Museums located on the University of Minnesota Campus
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis campus). A teaching museum for the university since 1934, the museum is named for Frederick R. Weisman, and was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Frank O. Gehry. The museum presents and interprets works of art, offering exhibitions that place art within relevant cultural, social and historical contexts.
Architectural style: Deconstructivism
Address: 333 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55455
The Bell Museum of Natural History "Minnesota’s official natural history museum, is now located on the St Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. Take amazing journeys from the far reaches of the cosmos to deep inside the human brain in the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium. Explore the origins of the universe and the diversity of life on earth in our galleries, which include our world famous wildlife dioramas. Engage all your senses in our Touch & See Lab with 10,000 year-old fossils, live plants and animals, and more. Wander outside on our green roof and observation deck, and explore the learning landscape of native plants, geology gardens, and solar station."
Opened: 1872. The museum moved to a new building located on the St. Paul campus in July 2018.
BELL MUSEUM PLANATARIUM. Tour the cosmos and beyond in the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium. Immerse yourself in a journey through space and time in our breathtaking 120 seat planetarium—a community resource that has been missing in the Twin Cities since 2002. From the comfort of a plush reclining seat, you’ll feel like you’re flying through Earth’s atmosphere to the far reaches of the universe.
Museums close to the University of Minnesota/Minneapolis and St. Paul
The Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center and the Minnesota Historical Society are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA)
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is one of the leading comprehensive fine-art museums in the country. In a beautiful landmark building near downtown Minneapolis, the museum houses over 90,000 works of art, representing more than 5,000 years of world art and culture.
General admission is free: no reservations required. Special exhibitions, classes, and some talks and special events do require tickets: reservations are recommended.
Address: 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404
The Purcell-Cutts House
The Purcell-Cutts House, designed and built by William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie, is a masterpiece of Prairie School architecture. Located at 2328 Lake Place in Minneapolis, the house has been extensively restored and is now a part of the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
The house is open to the public the second weekend of each month. Special tours are given throughout the holiday season.
Walker Art Center
Internationally recognized as a leading arts venue, the Walker Art Center presents contemporary visual arts and design exhibitions; dance, theater, and music performances; and film screenings.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, next to the Walker Art Center, has reopened, better than ever! This crown jewel of the city’s park system unites two of Minnesota’s most cherished resources—its parks and its cultural life. Since opening in 1988, the Garden has welcomed millions of visitors, showcasing more than 40 works from the Walker Art Center’s collections, including the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry. A partnership between the Walker and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, the Garden is must-see destination for visitors of all ages.
Open daily except for major holidays, from 6 am to 12 midnight.
Closed Major Holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day.
The Bakken
The Bakken, previously known as The Bakken: A Library and Museum of Electricity in Life and known in the past as the Medtronic Museum of Electricity in Life, is located on the shores of Bde Maka Ska also known as Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, Minnesota . The Bakken is the world's only library and museum devoted to medical electricity. (some text taken from Wikipedia)
Museum Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Open Thursday evenings until 8 p.m.). Closed to the public on Mondays and Major Holidays
Library Hours: M-F 9am-5pm by appointment.
Phone: (612) 926-3878
Admission: Adults: $10, Seniors: $8, Young People 13–24: $8, Children 4–12: $5, Children 3 and under: Free
Address: The Bakken Museum, 3537 Zenith Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55416
The American Swedish Institute
American Swedish Institute, which combines the historic 1908 Turnblad Mansion - the Twin Cities’ only “Castle” - and the 2012 Nelson Cultural Center, is a vibrant museum, arts and cultural organization. Complete with the distinctive ASI Museum Store and the award-winning FIKA Cafe, the site is located just south of downtown Minneapolis on 2600 Park Avenue. In 1929, Swedish immigrant and newspaper publisher Swan Turnblad and his family donated the completed building to the community as an education and cultural center.
Science Museum of Minnesota
Science Museum of Minnesota. The Science Museum of Minnesota is the most popular museum in the Upper Midwest. Featuring dinosaurs, hands-on exhibits, and the Omnitheater. Closed on Monday.
The Minnesota History Center
The Minnesota History Center is a museum and library that serves as the headquarters of the Minnesota Historical Society. Through inspiring exhibits, thought-provoking programs, live performances, and action-packed discovery, the History Center feeds your curiosity about Minnesota’s stories, people, and places. It is located near downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is considered one of Minnesota's finest public buildings.
Minnesota History Center Facebook Page
Address: 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102, infodesk@mnhs.org, 651-259-3000.
Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse
Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is a 21-story monument to Art Deco high-rise architecture. The Vision of Peace statue dominates the first floor. It is the largest carved onyx figure in the world. The 60-ton, 36-foot high statue depicts five Native Americans sitting around a fire smoking their pipes of peace. In one hand, the figure holds a peace pipe, while the other hand signals a gesture of good will. It is made of white Mexican onyx, is 36 feet tall, and weighs 60 tons. It fills the hall and is truly magnificent.
Take a self guided walking tour, or take a scheduled public hour-long tour offered by the Ramsey County Historical Society Mondays at 12:15 p.m. Tours by appointment are also available. Call 651-222-4786 or email courthousetours@rchs.com.
Tours may include:
Memorial Hall and Vision of Peace statue.
Council Chambers, Mayor’s Office and courtroom.
Art Deco features.
Woods (23 varieties from 18 countries) and marbles.
Address: 15 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102
Directions: Take the light rail, green line, east bound to St. Paul-Union Depot. Ride to Central Station, excit at Cedar Street. Walk to Ramsey County Courthouse.
