Ever wonder what Minneapolis is famous for? And what Minneapolis is known for? Well, wonder no longer!
Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota, is derived from the Sioux word for water (“minne”) and the Greek word for city (“polis”), so it is the “city of water.” Appropriate, as Minneapolis is over 6% water, and known as the City of Lakes.
Minneapolis is famous for its Chain of Lakes, the Mississippi River, hockey, and as the hometown of Prince (the musician). Minneapolis is known for the Stone Arch Bridge, Juicy Lucy cheeseburgers, ice fishing, the Mall of America, and Minnesota Nice.
So, whether you go to catch one of their pro sports teams, hit up the Mall of America, taste a Honeycrisp apple straight from the orchard, or try a true Midwestern classic—the tater tot hotdish—here’s what else you need to know before you pay a visit to the Gopher state! Read on for 20 things Minneapolis is known and famous for.
Table of Contents
1. The Twin Cities
Minneapolis is famous for being part of the Twin Cities—the other twin being Minnesota’s capital, St. Paul. Minneapolis-St. Paul is at the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix rivers.
Originally inhabited by the Ojibwe and Dakota Sioux peoples, the area attracted settlers hailing from primarily Scandinavia and Germany.
2. Ice hockey
Ice hockey is the unofficial sport of Minneapolis (and Minnesota in general). Not only does Minneapolis have its own NHL (National Hockey League) team, the Minnesota Wild, but pond hockey is also common throughout the area.
With the reliably cold winters in Minneapolis and its plethora of small bodies of water (land of 10,000 lakes, anyone?) pond hockey, ice skating, and other icy sports are common.
3. Professional sports teams
Along with the Minnesota Wild, Minneapolis’s ice hockey team, Minneapolis-St. Paul has quite a few other pro sports teams.
It’s also the headquarters for the Minnesota Vikings (American football/NFL), Minnesota Twins (baseball/MLB), Minnesota Timberwolves (basketball/NBA), Minnesota Lynx (women’s basketball/WNBA), and the Minnesota United FC (major league soccer).
4. Ice fishing
Minneapolis has some long, cold winters, but the Minnesotans are adept at filling those dark, chilly days. One way they do this is by embracing winter and spending time outside regardless of the weather—such as with ice fishing.
Ice fishing involves drilling a hole in a frozen lake and sticking a line in. Of course, this can only happen if the ice is thick enough!
The steady cold in Minneapolis makes ideal conditions for walking and even driving on iced-over lakes and ponds, plus fishing and skating.
5. Juicy Lucy cheeseburgers
Minneapolis is famous for inventing the Juicy (or Jucy) Lucy cheeseburger, which is essentially a cheese-stuffed burger patty. Two locations in South Minneapolis on Cedar Ave. claim to be the creator of this Minneapolis specialty, but the story is the same: one (troublesome) customer requested two burger patties with cheese in between.
Upon taking a bite, this customer is said to have exclaimed “now that is one juicy lucy!” Since that was the most scandalous thing to ever have been uttered in Minnesota, the name stuck.
If you do try it, be warned: let it sit for a few minutes to let the inner cheese cool down from molten to slightly-less molten.
6. City of Lakes
In the “land of 10,000 lakes” (Minnesota’s motto, plus it is on the license plate, so it’s gotta be a fact), it’s not a surprise that the largest city is known as the City of Lakes or the City of Water.
Minneapolis has 22 lakes within its city limits, but the major ones are known as the “Chain of Lakes.” The Chain of Lakes is a regional park that includes Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, Brownie Lake, and Lake Calhoun.
7. The Mississippi River & St. Anthony Falls
Minneapolis grew around St. Anthony Falls, the only naturally occurring waterfall on the mighty Mississippi. Early settlers harnessed the power of the falls to mill flour. In fact, Minneapolis used to be two cities: Minneapolis and St. Anthony, until they merged in 1872, to maximize their use of the falls.
As a result, Minneapolis was nicknamed “Mill City,” and became the flour milling capital of the world, until the mid-19th century.
Before all of this, St. Anthony Falls was a sacred place of gathering for several Native American tribes of the area, especially the Dakota Sioux and Ojibwe tribes.
8. The Mall of America
Minneapolis is famous for the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States, and the Western Hemisphere. Around 40 million people visit the mall each year, and not just for shopping: the mall holds restaurants, an amusement park, an aquarium, hotels, and a venue for concerts.
9. Walleye
The walleye is Minnesota’s state fish and is native to the many waters surrounding Minneapolis. Walleye fishing is a popular sport, but if you don’t fancy dipping your line in the water, you can still find it on many menus in Minneapolis.
The walleye is touted as the best-tasting freshwater fish in the world—try it for yourself to see if you agree! Some popular walleye menu items are sandwiches, baked walleye, grilled walleye, and of course, pan-fried.
10. Honeycrisp apples
The Honeycrisp apple, the official fruit of Minnesota, was invented right in Minneapolis. Although it was developed in the late 1980s, it didn’t hit grocery stores until 1997.
If you haven’t had Honeycrisp, you heard it here first: these are the best apples around! Especially eaten raw.
