Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota

The Twin Cities may be known more for snow than show, but the fine arts are alive and well in Minnesota.  Next time you’re in Minneapolis-St. Paul, consider a stop at one of these quality art museums.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

This classic art museum, found just south of downtown Minneapolis, features works from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, as well as paintings by the masters and more recent works of art.  Admission to the museum is free, and families will enjoy the monthly Family Days which combine art, music, dance, and craft to portray a theme.

• The Minneapolis Insitute of Arts
  2400 Third Avenue South
  Minneapolis, MN
  888-MIA-ARTS

Walker Art Center

Modern art enthusiasts will find their home at the Walker Art Center, just west of downtown Minneapolis, where even the building itself is modern in design.  Families will enjoy the special programs offered on Free First Saturdays.  Adjacent to the museum, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is home to the famed “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture as well as other outdoor art pieces.

• Walker Art Center
  1750 Hennepin Avenue
  Minneapolis, MN
  612-375-7600

Weisman Art Museum

Found on the banks of the Mississippi River on the campus of the University of Minnesota, the recently re-0pened Weisman Art Museum is as well-known for its Frank Gehry-designed building as for its art space inside.  Art ranging from ancient to modern finds its home at this museum, which features free admission.

• Weisman Art Museum
  333 East River Road
  Minneapolis, MN
  612-625-9494

The Museum of Russian Art

Russian art of various media and time period is featured at this museum in South Minneapolis just off I-35W.  It is the only museum in North America dedicated solely to the collection and preservation of Russian art and artifacts.

• The Museum of Russian Art
  5500 Stevens Avenue South
  Minneapolis, MN
  612-821-9075

The Minnesota Museum of American Art

Though this museum is currently homeless, its collection is still being presented to the public in a series of traveling exhibitions throughout the state.  Highlights include works by Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton in the current “Treasures” exhibition that is moving around the state.

• The Minnesota Museum of American Art
  651-797-4057

No matter what type of art you enjoy, you’ll find something you like in the various art museums in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  Which is your favorite?

Photo credit:  the author

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.

There’s something breathtaking about the view from up high, where you can see for miles on a clear day.  Old or new, towering wonders in the United States still draw visitors by the thousands who want to rise to new heights and see the view from the top.  Mountains and other natural landmarks offer lofty views if you can make it to the summit.  For some unexplained reason, I’ve been to a bunch of these high places despite my fear of heights.  Smart or not, here they are.

