35 Best Things to Do in Minneapolis 2026: Ultimate City Guide

35 Best Things to Do in Minneapolis — The Ultimate 2026 Activities Guide to the City of Lakes: The Walker Art Center, Skyway System, Chain of Lakes, First Avenue, and Beyond

By Travel Tourister | Updated Oct 2026

Minneapolis is the American city that most specifically rewards the visitor who arrives expecting a frozen, featureless Midwestern flatland and discovers instead the most vibrant arts scene of any American city its size (more theaters per capita than any US city except New York, a live music culture whose specific Prince legacy and current First Avenue programming exceeds most much larger American cities), the most specifically extraordinary urban outdoor recreation (the Chain of Lakes — the interconnected Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, and Cedar Lake system whose 13-mile loop trail is the most comprehensively beautiful single urban lake circuit in any American city), and the specific Minneapolis winter culture (the Skyway System — the 9.5-mile enclosed pedestrian bridge network connecting 80 city blocks of Uptown Minneapolis at the second-floor level, the most specifically ambitious single American cold-weather urban infrastructure solution, allowing the most completely winter-weather-immune single major American city downtown pedestrian experience).

The best things to do in Minneapolis in 2026 reflect the city’s specific dual character — the nationally recognized cultural institutions (the Walker Art Center with its Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Guthrie Theater with its Endless Bridge cantilevered over the Mississippi River) and the specifically Minnesotan outdoor culture (the Chain of Lakes circuit by bicycle in summer, the frozen lake skating and the cross-country ski trails in winter, and the specific Minneapolis parks system [the most comprehensively parkland-per-resident single American major city, the 6,700+ acres of parks representing the most citizen-parks-investment single American urban commitment] that makes Minneapolis the most specifically park-rich major American city). This guide covers the 35 best Minneapolis activities for every type of 2026 visitor.

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Quick Overview: 35 Best Things to Do in Minneapolis 2026

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🎨 World-Class Arts and Museums

1. Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Cost: $20 (museum); Free (Sculpture Garden) | Location: 725 Vineland Place, Lowry Hill | Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11 AM–5 PM (Thursday until 9 PM) | Duration: 2–3 hours | Website: walkerart.org | Character: The most specifically nationally acclaimed single Minneapolis cultural institution; the Spoonbridge and Cherry

The Walker Art Center (the nationally recognized contemporary art museum on Lowry Hill — the most specifically internationally-known single Minneapolis cultural institution, the Walker’s specific reputation [the most important single contemporary art museum between Chicago and the West Coast, the specific Walker collection and programming [the permanent collection of 13,000+ works spanning post-1960 contemporary art in all media, the most specifically ambitious single Minneapolis exhibition calendar including the most internationally-significant single touring exhibitions that visit Minneapolis] and the Walker’s specific civic role [the Sculpture Garden — the 11-acre public sculpture garden adjacent to the Walker whose specific position between the Walker building and the Loring Park greenway creates the most publicly-accessed single Minneapolis outdoor art space]) is the non-negotiable first Minneapolis cultural destination.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: The most specifically beloved single Minneapolis public outdoor space — the 11-acre garden (free admission, open daily) housing 40+ permanent sculptures including the Spoonbridge and Cherry (the Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen 1988 sculpture — the 52-foot spoon with the 1,200-pound cherry whose specific scale and specific whimsy makes it the most photographed single Minneapolis landmark, the most specifically Minneapolis-identity single public artwork, and the most serendipitously discovered single Minneapolis sculpture [the garden’s path layout revealing the Spoonbridge and Cherry at the most dramatically composed single angle from the garden’s primary entrance]. The Sculpture Garden provides the most accessible single Walker experience for visitors who don’t pay the museum admission — the free garden access alongside the Walker building’s architecturally significant exterior (the Herzog & de Meuron-expansion building’s specific angular copper-and-glass aesthetic the most specifically contemporary-architecture-award-notable single Minneapolis cultural building exterior) creating the most specifically complete free Minneapolis cultural outdoor experience.