The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)
The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA). The Museum of Russian Art is the only museum in North America devoted to preserving and presenting all forms of Russian art and artifacts.
Address: The Museum of Russian Art is not close to the University of Minnesota but you can get there using public transportation if you do not have a car. The Museum is located on the corner of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road.
Theater and Dance
Attendance at theatrical, musical, and comedy events in the Minneapolis/St. Paul is strong. In the United States, the Twin Cities' number of theater seats per capita ranks behind only New York City; with some 2.3 million theater tickets sold annually.
Theater and Dance located on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus
Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium
Northrop Memorial Auditorium is a performing arts venue at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is named in honor of Cyrus Northrop, the university's second president. Northrop offers students affordable ticket prices.
University of Minnesota Theatre
University of Minnesota Theatre, Rarig Center, fully-produced performances are $7 for students with valid ID.
University of Minnesota Opera Theatre
University of Minnesota Opera Theatre presents one operatic production with full orchestra each semester.
Admission: Performances are $5 for students with valid ID.
Address: Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 Fourth Street S, Minneapolis, MN 55455
University of Minnesota Dance Theatre
University Dance Theatre ignites the stage Dec. 7-9 with a blaze of fresh talent illuminating our Dance Program’s mission to promote contemporary dance in a global context. Artistic residencies supported by the Sage Cowles Land Grant Guest Artist Endowment.
Admission: Student tickets: $7.00.
Theater venues located in Minneapolis and St. Paul
Guthrie Theater
The world-renowned Guthrie Theater boasts three stages and overlooks the Mississippi River. The Guthrie Theater is located at 818 South 2nd Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Call the Box Office at 612.377.2224 or 1.877.44.STAGE (toll-free).
11 a.m. - 8 p.m. (performance days)
11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (non-performance days)
The Box Office opens for in-person sales at 9:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Minnesota Opera
The Minnesota Opera performs standard repertoire and has distinuished itself with productions of some unusual and rare operas. While much from the standard repertoire is performed, the company has distinguished itself with productions of some unusual and rare operas in the last decade.
The Minnesota Opera is located at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Opera Insights – Free, fun and informative half-hour sessions held prior to each performance. Join the Opera’s artistic staff in Ordway’s Marzitelli Foyer one hour before curtain to learn more about the opera you are about to attend.
Tickets: M-F, 10am-5pm | 612-333-6669 or in-person at Minnesota Opera Patron Services, 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Music
Music Venues located in Minneapolis and St. Paul
Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra has welcomed guest artists ranging from Aaron Copland to Yo-Yo Ma to the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and launched Sommerfest music festival.
Address: 2406, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Renowned for its artistic excellence, remarkable versatility of musical styles and adventurous programming, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world.
Photo--The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in their new home, the Ordway Concert Hall.
Music Venues located on or close to the University of Minnesota Campus
First Avenue
First Avenue—downtown Minneapolis. A music lover’s dream. There is always live music happening at First Ave. With two separate performance spaces equaling an 1,800-person capacity and over 550 concerts a year. It’s also the spot with famous Star Wall, where you’ll find Prince’s star among many other celebrated musicians who have played there.
The Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant
The Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant. The Dakota has a intimate cabaret setting. A rare gem in the Minneapolis entertainment scene it is one of few establishments to serve a full, chef-driven menu paired with world-class music performances seven nights a week.
Address: 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Events: 612-332-1010 ext. 723
Box Office: 612-332-5299,
The Cedar Cultural Center
The Cedar Cultural Center—Events from local, to national, to global, The Cedar brings communities together through music. Located near the West Bank University campus. light rail directions
Address: 416 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota, May 24, 1941. After studying at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis he moved to New York City in 1961. Since then he has mainly devoted his time to writing and performing lyrics and music. Bob Dylan's lyrics and other writings sometimes reflect his own life, relationships and religious beliefs.
Bob Dylan's songs are rooted in the rich tradition of American folk music and are influenced by the poets of modernism and the beatnik movement. Early on, his lyrics incorporated social struggles and political protest. Love and religion are other important themes in his songs. His writing is often characterized by refined rhymes and it paints surprising, sometimes surreal imagery. Since his debut in 1962, he has repeatedly reinvented his songs and music. Bob Dylan has also written prose, including his memoirs 'Chronicles'. Portions of this text were taken from nobelprize.org.
Since 1994, Dylan has published seven books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power". In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition". Portions of this text were taken from Wikipedia.
Prince
Prince was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958 and died April 21, 2016. His innovative music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, new wave, soul, psychedelia, and pop. He sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He won eight Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award for the 1984 film Purple Rain. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Journalist Nik Cohn described Prince as "rock's greatest ever natural talent". His singing abilities encompassed a wide range from falsetto to baritone and rapid, seemingly effortless shifts of register. Prince was also renowned as a multi-instrumentalist. He is considered a guitar virtuoso and a master of drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, and synthesizer. On his first five albums, he played nearly all the instruments, including 27 instruments on his debut album, among them various types of bass, keyboards and synthesizers. Prince was also quick to embrace technology in his music, making pioneering use of drum machines like the Linn LM-1 on his early '80s albums and employing a wide range of studio effects. The LA Times also noted his "harnessing [of] new-generation synthesizer sounds in service of the groove," laying the foundations for post-'70s funk music. Prince was also known for his prolific and perfectionist tendencies, which resulted in him recording large amounts of unreleased material. Parts of this text were taken from Wikipedia.