Walker Art Center / Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis

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The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden occupies the space that was previously Armory Gardens. The old National Guard building was torn down in the 30's but the gardens remained and were used as a playing field for some years. In 1988, the Mpls. Park Board and Walker Art Museum teamed up to create an outdoor extension of the Walker on that field and it's expanding even further into the spot left by the old Guthrie theater (moved to the St. Anthony Falls area). There are both permanent and rotating items in the collection, and even novice art lovers will recognize the names of some of the better-known artists such as Calder, Moore and Gehry.

Combine a wander in the garden with a visit to the Walker and the Basilica of Saint Mary (see my St. Mary's tip for a walking route from downtown). That's the basilica in the background of the attached picture - take the Whitney footbridge to cross Hennepin/Lyndale into Loring Park and then over to the church. Garden hours are 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM and admission is free. If driving, parking is either in the Walker ramp or sculpture garden lot (fees for both) or on the street (metered).

Note: it's tempting, especially for children, to want to sit or climb on some of the artwork but they ask that you don't. Also no biking, skating, pets or picnicking.

The Walker is one of my favorite Modern Art Museums in the world. They have many famous artists, (Warhol, Ono, and many others) and even in winter it can be exciting and fullfilling. The sculpture garden in winter is just as magnificent with modern art sculptures spread out over its acreage, including Claes Oldenburg's Spoon and Cherry.......Gallery admission is usually $10 for adults (free under 12) and free on thursdays from 5-9 (thanx to Target)
The sculpture garden is usually free to wander.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is adjacent to the Walker Art Center but has significant advantages over it. Admission to the Garden is free while it usually costs adults $10 to visit the Walker. (There are, however, frequent free days for the Walker sponsored by Target and other local companies.) The Sculpture Garden is an 11 acre park developed jointly by the Walker and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. There are trees, shrubs, and flowers in this garden but, true to its name, there are at least three dozen larger than life sculptures. My favorites are Claes Oldenburg's Spoonbridge and Cherry and Martin Puryear's Ampersand, both from the late 1980s. The Walker Center offers interpretive tours on Thursdays through Sundays. Again the Garden tours are free and the Art Center tours come with the price of admission to the gallery.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is across from the Walker Art center at 726 Vineland Place. This 11-acre urban garden displays more than 40 sculptures, including the whimsical “Spoonbridge and Cherry.” The Cowles Conservatory contains palm and orange trees and a sculpture pond with glass sculptures. The 375-foot-long Irene Hixon Whitney Footbridge spans 16 lanes of traffic to connect the garden with Loring Park and downtown. Allow 30 minutes minimum.

The Walker Art Center was a cool place to visit. During the time I was there, a Picasso exhibit was being displayed. For $10 we walked through the display and checked out some of the other work inside the museum. Afterwards we strolled through the Sculpture Garden where we saw some interesting work.

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The Walker Art Center presents the most important cultural forces in the world, and is one of the most important institutions in the world of contemporary art. With a suberb core collection of modern masters - from Warhol and Rauchenberg to Kiefer and Hirst - and exciting temporary exhibits from new artists around the world, the Walker is rightfully proud of its outstanding reputation as a tastemaker and discussion-starter.

The Walker has recently opened a new "tower" designed by the Swiss masters Herzog and de Meuring. They had to create additional space that would complement but not overwhelm the existing minimalist structure created in the early 1970s by Edward Larrabee Barnes. Maybe the Swiss architects were a little too respectful: if you ask me the Barnes building is bland and dull. You couldn't say that about the new cube, sheathed as it is in sleek silvery aluminum. They had to deal with a difficult site: the Walker overlooks roaring traffic from an interstate highway and a hectic thoroughfare.

The museum also houses two popular Wolfgang Puck establishments: an informal cafe in the Barnes tower, and an upscale restaurant (Cue) in the Herzog and de Meuron cube.

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The art in this particular museum is rather odd....well everything about this place is rather odd right down to the eyeball wallpaper but if you're into arts & culture this is a nice day excursion. Every first Saturday is Family Free Day complete with special programs & events throughout the day. Our favorites are the open-air summer concert/picnics in the sculpture gardens which are right across the street. The sculpture garden is home to THE CHERRY SPOON which is a famous Minneapolis landmark. It's even featured on a local news stations weather report as a backdrop. There is also a greenhouse with a HUGE glass fish sculpture in it's center. It's a must see but good luck getting a picture of the whole fish...call me inept but I haven't been able to.

Its a great contemporary art museum. They just expanded it to there is even more to see. I'm always surprised when I tour it, so its an exciting experience. And I love the sculpture garden. Take a nice stroll around and play with the art. Look at it from all the angles, take part in it and enjoy a great view of downtown.