Minneapolis
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
City of Lakes | City of Lakes
Why visit
Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, and Bde Maka Ska form the Chain of Lakes. Walk, run, or rent a paddleboard. Walker Art Center pairs Frank Gehry-designed buildings with the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture in the adjacent Sculpture Garden. The Mill City Museum tells the flour-milling story inside an actual ruined mill on the riverbank. First Avenue, the club Prince made famous in Purple Rain, still hosts gigs nightly. Minnesota State Fair (late August) is among the biggest in the US.
When to avoid
Winter is brutal. January lows of -15 to -25°C with wind chill far worse. Don't attempt without serious cold-weather gear. Summer brings mosquitoes (the unofficial state bird) at dawn and dusk. Use repellent. Don't walk alone in industrial areas late at night. The 2020 unrest after George Floyd's murder centered here. Some neighborhoods are still rebuilding.
