Twin Cities Art and Architecture

Even in cities as young as Minneapolis and St. Paul, you’ll find plenty of interesting architecture.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis has attracted a number of very impressive recent architectural designs, including the Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612/375-7600, www.walkerart.org [1], gallery Tues., Wed., Sat., and Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Thurs. and Fri. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.,; garden daily 6 a.m.–midnight; gallery $10 adults, $6 students and teens, $8 seniors, garden free), Guthrie Theater (818 2nd St. S., Minneapolis, 612/377-2224, www.guthrietheater.org [2]), Minneapolis Central Library (300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, 612/630-6000, www.hclib.org [3], Tues. and Thurs. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Wed. and Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. noon–5 p.m., Mon. closed), and Frank Gehry’s Weisman Art Museum (333 E. River Road, Minneapolis, 612/625-9494, www.weisman.umn.edu [4], Tues.–Wed. and Fri. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Mon. closed, free). A symbol of Gilded Age extravagance, the Foshay Tower (821 Marquette Ave.) was the cities’ tallest building until the IDS Tower took over in 1971.

St. Paul

In St. Paul, start your architectural tour at Rice Park (4th St. and Market St., daily dawn–11 p.m. ) and the Landmark Center (75 5th St. W., St. Paul, 651/292-3233, www.landmarkcenter.org [5], Mon.–Wed. and Fri. 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Thurs. 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. noon–5 p.m., free), then head for the art deco St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse (15 Kellogg Blvd. W., 651/266-8266, Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.). Native son Cass Gilbert’s Minnesota State Capitol (75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 651/296-2881, www.mnhs.org [6], Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Sun. 1–4 p.m.) and the beaux arts Cathedral of St. Paul (239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651/228-1766, www.cathedralsaintpaul.org [7], Sun.–Fri. 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.–9 p.m.) were both built as the young capital was on the rise. St. Paul’s finest residential architecture dates to the Victorian era.

Two excellently preserved homes from this period are open to the public: the Alexander Ramsey House (265 Exchange St. S., St. Paul, 651/296-8760, www.mnhs.org [6], Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m., $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children, children 5 and under free) and the James J. Hill House (240 Summit Ave., St. Paul, 651/297-2555, www.mnhs.org [6], tours Wed.–Sat. 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Sun. 1–3:30 p.m.; art gallery open Mon.–Tues. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., $8 adults, $6 seniors and students, $5 children, children 5 and under free).