasty things about it (shame on them). I got to go on a tour of their collection that they have in storage since they don't have room to display it all. It is quiet eclectic and there are notable paintings stored there. The actual museum area where the public is allowed is small. Which is fine, because you can take your time and enjoy the art instead of trying to run around and see it all like the bigger museums. I would recommend making it part of an outing (like visit another museum or plan something else near the campus). read more

This was a cute museum to visit - I really enjoyed their Rondo exhibit! It's a small and intimate museum which I think is appropriate as it's free :) Great place to look at some art and enjoy the A/C on a hot summer's day. read more

I had high expectations for the interior, but nothing spectacular. Would I go again? Maybe...only because it's free. The exterior definitely makes you wonder what it looks like on the inside, but pretty much stops there, the outside. The architecture is breathtaking when you stop to look at it in the bitter cold! Something about the sunsetting and the light reflecting off of it makes it just look that much more amazing. I was thinking there was some really good exhibits, but only a few interesting pieces caught my attention, other than that, it's quick to go through. read more

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Oh, its a big shiny thing, you really cant miss it. I love the little bridges over the Wash ave, they match the museum. Its free, has a little gift shop (exuberant prices), and MN alumna's can rent it out for a wedding. They rotate the collections, as there isnt enough space to display it all. But I love it. They have some amazing pieces, especially in the textiles collection.. Good for a cheap date if you are on a budget. Go and enjoy it. You don't have to be a Gopher to love it. read more