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2. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia)

Cost: Free (permanent collection); varies (special exhibitions) | Location: 2400 3rd Ave S, Whittier | Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10 AM–5 PM (Thursday and Friday until 9 PM) | Duration: 2–3 hours | Website: artsmia.org | Character: Free permanent collection; the most comprehensively encyclopedic single Minneapolis art museum

The Minneapolis Institute of Art (the Whittier neighborhood encyclopedic art museum — the most comprehensively collected single Minneapolis art museum, the specific Mia character [the 90,000+ works spanning 5,000 years of global art history in the most encyclopedic single collection accessible in the Upper Midwest, the free permanent collection [the most dramatically accessible single fine-art collection in the Twin Cities, the Mia’s specific decision to offer free permanent collection access creating the most democratically-available single Minneapolis fine art museum], and the specific Mia holdings [the Japanese art collection [the most comprehensively documented single Japanese art collection between Chicago and the West Coast], the period rooms [the most specifically atmospheric single Mia gallery spaces — the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Room, the English Adam Room, and the various other Mia period rooms creating the most immersive single decorative arts encounters at any Upper Midwest museum], and the contemporary galleries [the most comprehensively collected single contemporary art holding at any free-admission-permanent-collection Minneapolis museum]) provides the most specifically value-for-quality single Minneapolis museum experience: the entire encyclopedic collection free, the special exhibitions typically $15–$20.

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3. Guthrie Theater

Cost: $30–$100 (productions); Free (Endless Bridge overlook) | Location: 818 S. 2nd St, Riverfront | Hours: Box office and Endless Bridge open during performance days | Duration: 2–3 hours (production); 30 minutes (Endless Bridge visit) | Website: guthrietheater.org | Character: The most nationally-respected single Minneapolis theater; the Endless Bridge cantilevered over the Mississippi

The Guthrie Theater (the Jean Nouvel-designed theater on the Minneapolis Riverfront — the most nationally respected single Minneapolis performing arts institution, the specific Guthrie character [the Jean Nouvel building [the most dramatically architecturally significant single Minneapolis building, the specific Nouvel design [the deep blue-black exterior cladding, the cantilevered “Endless Bridge” [the most specifically dramatic single Minneapolis architectural feature — the 178-foot cantilevered overlook extending from the ninth floor of the theater building over the Mississippi River gorge, the specific Endless Bridge [free to access during building hours, no production ticket required] providing the most dramatically positioned single Minneapolis overlook: the Mississippi River Falls visible directly below, the Stone Arch Bridge and the St. Anthony Falls visible upstream, and the Minneapolis skyline visible across the river gorge creating the most specifically comprehensive single Minneapolis riverfront panorama from any enclosed public viewing point] and the specific Guthrie theater programming [the most nationally-recognized single Minneapolis theater productions — the classic repertoire alongside the contemporary — representing the most consistently acclaimed single Upper Midwest theater institution]) is simultaneously the most architecturally distinctive building and the most culturally significant performing arts institution in Minneapolis.

The Endless Bridge: The most specifically Minneapolis single free architectural experience — the 178-foot cantilevered overlook (free, accessible without a theater ticket during building hours) provides the most dramatically positioned single Minneapolis overlook: the Mississippi River gorge directly below, the Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls upstream, and the Minneapolis skyline across the river. The Endless Bridge at sunset (the specific low-angle light illuminating the Mississippi River gorge’s specific industrial-heritage stone walls and the St. Anthony Falls in the most dramatically warm-toned single Minneapolis riverfront light) is the most specifically photogenic single Minneapolis architectural experience.

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4. Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

Cost: Free | Location: 333 E. River Rd, University of Minnesota campus | Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10 AM–5 PM (Wednesday until 8 PM) | Duration: 1 hour | Architect: Frank Gehry | Character: The most specifically architecturally dramatic free Minneapolis cultural building

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (the Frank Gehry-designed museum on the University of Minnesota campus — the most specifically architecturally dramatic single free Minneapolis cultural building, the specific Weisman exterior [the stainless steel sculptural facade whose specific Gehry-deconstructivist aesthetic [the flowing curved stainless steel forms seemingly frozen in motion, the specific Weisman building’s specific riverbank position [the building perched on the Mississippi River bluff at the University of Minnesota campus edge] making it the most dramatically positioned single Minneapolis free museum]) provides the most specifically architectural-tourism and most specifically art-collection-quality free single Minneapolis cultural experience. The Weisman’s specific permanent collection (the American modernist art with particular depth in the Georgia O’Keeffe, the Marsden Hartley, and the specific mid-century American painting tradition) is secondary to the building experience for most visitors — but the collection is genuinely excellent.

