I admit it; one of my first trips to Minneapolis, Minnesota was to visit what was then the world’s largest indoor shopping center–the Mall of America. The massive retail establishment is located in the suburb of Bloomington and is worth the 20-minute car ride from downtown Minneapolis. It is considered the Mecca of malls and with 2.5 million square feet (another 1.1 million square feet is being added), more than 500 stores, an indoor amusement park, a 1.2 million-gallon aquarium with more than 8,000 fish and other aquatic creatures, a virtual submarine ride, a wedding chapel, a NASCAR simulator, 50 restaurants, 7 nightclubs and 14 movie theaters you can see why I made the journey.
However, the Midwest metropolis has much more to offer visitors than just an incredible mall. The city is brimming with cultural and historical attractions as well, including the Mill City Museum. Take a tour of the former Washburn Mill and you’ll understand how the Midwest earned its nickname “breadbasket to the world.” Years ago the mill was the world’s largest processor of wheat. The museum’s interactive exhibits, historic photographs and authentic replicas help tell the story of how geography, technology and natural resources fueled a boom that was as intense as the gold rush.
If you are looking for a crash course in cultural diversity head over to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The structure has appeared on the covers of countless architecture magazines. It’s just one of the buildings that has helped transform the city’s skyline and you can get an up close and personal look of it by taking part in an educational walking tour that traverses the downtown area. On the tour you’ll learn that in just the last two decades the city has become a showplace for contemporary architecture. From Frank Gehry’s tubular, reflective design for the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum to the newly opened Central Library designed by Argentinean master Cesar Pelli, which features the critically acclaimed sweeping “birds wing” roof, the city offers visitors an eye-opening alternative to the traditional Midwestern fare.
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