• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

(Photo: Courtesy of Guthrie Theater)

Private and public funds put $500 million into Minnesota's booming arts scene in recent years, so there's plenty to see. The Walker Art Center's expansion was designed by Herzog & de Meuron with open spaces and a shimmering, fabriclike skin. Don't miss the Storm King–ish sculpture garden. The museum's shop sells comic-book artist Sara Varon's Send & Seal stationery and Bengt Ek aluminum flashlights. At the Guthrie Theater, view the Mississippi River from French architect Jean Nouvel's "Endless Bridge" in the cantilevered lobby. Architect Michael Graves designed the Target wing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where you can photograph most of the collection. Graves also designed the cheery façade of the Children's Theatre Company.

Published on October 11, 2006 as a web exclusive.