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🚴 The Chain of Lakes — Minneapolis’s Greatest Outdoor Asset

5. The Chain of Lakes Bicycle Circuit

Cost: Free (own bike); $8–$15/hour (rental available at multiple lake stations) | Location: SW Minneapolis; primary access from Bde Maka Ska or Lake Harriet | Distance: 13-mile full circuit | Duration: 2–4 hours (cycling); can be done in segments | Season: May–October (cycling); December–February (skating on frozen lakes) | Character: The most specifically beautiful single urban lake circuit in any American city

The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes (the interconnected system of Bde Maka Ska [formerly Lake Calhoun — renamed in 2020 to its original Dakota name], Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake Harriet — the 13-mile paved path circuit connecting the four lakes through the most specifically beautiful single urban parkland in any American city) is the single most specifically extraordinary Minneapolis outdoor place and the one that most specifically distinguishes Minneapolis from every other American Great Plains city: the specific Chain of Lakes character (the four lakes connected by tree-lined paths, the specific parkland between the lakes providing the most specifically naturalistic single urban landscape corridor, and the specific Minneapolis park culture [the joggers, the cyclists, the kayakers, the paddleboarders, and the sunbathers who collectively make the Chain of Lakes the most specifically actively-used single American urban lake system]) creates the most specifically Minneapolis-identity single outdoor experience.

The full circuit by bike: The most specifically rewarding single Chain of Lakes experience — the 13-mile circuit (beginning at the Bde Maka Ska north shore, proceeding counterclockwise through Lake of the Isles [the most specifically picturesque single Chain of Lakes lake, the specific Lake of the Isles character {the most winding shoreline, the most specifically wooded single lake, and the specific island in the center creating the most specifically naturalistic single urban lake landscape}], Cedar Lake [the most specifically wild-feeling single Chain of Lakes lake, the marshes and the specific Cedar Lake wildlife corridor providing the most specifically natural single urban lake character], and Lake Harriet [the most programmatically active single Chain of Lakes lake, the Lake Harriet Bandshell {the most specifically beloved single Minneapolis summer outdoor venue — the free summer evening concerts at the Bandshell, the most consistently attended single Minneapolis warm-weather community event}]) provides the most comprehensively beautiful single Minneapolis outdoor day.

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6. Bde Maka Ska (Swimming, Kayaking, Paddleboarding)

Cost: Free (swimming); $15–$20/hour (kayak/SUP rental at the lake stations) | Location: West Calhoun Blvd, SW Minneapolis | Season: June–September (swimming); year-round (path) | Best time: Weekday mornings (before the weekend crowds)

Bde Maka Ska (the largest of the Chain of Lakes — the most actively used and most comprehensively programmed single Minneapolis lake, the specific Bde Maka Ska character [the swimming beaches [the most specifically popular single Minneapolis summer outdoor activity, the three designated swimming beaches [Thomas Beach, the North Beach, and the South Beach] providing the most comprehensively monitored and most specifically Minneapolis-summer-identity single urban swimming experience], the kayak and paddleboard rentals [the Minneapolis Lake and Trails rental facility providing the most accessible single Chain of Lakes water recreation rental], and the food trucks and café [the specific Bde Maka Ska lakeside food service providing the most specifically summer-social single Minneapolis outdoor dining experience]) is the most actively used single Minneapolis outdoor lake destination.

