Minneapolis

Minneapolis is closely identified with the Mississippi River, but the city is not shaped by the river alone. Public art, landscaped spaces, historic bridges and the remains of its industrial past all contribute to its character.

The two places covered here reveal very different sides of Minneapolis. The Sculpture Garden presents contemporary art in an open urban setting, while the Stone Arch Bridge and Saint Anthony Falls take visitors into the landscape from which the city grew.

This page brings together the places in Minneapolis covered in Indian Columbus.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Sculpture Garden

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is an outdoor space where art is displayed among lawns, trees, pathways and carefully planned gardens.

Spread across 11 acres, the garden contains more than 60 sculptures from the collection of the Walker Art Center. It opened in 1988 and was extensively reconstructed before reopening in 2017.

Its best-known work is undoubtedly Spoonbridge and Cherry.

A large spoon stretches across a small pond, with an oversized red cherry balanced at its tip. Water sprays gently from the cherry, turning the sculpture into both a work of art and a fountain.

The scale is playful. A familiar household object has been enlarged until it becomes part of the landscape. The bright cherry, reflective water and surrounding greenery explain why this sculpture has become one of the most recognisable images of Minneapolis.

Yet the garden should not be reduced to this single work.

Sculptures of very different materials, sizes and forms are distributed across the grounds. Some are immediately understandable. Others appear abstract and leave the visitor to decide what they represent.

That is part of the experience.

Unlike a conventional museum, there are no enclosed galleries directing visitors from one room to another. People can walk around the sculptures, view them from different angles and observe how they interact with sunlight, trees, open sky and changing weather.

The garden functions equally well as an outdoor gallery and a public park. Even someone with limited interest in contemporary art may enjoy the open setting and the unexpected forms encountered along the pathways.

Explore the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden through photographs and observations from my visit.

Stone Arch Bridge and Saint Anthony Falls

Stone Arch Bridge and Saint Anthony Falls

The Stone Arch Bridge presents an entirely different side of Minneapolis.

Built across the Mississippi River in 1883 by railroad entrepreneur James J. Hill, the bridge originally carried railway traffic. It remained in railway use until 1978 and was later adapted for pedestrians and cyclists.

Constructed from native granite and limestone, the bridge extends for about 2,100 feet and is supported by 23 arches. Its long, gently curving form makes it one of the most distinctive historic structures along the Minneapolis riverfront.

Walking across it is not merely a way of crossing the Mississippi.

From the bridge, one can look towards the city skyline, the riverbanks and Saint Anthony Falls. The arches create a strong visual rhythm, while the curve of the bridge gradually changes the view as one moves across it.

The experience is particularly interesting because the bridge, waterfall and surrounding mill district are all connected with the development of Minneapolis.

Saint Anthony Falls

Saint Anthony Falls played an important role in the growth of the city.

The force of the water was used to power sawmills and, later, flour mills. This transformed the riverfront into a major industrial centre and helped Minneapolis emerge as an important flour-producing city.

The waterfall seen today has been heavily altered and stabilised through engineering. Yet it remains a reminder that the city’s industrial growth began with the power of the Mississippi.

The National Park Service notes that the falls were known to the Dakota by names translated as “curling waters” or “falling waters.” The present name was given by Father Louis Hennepin in 1680.

The Stone Arch Bridge offers one of the best views of the falls. Nearby trails and historic sites make it possible to explore the riverfront beyond the bridge itself.

This is a place where nature, engineering and history exist together.

The waterfall represents the natural force of the river. The bridge recalls the railway age. The surviving mill structures and river channels preserve the memory of the industries that once depended on the falls.

Explore the Stone Arch Bridge and Saint Anthony Falls through photographs, history and observations from my visit.

Exploring Minneapolis

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and the Stone Arch Bridge may appear to have little in common.

One is centred on contemporary art. The other belongs to the city’s river and industrial heritage.

Yet both are public spaces best explored on foot. Both encourage visitors to slow down, look from different angles and notice how individual structures relate to their surroundings.

Together, they offer a brief introduction to Minneapolis — a city where oversized sculptures stand in landscaped gardens and a nineteenth-century stone bridge curves across one of the world’s great rivers.

More places from Minneapolis will be added to this page as they are covered in Indian Columbus.

Happy travelling.