15 Unique Things To Do in Minneapolis This Summer

© Rise Bagel Co.

Rise Bagel Co. is filling a hole, so to speak, in northeast Minneapolis' breakfast scene, serving up organic artisanal bagels prepared Old World-style with modern twists. The bakery, which was opened in 2017 by sisters Kate and Jen Lloyd, crafts all of its bagels from scratch in house within the company's renovated 20th-century candy factory bakery and cafe space. Bagels are available plain or in flavors like poppyseed, rosemary, and everything seasoning, served up with clever cream cheese flavors like horseradish or salted maple or spreads like hummus or vegan butter. All-day breakfast items include classic bagel breakfast sandwiches and creative concoctions like the Migas, which stuffs a bagel with pico de gallo, corn tortilla strips, and an organic egg. Lunch deli sandwiches are also available, along with espresso-based beverages from local roasters Dogwood Coffee and Bootstrap Coffee Roasters.

530 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Phone: 612-354-3349

© Veronique Wantz Gallery

Veronique Wantz Gallery is a lovely fine art gallery in Minneapolis' North Loop, opened in 2013 by French-born art industry veteran Veronique Wantz, who brings more than a decade of work as a curator and antique dealer in Paris to her operations. The gallery was opened in 2013, striving to showcase contemporary art works by regional, national, and international artists at various points in their careers. Artists represented by the gallery include Alain Ballereau, Allison Johanson, Juliane Shibata, GUAXS, and Concrete Pig, working in diverse media ranging from canvas and sculpture to glass, textiles, and mixed media. Solo and group exhibitions are presented throughout the year, along with special events like seasonal salon exhibitions and opening evenings.

901 N 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Phone: 612-254-2838

© The Porch Gallery

The Porch Gallery is a nonprofit arts gallery housed within a beautiful restored 1903 Victorian home, owned and operated by Los Angeles natives Mark Schoening and Dawn England. The gallery is located within its owners' residence, which is also home to their adorable pets Sharky, Ozzie, and Eggs, who frequently greet guests throughout the day. Gallery spaces are offered within the couple's interior gallery space and on the home's front porch, which removes the feeling of exclusivity and elitism that often appears in many traditional galleries. Exhibitions are offered monthly each June through October, showcasing contemporary sculpture, painting, and installation works. Past artists on display have included Brittany Kieler, Joshua McGarvey, and Michael Gaughan.

3306 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407, Phone: 617-283-9752

© Kado no Mise

Kado no Mise serves up elevated takes on classic Japanese fare, opened in 2017 by executive chef Shigeyuki Furukawa and restaurateur John Gross. The restaurant, which was named as one of America's 50 best new restaurants for 2018 by Bon Appetit, is named for a Japanese term meaning "corner restaurant," inspired by the Edomae-style sushi bars in Tokyo. Diners can enjoy excellent nigiri, sashimi, and maki selections, which are carefully crafted from fresh ingredients sourced both locally and from the finest Japanese purveyors. Chef's selection omakase experiences are also offered, along with a full menu of udon and soba noodle favorites prepared with akita-style udon or matcha-buckwheat noodles. Delicious Asian-inspired cocktails feature fine imported sake paired with herbal ingredients.

33 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Phone: 612-338-1515

© Lyn 65

Lyn 65 is a delicious chef-driven restaurant helmed by executive chef Dan Manosack, opened in the summer of 2014. The restaurant is known for its inventive, comforting global bar fare selections, including excellent thin-crust pizzas prepared on the restaurant's Italian-style oven. Pizza varieties include asparagus and sweet pepper, lamb sausage, and wild mushroom, served up alongside excellent pasta selections like tagliatelle Bolognese and scallop pesto fettuccine. Hearty cheeseburgers and fried chicken sandwiches are also served, along with elegant entrees like pan-roasted duck breast, bacon-crusted salmon, and bistro-style steak. Shareables range from Togarashi-style chicken wings and harissa-braised lamb hummus to steak tartare and bone marrow.

6439 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55423, Phone: 612-353-5501

© United Noodles

United Noodles has been Minneapolis' favorite choice for casual Asian fare since 1972, located within the city's Seward neighborhood near the Midtown Greenway and the Hiawatha Light Rail station. The deli and grocery marketplace has been featured on the popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, renowned for its world-class ramen entrees. Diners can choose from ramen selections like tantanmen, tonkotsu, or spicy miso ramen, filled to the brim with delicious ingredients like bok choy, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, and caramelized onions. A full menu of shareable small plates also highlights Asian favorites like pork bao buns, takoyaki octopus dumplings, and Hawaiian-style fried spam musubi. Inside the complex's grocery store, visitors can shop for specialty products imported from China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hawaii, and more.

2015 E 24th St, Minneapolis, MN 55404, Phone: 612-721-6677

© Lowry Hill Meats

Lowry Hill Meats is a laid-back butcher shop and cafe helmed by married duo Erik and Tiffany Sather, opened to the public in 2015. The shop focuses on Old World butchery styles, sourcing whole animals direct from Minnesota farmers and prepared all of its sausages and deli meats in house daily. Diners can choose from excellent sandwich options such as turkey melts, meatloaf sandwiches, roast beef baguettes, and classic grilled cheeses. Breakfast sandwiches are offered throughout the morning hours, along with coffees from local roasters Dogwood Coffee. Visitors can also participate in public butchery courses, include hands-on courses showcasing the basics of whole hog butchery.

