I’m in town for a conference next week and have one full free day (as well as a free afternoon or evening here and there). I was thinking of spending it at the Mall of America browsing and catching up on movies (since I’m not too keen on spending more time outdoors than necessary, and won’t have a car during my stay), but do any Dopers have other suggestions on things I should check out or do while I’m there? I’m staying by Nicollet Mall.
Thanks! 
I’m not real familiar with Minneapolis (I was going to suggest going to the MoA), but you could forget about this thread all together andhead over to MPSIMS to start a MinnDope lunch/dinner thread. IIRC, the lunch crowd usually hooks up around Nicollet somewhere.
Enjoy our state!
There’s the Mall of America (MOA) of course.
If you’re up for a little outdoor walk, there’s the Walker Art Center and adjoining Sculpture Garden which is just a couple blocks away from Nicollet Mall if you’re into modern art.
For a large museum with pieces from all ages and part of the world, check out the Minneapolis Institute of Artswhich has the collection Art of Democracy: Tools of Persuasion.
The Twin Cities, I’ve heard, is 2nd in the nation to New York City in per capita live theater. Check out City Pages for listings of things that might be of interest.
The Minnesota Orchestra (on Nicollet Mall) has Minnesota Orchestra: Vanska Visits Scotland with violinist Lydia Hong.
The Guthrie Lab has: The Sex Habits of American Women In 1950, a respected male psychotherapist sets out to write the definitive handbook on female sexuality. His wife of 47 years and their unmarried daughter are conducting their own “research.”
There’s a Minnesota musical called “Don’t Hug Me” on Hennepin Ave (which runs parallel with Nicollet).
The Loring Playhouse has: Monsters, Witches & Freaks Buffalo Gal Productions presents a morbid revue of songs from horror-themed musicals.
A Minneapolis tradition called Nye’s Polonaise Room which is a Polish restaurant just across the river from Downtown has good food, a sing along piano bar, and REAL LIVE POLKA MUSIC. It’s a hipster paradise.
For music, one of the good venues, First Avenue (from Purple Rain), *just * shut down. However, there’s the Fine Line, the Quest, the Dakota, Jazzmine’s, Lee’s Liquor Lounge, and many more.
Hmm, I’m sure I’m missing a lot. Including the statue of Mary Tyler Moore on Nicollet Mall (from the scene in the credits where she tosses her hat up).
Really? Since when?
Eat at Brit’s Pub, right there on Nicollet Mall.
Go bowling and get a bite to eat at Bryant Lake Bowl, on West Lake Street. For that matter, go walking around in the Uptown area. There’s a ton of cool stores and restaurants, all about a million times more inviting than the stupid Mall of America (I hate malls, so I have a bias, here).
Block E, which isn’t too far from where you’re staying (toward downtown), is the new entertainment/shopping complex, and has a muliplex, Game Works, Barnes & Noble, etc.
http://www.first-avenue.com/
Tuesday,
November 2nd, 2004
First Avenue is Closed
The departing staff wish to thank
all of the staff members from the
last 30+ years for their hard work,
tears, and souls.
We’d also like to thank everyone
that came down to support the club,
the bands, and the employees. Without
you, there would have been no First Avenue!
SO many memories from there.
But…but…why???
At least there is still The Quest, Front, and Ground Zero.
I am lazy, and haven’t yet been to see Triple Espresso which is playing at that theater just South of Grant on Nicollet…
The Weissman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota is also quite worth your time.
Man. No kidding. I was JUST THERE for the Camper van Beethoven show. I would have savored it even more if I’d realized that would be my last show there. What a bummer.
ArchiveGuy, if you’d enjoy this sort of thing, there’s a Chinese restaurant on Nicollet called Yummy that does the most amazing dim sum I’ve had outside of San Francisco. It goes from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm every day and is seriously GOOOOD stuff.
My good friend in Minneapolis suggested the following additions:
Let it Be Records is a great indie record store on Nicollet, and Big Brain Comics is just one block away.
The Warehouse District has some interesting and moderately pricey restaurants/bars/galleries.
Eat Street on Nicollet south of 12th is full of great ethnic restaurants including Christos (Greek) and Black Forest (German).
Good call on Let It Be records, but Big Brain just moved to a new space over on Washington, which isn’t within walking distance. Still worth checking out, though, if you’re willing to cab it.