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7. Minnehaha Falls Park

Cost: Free | Location: Minnehaha Pkwy and Hiawatha Ave, South Minneapolis | Duration: 1 hour | Season: Year-round; summer for the full waterfall; winter for the frozen falls | Character: The most specifically dramatic single natural feature within Minneapolis city limits

Minnehaha Falls (the 53-foot waterfall on Minnehaha Creek — the most specifically dramatic single natural feature within Minneapolis city limits, immortalized in Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha” [the specific Longfellow poem whose specific Minnehaha character has given the falls the most specifically literary single Minneapolis natural feature identity of any American urban waterfall], the specific waterfall character [the 53-foot plunge fall surrounded by the limestone gorge vegetation, the specific limestone canyon whose specific geology [the same St. Peter Sandstone and Platteville Limestone geology visible throughout the Minneapolis Riverfront gorge] provides the most specifically geological-context single Minneapolis natural feature]) provides the most specifically surprising and most specifically dramatic single Minneapolis free outdoor experience.

The winter frozen falls: The most specifically extraordinary single Minnehaha Falls seasonal moment — the specific winter (late December through late February in most years) when the Minnehaha Falls freezes into the most dramatically sculptural single Minneapolis winter natural feature, the ice formations building from the canyon walls toward the center in the most dramatically ice-curtain single urban waterfall frozen configuration accessible for hiking beneath in the most specifically adventurous single Minneapolis winter outdoor experience.

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🎵 Music and Nightlife

8. First Avenue

Cost: $15–$60 (concert dependent) | Location: 701 1st Ave N, Downtown | Hours: Event nights | Book: first-avenue.com | Character: The most historically significant single Minneapolis music venue; the Prince legacy

First Avenue (the downtown Minneapolis music club — the most historically significant single Minneapolis music venue and the one whose specific Prince legacy [the Prince “Purple Rain” film set at First Avenue, the specific 1983 Prince concert at First Avenue where “Purple Rain” was first performed live and filmed, and the specific First Avenue star wall {the stars on the First Avenue exterior wall honoring the most significant artists to perform on the main stage, the most comprehensively music-history-documented single exterior building wall in any American music venue}] makes it the most specifically music-pilgrimage-worthy single Minneapolis destination for the most music-motivated visitor) alongside the most comprehensively-booked single Minneapolis music venue programming (the current First Avenue calendar [the most eclectic and most locally-supported single Minneapolis music programming, the national touring acts and the most specifically Minnesota-origin music community both represented in the most specifically Minneapolis-music-scene-connected single venue]) provides the most historically resonant and most currently active single Minneapolis music experience.

The Prince connection: The most specifically First Avenue single cultural heritage element — the specific “Purple Rain” film (the 1984 Prince film whose specific First Avenue scenes [the club performances, the basement rehearsal space, and the specific First Avenue exterior] have made the venue the most specifically Prince-pilgrimage-destination single Minneapolis location), the star wall (the specific First Avenue exterior star wall whose specific stars include the Prince star [the most visited single star on the wall, the specific Prince star position and the specific surrounding tributes left by visitors creating the most specifically memorial-character single Minneapolis outdoor cultural site]), and the specific First Avenue main stage (where “Purple Rain” was performed live for the first time) create the most specifically music-heritage-immersive single Minneapolis venue.

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9. Prince’s Paisley Park Studio Tour

Cost: $45–$75 | Location: 7801 Audubon Rd, Chanhassen (20 miles west of Minneapolis) | Duration: 1.5 hours | Book: paisleypark.com — tickets frequently sell out weeks ahead | Character: The most specifically Prince-heritage single Minneapolis area attraction

Paisley Park (the Prince-designed and Prince-owned recording studio and performance complex in Chanhassen — the most specifically Prince-heritage single Twin Cities attraction, the specific Paisley Park character [the working recording studio [the specific recording spaces where Prince recorded the most prolific single American musician’s most specifically prolific single Minneapolis-created catalogue], the soundstages [the specific Paisley Park soundstages where Prince performed for live audiences in the most specifically intimate and most specifically spontaneous single Minneapolis live performance tradition], and the specific Prince artifact collection [the NPG Music Club wardrobe, the instruments, and the personal Prince collection whose specific depth represents the most comprehensively documented single American musician personal environment available for public tours]) provides the most specifically Prince-heritage and most specifically personal-environment single Minneapolis area attraction.