As the saying goes, it was bred for taste, and trust me when I say that the Honeycrisp’s combination of juiciness, sweetness, and firmness is unmatched! Plus, it has a decently long shelf life, so it stays fresh.
Pro tip: You can find the Honeycrisp apple year around, but they’re best in the autumn.
11. Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson, the artist known as Prince, was born in Minneapolis in 1958. Sadly, he also died there, in 2016, but not before he pioneered the “Minneapolis sound.” Prince is considered one of the best artists of his generation, and one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
12. The Peanuts
Charles M. Schulz, the creator of what may be the most loved comic strip of all time, Peanuts, was born in Minneapolis and lived in Minneapolis-St. Paul for much of his life. In tribute to him, many things in Minneapolis are named after him, including Charles Schulz’s Day on October 20.
You can also find sculptures of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the gang all over the city, which were made by local artists after Shulz’s death in 2000. Fun fact: There are supposedly over 100 scattered throughout the metro area!
13. The Spoonbridge and Cherry in the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens
Known as an unofficial symbol for Minneapolis, the Spoonbridge and Cherry in the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens has become iconic.
Commissioned in 1988 at the opening of the sculpture garden, the giant spoon partially straddles a small pond and holds a cherry at the end. The spoon weighs nearly 6,000 pounds, and the cherry weighs over 1,000 pounds.
14. George Floyd protests
George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, was killed by a policeman on May 25, 2020, a senseless act that was caught on camera by a nearby bystander. This viral video, an example of police mistreatment of Black people, ignited local, nationwide, and even global protests against police brutality and racism.
Minneapolis was the epicenter of the civil unrest, which evolved into the Black Lives Matter movement. Due to this, Minneapolis is in the process of reforming its police department and has passed laws to protect civilians from police violence.
15. Tater tot hotdish
It wouldn’t be a city in the Midwest without a reference to a casserole!
Minneapolis’ most famous casserole (which most Minnesotans call a hotdish) is the tater tot hotdish. This classic Minnesotan fare is traditionally made with ground beef, onions, celery, and corn, all baked under a topping of tater tots and cheese.
Of course, you can sample different innovations of the tater tot hotdish throughout Minneapolis, but the best place to get the authentic dish will probably be in a grandma’s kitchen.
16. Minnehaha Park
Minneapolis is famous for Minnehaha Falls, which you can find in the regional park, Minnehaha Park.
Minnehaha Park is one of Minneapolis’ oldest parks and is a welcome natural escape in the middle of the city. Minnehaha Falls, named by the Dakota Sioux, was immortalized in poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his epic, “The Song of Hiawatha.”
17. Minnesota Nice
Chances are when you make it to Minneapolis, you will inevitably run into the good ole Minnesota Nice. “Minnesota Nice” is the stereotypical behavior applied to Minnesotans that, loosely defined, speaks to their tendency to be very polite, friendly, and yet also reserved.
Minnesotans are known to be courteous and helpful, and yet also passive-aggressive. Now, is the stereotype true? You’ll just have to visit and decide for yourself.
18. The Stone Arch Bridge
The first bridge to cross the Mississippi was built in Minneapolis in 1855, and Minneapolis has continued to build the most bridges across the Mississippi. Although the original first bridge no longer exists, the Stone Arch Bridge was built for the railroad in the 1880s, and still exists as a pedestrian walkway and bicycle path.
The Stone Arch Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
19. The Bundt pan
Did you know the Bundt pan was invented in Minneapolis? The Minnesota-born brand, Nordic Ware, which started in a family’s basement in Minneapolis, was responsible for inventing the Bundt pan in the 1950s.
The fluted ring cake pan had this innovative hole in the middle to help with even baking and easy serving. Since then, the Bundt pan has been distributed all over and used in households worldwide.
20. The Twinkie Law
When George Belair ran for city council in Minneapolis in the 1980s, he gained some attention for his habit of handing out Twinkies, coffee, and other snacks to senior citizens, to influence their vote.
Although Belair was not elected, he was sued for violating the Fair Campaign Practices Law. He wasn’t convicted, but the lawsuit did spur Minneapolis to pass a law reforming campaign finance, which became known as “the Twinkie Law.”
Conclusion
Minneapolis is a thriving, beautiful city full of contrasts, just like Minnesotans themselves, with their mild-mannered “Minnesota Nice” that hides a whole bunch underneath the surface.
Although the Midwest is often rebuffed as only having “flyover” states, Minneapolis proves its worth as much more than a fly-by. Now, you can confidently answer the question: what is Minneapolis famous for?
Why, just so much! The innovative culinary scene that gave us Honeycrisp apples; an arts scene that gave the world both Prince and Charlie Brown; symbols of American culture like the Mall of America and the Bundt pan; and like, a whole lot of flour.
So, tell me, have you been to Minneapolis? What would you add to this list? And, if you haven’t been, which of these facts intrigued you more? Let’s discuss this in the comments!
you left out a very active arts community. music of all kinds,dance,theaters d the many community service organizations here.
No l haven’t been to Minnesota per say. Only on Grey Hound as a drive thru. I would like to visit to see Prince and more on the history of Minnesota and see some of its lakes. Maybe one day. oh yeah and the Mall of America.