If I’ve read your personality right after all these years, I think you would enjoy jumping into a cab for a sightseeing trip to the cyclopean, terrifying 1915 Cathedral of Saint Paul.
I spent an hour or two in the place about ten years ago, and I still have friggin’ nightmares.
If you have a whole free day and no car I’d just go to the Mall of America for the day.
There’s other points of interest like others have noted but you don’t really have time to jump around to all of them.
Mall of America has movie theatres if you want to catch a flick, it has an aquarium if you feel like something like that, lot’s and lot’s of shopping with some unique shops, various restarants / coffee shops / snacks. You could sit in Camp Snoopy which is a mini theme park in the center atrium with lots of trees and just people watch. There’s some sport bars on the top floor if you want to have a beer and watch some sports. If you’ve never been to an IKEA there’s one across the street from the mall.
I’d nominate this place since you could actually spend the whole day there, not have to go out in the cold, and only need to take a taxi to and from once.
If your a gambler the Mall also has free shuttles to Mystic Lake Casino which is the biggest in Minnesota.
Oh, speaking of which, there’s also America’s first basilica, the Basilica of St Mary’s. It’s not as menacing as the Cathedral of St Paul tho…(it’s about a $20 cab ride or $2.00ish bus ride to St Paul). But if you’re over here, there’s the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Capitol Building, the Minnesota History Center , and the St Paul Gangster tour (John Dillinger, Ma Barker, Babyface Nelson). Minneapolis looks like it has one too.
It’s too bad that the light rail stop at the Mall of America doesn’t open until next month.
There’s also the Mill City Museum (I’ve never been, so I can’t recommend it). That’s a hop, skip and jump away from the Milwaukee Depot should you be inclined to do some indoor skating in a converted train depot.
Don’t miss the Museum of Questionable Medical Practices!
It’s closed. The exhibits have been donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota, in St. Paul, and some are displayed. It’s not the same, though. Although the Science Museum is worth checking out, if only for its omnitheater.
Thanks for the suggestions. Having checked out the AMC website and learning they are not showing any movies I’m interested in seeing (that I haven’t already) at the MoA, these alternate ideas will definitely come in handy.
Thanks again, and feel free to add anything else.
If you’re into film, Landmark Theaters show the artsy stuff. Bonus: The Lagoon and Uptown theatres are in Uptown, which Beadalin already mentioned. Check out one movie at the Lagoon, walk a block or so to the Uptown Bar & Cafe for lunch, walk a couple blocks the other direction to the Lagoon. Not that I’ve ever spent an afternoon doing that, or anything. 
Yeah, I actually did check out the Landmarks in Minneapolis (Vera Drake, Sideways, Garden State, Motorcycle Diaries–that’s more like it!), but I still need to get a little orientation navigationally-speaking (primarily with bus schedules; cabs seem a bit much for a movie). I know the concierge will help, but given that I arrive Monday night, I want to have my free day (Tuesday) pretty much planned out in advance if possible.
ArchiveGuy, I would not go to the Mega-Mall.
I live just a short ways from it, and I haven’t been there more than a few times total.
It’s really no different than the strip malls in your town, just bigger. Same chain stores, same layout, same merchandise, just more of them. Very little that is unique and special to Minnesota, because those stores can’t afford the rent there.
The Mega-Mall theatre is no different than any 14-screen mega-theatre in your town (except maybe for a 3-story indoor waiting area). And they show the same movies that you will see at home.
The Camp Snoopy amusement park is a smaller version of any amusement park, Disney, Six Flags, etc., except that it’s indoors.
And the restaurants are mostly the same chains that you’ll see all across the country (except higher-priced, to pay the high overhead).
I’d say you would have a more enjoyable, memorable time if you strive to go to places that are unique to the area. Like restaurants – try Black Forest, Jax’s, Little Jacks, Dayton’s Oak Grill Room, Murray’s, Cherokee Sirloin Room (St. Paul), etc. Avoid any place where you recognize the name because there’s one in your town or another town you’ve visited. You can find the chains anywhere; when traveling, look for something you won’t find at home.
You really must visit Madison.
Nothing could be.
Just wave back a cheery hello back to this welcoming statue of good ol’ St. Paul.
And remember that it’s a good eight times larger than life.