1934 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403, Phone: 612-999-4200

© Martin Patrick 3

Martin Patrick 3 is an internationally-renowned men's boutique in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood, housed within a gorgeous 22,000-square-foot space. The boutique sells elevated men's apparel ranging from casual garments and sneakers to custom-designed suits for elegant business opportunities and special occasions. Fine jewelry and watches are sold by The Loupe by JB Hudson Jewelers, alongside a variety of accessories, men's apothecary items, and one-of-a-kind gift items. Stylish furniture, accessories, and lighting help to furnish the perfect bachelor pad, while modern literature items help keep shoppers well read and educated. Personal shopping services are also offered, along with barbershop services from Marty's and interior design services from MartinPatrick3 Studio.

212 3rd Ave N #106, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Phone: 612-746-5329

© Zen Box Izakaya

Zen Box Izakaya is a charming Japanese comfort food destination in Mill City, opened in 2012 by executive chef John Ng and his wife Lina Goh. The restaurant is known for its excellent ramen selections, ranging from traditional tonkotsu ramen to selections like kimchi-infused ramen or mapo tofu mazemen. Rice and noodle dishes include chicken teriyaki donburi, pork yakisoba, or Japanese-style karaage curry, paired with shareable snacks like charred seaweed edamame, takoyaki octopus dumplings, and a selection of sashimi. Small plates range from tantan chicken wings and bone-in beef short ribs to avocado tempura and fermented soybean omelettes. At lunch, diners can enjoy bento boxes pairing favorites like salmon teriyaki or atsuage tofu with edamame, gyoza, and miso soup.

602 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415, Phone: 612-332-3936

© The Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is one of Minneapolis' premiere fine arts museums, located across an eight-acre campus in Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood. The museum is one of the nation's largest art museums, originally opened in 1915 within a landmark Neoclassical-style building. Visitors can explore the museum for free daily, with the exception of ticketed special exhibitions presented throughout the year. More than 80,000 artworks and artifacts showcase more than five millennia of human cultural history, spanning pieces from the Americas, Africa, and Oceania and showcasing one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of Asian art. Exhibits highlight paintings, photography, prints, decorative arts, and architectural works, including significant collections of jade, bronze, and ceramic works. Behind the museum, Target Park showcases additional collections of contemporary art statues and bronze works.

2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404, Phone: 612-870-3000

© burningmine/stock.adobe.com

Mill City Museum is a National Register of Historic Places-listed mill complex that is maintained as part of the National Park Service's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, located within the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. The 1870s-era mill complex, which is overseen by the Minnesota Historical Society, was opened in 2013 as a living historic complex, preserving the ruins of the Washburn "A" Mill. Minneapolis' founding and growth is detailed throughout the museum, including the history of its flour milling and hydropower industries. Visitors can ride the museum's Flour Tower freight elevator exhibit, which showcases recreated scenes from a working flour mill. Views of St. Anthony Falls can be seen from the museum's ninth-floor observation deck. Annual special events include a Mill City Live summer concert series.

704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Phone: 612-341-7555

© The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum is the official art museum of the University of Minnesota, originally founded in 1934 and moved into its current Frank Gehry-designed space in 1993. The modern art museum is named in honor of art collector Frederick Weisman, a Minneapolis native whose two-story Mediterranean Revival home is exhibited as a living history museum facility within the museum complex. More than 25,000 works are showcased throughout the museum, including significant collections of pieces by Alfred Maurer, Charles Biederman, and Marsden Hartley. Collections are also strong in indigenous American Mimbres pottery and traditional Korean furniture. Though food is not served at the museum, visitors are welcome to bring in their own food from area restaurants and enjoy it at the museum's Riverview Room.

333 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55455

© The Bakken Museum

The Bakken Museum is the only museum in the world devoted to the technology and history of medical electricity, educating visitors on the history of electricity and electromagnetism beginning in the 13th century and extending into the present day. The museum, which was originally founded in 1969 by inventor Earl Bakken, the founder of the medical technology company Medtronic. Its collections were originally housed within the Medtronic headquarters in Saint Anthony Village, moved to its present location in 1976. Approximately 2,000 scientific instruments are showcased at the museum, including instruments specifically for use in electrophysiology and electrotherapeutics. Exhibits include an immersive Frankenstein's Laboratory theater exhibit, a plant medicine exploration, a prototype makerspace, and a children's educational exhibit for visitors ages four to eight.

3537 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55416, Phone: 612-926-3878

© zayacsk/stock.adobe.com

The Bill and Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall and Museum is the upper Midwest's premiere museum dedicated to the history of firefighting, originally organized in 1974 by Minneapolis Fire Chief Clarence Nimmerfroh. The museum moved into its current 12,000-square-foot space in 1995, showcasing a fantastic collection of firefighting vehicles, equipment, photography, and literature. Visitors can view artifacts such as an 1894 Waterous steam fire engine, and 1865 operating hand pumper, a 1932 FWD pumper, and a 1919 American LaFrance Mankato ladder truck. An extensive research library also houses firefighting historical items dating back to the 1860s, while a children's interactive area features a sliding fire pole and other play equipment.

664 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, Phone: 612-623-3817

© The Wells Fargo Museum

The Wells Fargo Museum is housed within Minneapolis' Wells Fargo Center, which was constructed in 1988 and stands as the city's third-tallest skyscraper at 774 feet, designed in homage to Rockefeller Plaza's Comcast Building. Visitors can explore the history of Wells Fargo at the free museum, which is located on the skyscraper's skyway level. Exhibit items include a preserved 1863 stagecoach, along with 19th-century telegraph equipment, preserved gold nuggets and coins, and equipment from a turn-of-the-century bank. Technology such as the company's Weatherball and ATM machines is detailed, with a focus on their history of operations in Minnesota. Wells Fargo-branded apparel and gifts are sold at the museum's gift store. Guided tours are available for small groups upon request.

90 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402, Phone: 612-667-4210