1. The Infinity Room, House on the Rock, Spring Green, WI. Though only 156 feet off the ground, the House on the Rock’s Infinity Room extends 218 feet outward into a point with nothing holding it up.  I don’t care that all sorts of engineering and science say it’s safe, I could only go about two steps into the room before scrambling back to solid ground.  Some people go all the way to the point and take dramatic photographs.  Not me.  I bought a postcard to prove that I’d been there.
2. Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh. This one’s a bit odd, because my feet were actually on solid ground when I forced my husband to take our photos from the top of the Duquesne Incline.  Maybe it’s because we’d just gone 400 feet up on a train system built in 1877, and the fact that we were on the edge of a bluff was very apparent.  Nice old-fashioned ride, nice views of downtown Pittsburgh, very scary observation deck.
3. Foshay Tower, Minneapolis. Once the tallest building in Minneapolis, and still the highest observation deck in town, the Foshay’s outdoor viewing area offers a beautiful view of the Twin Cities.  The high walls and fence along the edge helped me to feel somewhat secure as I got my birds-eye view of Minnesota from 447 feet up.
4. Space Needle, Seattle. My parents took me to this Seattle landmark back in 1984; apparently the thought of being 520 feet in the air, on a big sphere settled on a stick, didn’t bother me as much when I was a kid as it does now.  Perhaps I could still stomach a visit to the 500-foot-high revolving restaurant, but I wouldn’t be asking for a window seat.
5. Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. At 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches tall, the night view of Washington, D.C. was spectacular, but I also recall tight spaces on the way up.  The monument is now closed, at least for the time being, due to earthquake damage, so maybe now’s the time to take my family to D.C. so I have an excuse not to go up again. Get your mom’s heart racing with these thrilling DC Mother’s Day gift ideas.
6. Gateway Arch, St. Louis. The most recognizable icon of the St. Louis skyline is also kind of bad for people with various phobias:  the entrance and museum are underground, the pods that transport visitors to the top are creaky and rather claustrophic, and once you’re to the 630-foot top, you can feel the whole thing swaying in the wind.  When I got up enough nerve to go with my husband and kids, we went up, looked outside quickly, snapped the requisite “we were here” photos, and got back down to solid ground as quickly as possible.
7. Hancock Tower, Chicago. Though “only” 1000 feet high, to get there you’ll use one of the fastest elevators in North America, and once at the top, you can step out on to the open-air deck, which is safely fenced in, but still . . .  If my family drags me back there again, you’ll find me in the coffee shop, safely set back from the windows.  I’ll take my view of four states from a distance, thank you very much.
8. Empire State Building, New York City.  I haven’t been here since shortly after I bought Sleepless in Seattle on VHS, so maybe I can blame it on youth that I braved both the lines and the elevators to reach the 1050-foot-high 86th floor, at night, no less, and made a complete circuit around the outdoor observation deck.  Now tourists can pay an extra $15 and go to the 1250-foot 102nd floor and claim that they’ve been to the highest point that tourists can go to in Manhattan.  I think I’ll save my money.
9. Chicago’s Skydeck in the Willis Tower (perhaps better known by its former name, the Sears Tower).  From the observation deck on the 103rd floor, it’s 1353 feet to the ground, and now that they have the Ledges, little glass-bottomed alcoves that jut out four feet from the rest of the building, I don’t think I’ll be going back.  It’s one thing to look out and see miles and miles of countryside, but to look straight down?  It’s not something you’ll catch me doing.
10. Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  At 14,110 feet (or 14,115 depending on whom you’re talking to), I’m pretty sure this is the biggest “What was I thinking?” high-up place I’ve been.  Fortunately, it was raining by the time we reached the top, so we spent most of our time at the summit in the relative safety of the gift shop.  Otherwise, I would have been the crazy mother running around trying to hold four children’s hands at once to be sure they didn’t fall off the mountain.

Bonus:  Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska.  At a mere 800 feet above the surrounding prairie, I thought I could handle Scotts Bluff.  At the top, however, even my husband was surprised to see that the trails run rather close to the edge without benefit of a railing of any sort to save clumsy people from certain doom if they’d happen to trip and fall.  I WAS the crazy mother hanging on to hands and shrieking at my kids to keep to the inside of the trail at Scotts Bluff.  But I did allow them to sit on the bench for just a second so that I could get this photo as proof that I’ve allowed them to do something big and scary in their lives despite my own fear of heights.

View from the top of Scotts Bluff National Monument

Oh, and if you want to go somewhere really scary, try western North Dakota’s Fairview Lift Bridge.  It’s only 80 feet or so above the water, but it’s a railroad bridge that was used simultaneously as an automobile bridge for many years.  And if that’s not scary enough, there’s a curved tunnel at the eastern end that is completely dark in the middle, and there are signs warning of rattlesnakes in the area.  Needless to say, I didn’t make it far across this one.

Sculpture gardens present some of the most accessible of art options for families; instead of a quiet atmosphere filled with ancient treasures, children can roam about the artwork, exclaiming their delight.  For those who enjoy seeing art outdoors, Minnesota has several sculpture gardens that families can enjoy.

Perhaps the most widely known is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden next to the Walker Art Center near downtown Minneapolis.  Home of the “cherry on the spoon,” this park includes many other sculptures in various shapes, sizes, and media, as well as a garden walk and an indoor conservatory of tropical plants.  Children will like wandering the grassy areas of this large park and seeing the variety of artwork as they round each bend.

Spoonbridge and Cherry at Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

North of the Twin Cities on U.S. Highway 8, the Franconia Sculpture Park is a work in progress, and chances are decent that you might encounter an artist at work if you visit.  The sculptures here include many reclaimed materials, such as a basketball court and tractor.  The mown paths among the prairie grasses and flowers take visitors past the creations, but kids will likely want to spend most of their time at the sculpture that is a useable playground.

Playground Sculpture at Franconia Sculpture Park, Minnesota

On the other side of the state, the tiny town of Arco sits near the South Dakota border in the midst of farm fields and prairie lands.  Arco has its own sculpture garden of sorts, a “scenic rock garden” in the city park which borders a lake just outside of town.  Here, replicas of the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Bell made out of rocks found in the area are the highlights of the stop.  A drive into town yields a look at the rock building that was formerly a gas station, done in the same style by the same artist.  If you enjoy the off-beat or quirky, you’ll like a peek at the Arco sculptures.

