DY5FWE USA, Minnesota, Minneapolis, skyline from the University of Minnesota

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University of Minnesota

Minneapolis

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This is one of the USA's largest campuses, with some 50,000 students. Most of the campus is in the East Bank neighborhood. Washington Ave SE and Oak St SE is the bulls eye, thronged by coffee shops, fast-food joints and ethnic eateries. A smaller part is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, near the intersection of 4th St S and Riverside Ave. This area has a few restaurants, some student hangouts and a big Somali community.

The Washington Ave Bridge connects the two halves (note that the bridge's bottom deck is reserved for cars, the top deck for pedestrians and bicyclists).

Another popular area is Dinkytown, located at the campus' northern edge (at 14th Ave SE and 4th St SE), which is dense with student cafes and bookshops.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Walker Art Center.

    Walker Art Center

    2.73 MILES

    The first-class art center has a strong permanent collection of 20th-century art and photography, including big-name US painters and great US pop art. On…

  • Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers, Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

    2.74 MILES

    This 19-acre green space, studded with contemporary works such as the oft-photographed Spoonbridge & Cherry by Claes Oldenburg, sits beside the Walker Art…

  • Main entrance to Minneapolis Institute of Arts, fine arts museum in Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Midwest, USA

    Minneapolis Institute of Art

    2.29 MILES

    This museum is a huge trove housing a veritable history of art. The modern and contemporary collections will astonish, while the Asian galleries (2nd…

  • The Frederick Weisman Art Museum, the stainless steel structure by architect Frank Gehry, on the University of Minnesota campus - Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota

    Weisman Art Museum

    0.2 MILES

    The Weisman, which occupies a swooping silver structure by architect Frank Gehry, is a university (and city) highlight. The airy main galleries hold cool…

  • Endless Bridge

    Endless Bridge

    1.11 MILES

    Head inside the cobalt-blue Guthrie Theater and make your way up the escalator to the Endless Bridge, a far-out cantilevered walkway overlooking the…

  • Paisley Park

    Paisley Park

    17.86 MILES

    After Prince died in 2016, his family opened his 65,000-sq-ft home to the public for tours. Fans have been streaming to the mod, boxy white mansion ever…

  • 405090 10: The Statue Honoring Mary Tyler Moore Was Unveiled May 8, 2002 In Minneapolis, Mn. The Statue Depicts Moore Tossing Her Tam (Hat) From The Opening Credits Of The "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". (Photo By Mike Ekern/Getty Images)

    Mary Tyler Moore Statue

    1.92 MILES

    The late, great Mary Tyler Moore (of '70s TV fame) put Minneapolis on the pop-culture map. The spot, at the corner of 7th St S and Nicollet Mall, where…

  • Valleyfair

    Valleyfair

    16.45 MILES

    If the rides at the Mall of America aren't enough, drive out to this full-scale amusement and water park 22 miles southwest of Minneapolis in Shakopee…

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Nearby Minneapolis attractions

1. Weisman Art Museum

0.2 MILES

The Weisman, which occupies a swooping silver structure by architect Frank Gehry, is a university (and city) highlight. The airy main galleries hold cool…

2. Gold Medal Park

1 MILES

Locals stroll in this spot that spreads next to the Guthrie Theater. The mound and spiral walkway at the center were inspired by ancient Native American…

3. Endless Bridge

1.11 MILES

Head inside the cobalt-blue Guthrie Theater and make your way up the escalator to the Endless Bridge, a far-out cantilevered walkway overlooking the…

4. Mill City Museum

1.2 MILES

The building is indeed a former mill, and highlights include a ride inside an eight-story grain elevator (the 'Flour Tower'), Betty Crocker exhibits and a…

5. Water Power Park

1.23 MILES

Walk down from Main St SE to this park jutting into the Mississippi River and feel its frothy spray. Quiet benches, skyline views and the chance to see…

6. Mary Tyler Moore Statue

1.92 MILES

The late, great Mary Tyler Moore (of '70s TV fame) put Minneapolis on the pop-culture map. The spot, at the corner of 7th St S and Nicollet Mall, where…

7. Minneapolis Institute of Art

2.29 MILES

This museum is a huge trove housing a veritable history of art. The modern and contemporary collections will astonish, while the Asian galleries (2nd…

8. Walker Art Center

2.73 MILES

The first-class art center has a strong permanent collection of 20th-century art and photography, including big-name US painters and great US pop art. On…