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🏙️ Neighborhoods

10. Northeast Minneapolis Arts District

Cost: Free | Location: Northeast Minneapolis, centered on NE Central Ave and NE University Ave | Duration: 1.5–2 hours | Best time: Art-A-Whirl weekend (May); First Thursday openings (year-round) | Character: The most comprehensively studio-artist-populated single Minneapolis neighborhood; the most specifically arts-production-character single American urban arts district

Northeast Minneapolis (the neighborhood east of the Mississippi River from downtown — the most specifically studio-artist-populated single Minneapolis neighborhood, the specific Northeast character [the historic industrial buildings along NE Central Avenue converted to the most specifically artist-studio-use single Minneapolis neighborhood [the most live-work-studio-concentrated single American urban arts district outside of New York’s specific live-work-studio neighborhoods], the Art-A-Whirl [the annual May studio open house — the most specifically attended single Minneapolis arts event, the Art-A-Whirl [the NEMAA-organized studio open house where 600+ Northeast Minneapolis artists open their studios simultaneously across the most comprehensively walkable single Minneapolis arts district weekend, the most specifically studio-access single American urban arts district open house], and the specific Northeast gallery, bar, and restaurant concentration [the most specifically arts-district-character single Minneapolis neighborhood commercial street]) provides the most specifically arts-production-immersive and most specifically studio-culture single Minneapolis neighborhood experience.

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11. North Loop

Cost: Free | Location: North of downtown, between Target Field and the Mississippi River | Duration: 1.5 hours | Character: Minneapolis’s most specifically warehouse-conversion neighborhood; the most specifically upscale-casual single Minneapolis commercial area

North Loop (the warehouse district north of downtown Minneapolis — the most specifically warehouse-conversion and most specifically upscale-casual single Minneapolis neighborhood, the specific North Loop character [the converted 1880s–1920s warehouse buildings housing the most specifically restaurant-and-boutique-hotel single Minneapolis commercial concentration outside of Uptown [the Bachelor Farmer [the most specifically nationally-celebrated single Minneapolis restaurant until its closure, with its legacy maintained in the Smack Shack lobster roll and the various other North Loop restaurants that have continued the neighborhood’s specific food-quality tradition], the Surly Brewing destination brewery, and the specific North Loop residential-and-commercial character] creating the most specifically design-forward and most specifically culinary-ambitious single Minneapolis neighborhood experience.

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12. Uptown Minneapolis

Cost: Free | Location: Hennepin Ave and Lake St intersection, SW Minneapolis | Duration: 1.5 hours | Character: The most specifically eclectic and most specifically bohemian single Minneapolis commercial neighborhood

Uptown (the SW Minneapolis neighborhood centered on the Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street intersection — the most specifically eclectic and most specifically bohemian single Minneapolis neighborhood, the specific Uptown character [the vintage clothing shops, the independent record stores, the movie theaters [the Lagoon Cinema — the most specifically arthouse-cinema single Minneapolis movie theater], the restaurants, and the specific Uptown social culture [the most visible counter-cultural and most specifically LGBTQ+ community single Minneapolis neighborhood commercial street]) and the adjacent Lyn-Lake neighborhood (the most specifically restaurant-dense single Minneapolis dining corridor immediately east of Uptown’s commercial core) together provide the most specifically neighborhood-character single Minneapolis commercial experience.

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🌉 Historic and Scenic Places

13. Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls

Cost: Free | Location: SE Main St, Riverfront | Duration: 30–45 minutes | Season: Year-round | Character: The most historically significant single Minneapolis engineering structure; the most specifically Mississippi River origin-of-city single location

The Stone Arch Bridge (the 1883 James J. Hill railroad bridge — the most historically significant single Minneapolis engineering structure, the specific Stone Arch Bridge character [the 2,100-foot curved bridge whose specific curve [the only curved stone arch railroad bridge in the US] crosses the Mississippi River immediately above St. Anthony Falls [the most historically significant single Mississippi River geographic feature and the most specifically Minneapolis-founding single natural feature — the only natural waterfall on the entire Mississippi River, the specific St. Anthony Falls [the 16-foot drop that powered the flour mills that made Minneapolis the most specifically flour-milling single American city in the 1880s–1920s and the specific waterfall that Hennepin recorded in 1680 as the “Falling Water” that most specifically defined the location where Minneapolis would eventually be built]) provides the most historically layered and most specifically scenically dramatic single Minneapolis free outdoor experience.