Statue of Liberty Replica at Scenic Rock Garden in Arco, Minnesota

While art enthusiasts will enjoy the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Weisman Art Center, and other quality art museums in Minnesota, youngsters will be drawn to the larger-than-life artwork in these sculpture gardens in the state.

Related: Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Photo credits: the author

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.

Fall Colors in Minnesota

It’s that time of year again, when the fall colors come out in all their glory and the days turn cooler, reminding us to take advantage of the nice weather and turn of the seasons before winter hits us with a fury here in Minnesota.  While farmers are harvesting their fields, many people from city and country alike enjoy taking the time to go on a drive and enjoy looking at the leaves.

My favorite fall-color drives are along the Minnesota River Valley, where even a well-known stretch of road looks strikingly more beautiful in the fall.  Here’s my recommended leaf-peeping drive from the Twin Cities along the Minnesota River.

• Start from Eden Prairie and go west on Flying Cloud Drive (old 212) to Chaska.  The view across the river at Valleyfair is a favorite for my kids, and downtown Chaska has a unique charm about it, even if you’re just driving through.
• Cross the river on MN 41, then go south on US 169 if you’d like to make a stop at one of the apple sales stores or orchards in the Jordan area.  If you don’t need the apples, continue straight through Chaska and go south on Carver County Road 40 through Carver.
• If you’ve taken the 169 route, turn off at MN 25 in Belle Plaine and cross the river.  Just after the river, turn left (south) on County Road 6.  (If you’ve stayed on 40, keep going straight and it will change names to County Road 6 at this point.)
• Enjoy the drive along the river to Henderson, where you may want to stop for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat.
• In Henderson, pick up MN 93 which will lead you to US169 again at Le Sueur.  If you have time, stop at the W.W. Mayo House in Le Sueur, home of the famed Mayo Clinic doctor and birthplace of Green Giant, which is open on weekends in September and October.
• Continue down Highway 169 through St. Peter, where you can stop for some shopping or something to eat, and then on to Mankato.
• In the Mankato area, stop to see a waterfall–either Minneopa Falls off MN 68 (state park admission required), or Minnemishinona Falls off the Judson Bottom Road (take 169 to Lookout Drive, then turn left at the light).
• From the falls, make your way to New Ulm, where you can tour Schell’s Brewery, do some shopping in the unique downtown district, check out the Glockenspiel, or get a good meal at George’s Fine Steaks, Lamplighter Bar & Grill, Plaza Garibaldi, or one of the other good restaurants in town.
• Continuing out of New Ulm, get onto County Road 21, the “river bottom road” to locals, and continue along one of the most scenic sections of the Minnesota River Scenic Byway.  The 1800′s Harkin Store is open on weekends through October 15 and is worth a stop to step back in time.
• Continuing along County Road 21, you’ll pass Fort Ridgely State Park, where you can walk some of the many wooded trails or take time for a round of golf.  Soon the road will turn to gravel, but if you can manage this, you’ll be rewarded as you continue along the river until the road meets up with Minnesota Highway 19.
• Go west on 19 into Morton, and wind your way up Monument Drive to see the monuments that are now nearly hidden from highway view paying homage to victims of the Dakota Conflict of the 1860s.  The Minnesota Historical Society’s Birch Coulee Battlefield is also nearby.  (If you take this drive in the summertime, you can also learn more about this period in history at the Fort Ridgely Historic Site and the Lower Sioux Agency Historic Site, but they’re closed in the fall.)
• From Morton, follow MN 19/US 71 to Redwood Falls where you can spend some time in Alexander Ramsey Park and see Ramsey Falls, or head into North Redwood and see where the Sears Roebuck company got its start.
• If you’ve made any stops along they way, it will probably be time for you to head home now, perhaps cutting across the prairies and farmland of south central Minnesota.  Otherwise, you’re welcome to continue your journey; the Minnesota River Scenic Byway continues all the way to the source of the river near Montevideo.

I hope you enjoy your journey along this scenic route, it’s one of my favorites any time of year, but especially in the fall.

Photo credit: minnemom on flickr

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.

Related: 11 Best Places to See Fall Leaves