Mill City Museum

History buffs of all ages will enjoy the museum, located inside the 19th-century Washburn A Mill along the Mississippi River. Inside, a wide range of exhibits from flour-milling machines and vintage advertising to a cereal box design station and the multimedia Flour Tower elevator transport you back to old-time Minneapolis. Sample fresh-baked goods in the Baking Lab, learn about the importance of watermills at the Water Lab, and enjoy a bird’s-eye perch over the city from the observation deck. Since the museum is set along the Mississippi River in central Minneapolis, a visit is easy to pair with a city sightseeing tour.

• Hands-on and multimedia exhibits make this museum engaging for the whole family.

• Top up your phone battery to snap the views over the Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls, Ruin Courtyard, and the historic Stone Arch Bridge from the observation deck.

• There are restrooms, a café, a museum shop, and Wi-Fi available at the museum.

• The museum is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs; wheelchairs are available for loan at the museum entrance.

Mill City Museum is on the west bank of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. Take the light rail Blue or Green Line to the U.S. Bank Stadium Station, a short walk from the museum, or bus 22 to the Washington Avenue stop. Otherwise drive and park at the nearby Mill Quarter Ramp.

The museum is open Thursday to Sunday and some holidays; the Mill City Farmers Market is held at the museum every Saturday morning from May to October, and on first and third Saturdays in the winter. Special exhibits and events are scheduled throughout the year inside the museum and in the Ruin Courtyard—check the museum calendar online.

Mill City Museum is in the heart of Minneapolis’ historic riverfront, and there are a number of sights clustered within walking distance of the former mill. Stroll across the 19th-century Stone Arch Bridge, a former railroad bridge that is now a walking and cycling route, for views of St. Anthony Falls, the city skyline, and the hulking mill ruins. Get an up-close look at the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam at the visitor center (open in the summer) or skirt the banks of the Mississippi on foot or by bike along the Central Minneapolis Riverfront Regional Park.