The Mill District context: The specific Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins Park (the surrounding Mill Ruins Park — the most comprehensively documented single Minneapolis industrial heritage outdoor site, the specific water power canal ruins [the remnants of the Minneapolis flour mill waterpower canal system whose specific infrastructure [the most complex single 19th-century American waterpower system, the specific underground canal network that diverted Mississippi River water from above the Falls to the specific turbines in each mill] is most specifically documented in the Mill City Museum directly adjacent to the Stone Arch Bridge]) together create the most specifically Minneapolis-industrial-heritage single outdoor walking experience.

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14. Mill City Museum

Cost: $15 (adults); $10 (children); $12 (seniors) | Location: 704 S. 2nd St, Mill District | Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10 AM–5 PM | Duration: 1.5 hours | Character: The most specifically Minneapolis flour-mill-heritage single museum; built into the ruins of the Washburn A Mill

The Mill City Museum (the museum built into the ruins of the Washburn A Mill — the most dramatically site-specific single Minneapolis museum, the specific Mill City character [the museum built literally inside the ruins of the mill that exploded in 1878 in the most devastating single industrial explosion in Minneapolis history, the specific 1878 Washburn A Mill explosion [the 18 workers killed in the explosion whose specific cause [the flour dust ignition that created the most comprehensively destructive single grain-dust explosion in American industrial history] forever changed flour mill safety standards], and the specific mill ruins walls incorporated into the museum’s architecture creating the most site-authentically-industrial single museum environment in any American industrial heritage institution]) is the single most specifically Minneapolis-place-identity museum: the Flour Tower (the specific elevator ride from the ground level to the museum’s top floor, with each floor stop narrating a different chapter of the Minneapolis flour milling story) provides the most comprehensively narrated single Minneapolis industrial heritage museum experience.

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🍺 Craft Beer

15. Surly Brewing Co.

Cost: $6–$10/pint; tours $15 | Location: 520 Malcolm Ave SE, University Ave Area | Hours: Daily from 11 AM | Character: The most nationally recognized single Minneapolis craft brewery; the “Surly Bill” legislative legacy

Surly Brewing Co. (the Minneapolis craft brewery whose specific Darkness [the Russian Imperial Stout released annually on the first Saturday of November — the most specifically Minneapolis single craft beer cultural event, the Darkness Release Day [the annual Saturday when Surly releases its most rare single annual beer, the specific line that forms outside Surly’s destination brewery the night before the release representing the most dramatically beer-enthusiast single Minneapolis annual event, the Darkness lines regularly including the most specifically dedicated single Minnesota craft beer community members camping overnight for the most specifically coveted single Minneapolis craft beer] and whose specific political legacy [the “Surly Bill” — the specific Minnesota legislation championed by Surly Brewing and passed in 2011 that allowed Minnesota breweries to sell beer on premises for the first time, the most specifically brewery-legislative-advocacy single Minneapolis craft beer policy achievement, the specific Surly Bill whose passage created the destination brewery concept in Minnesota and whose specific consequence [the explosion of Minnesota craft brewery taprooms] most specifically shaped the current Minneapolis craft beer landscape]) alongside the destination brewery (the 50,000-square-foot beer hall and restaurant complex that the Surly Bill made legally possible) provides the most nationally-recognized and most specifically Minneapolis-craft-beer-heritage single Minneapolis brewing experience.

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Official Resources

• Meet Minneapolis — Official Tourism — Official Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association for attractions, neighborhoods, and visitor planning.
• Walker Art Center — Official — Official Walker for tickets, current exhibitions, and Sculpture Garden information.
• First Avenue — Official — Official First Avenue for concert calendar, ticket purchase, and venue information.