It’s called the Mighty Mississippi for a reason, and it starts right here in Minnesota. Take a stroll across the Stone Arch Bridge, which is closed to cars but welcomes cyclists and folks on foot, and enjoy the sight of the roaring St. Anthony Falls, the only major waterfall along the river’s 2,340 miles. On one side of the Stone Arch, you’ll find the charming St. Anthony Main neighborhood, with cobblestone streets and some of the best views of the river and downtown Minneapolis. (We recommend grabbing a drink on the patio at Aster Café, weather permitting, and admiring the skyline.)

On the Stone Arch’s west side, you’ll find Mill Ruins Park and the Mill City Museum, which is located in the ruins of the Washburn A Mill. And if you can, get a reservation at Owamni, the award-winning Indigenous restaurant from chef Sean Sherman. Located inside the Water Works Pavilion at Mill Ruins Park, the restaurant takes its name from Owámniyomni, a Dakota name for St. Anthony Falls.

What’s that—you’ve never had a Juicy Lucy? Well, we need to fix this right away. A Juicy Lucy, for the uninitiated, is Minneapolis’s greatest culinary invention: a cheeseburger that has the cheese stuffed inside the burger patty. Isn’t the world a beautiful place?

Two old-school Minneapolis bars, the 5-8 Club and Matt’s Bar (the latter of which spells their rendition “Jucy Lucy”), both claim to have invented this groundbreaking ground beef creation, and we’d definitely recommend seeking out their classic takes. But you can also get a great Juicy Lucy at a number of other bars and restaurants around town, including Blue Door Pub and Uncle Franky's. Francis Burger Joint, which has two Minneapolis locations, even makes a vegan version that’s a dead ringer for the real thing. The molten-cored burgers can get a little messy, so make sure you grab some napkins!

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is home to 60-plus sculptures on 11 acres, including Claes Oldenburg’s iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry and Hahn/Cock—that’s the giant blue rooster by German artist Katharina Fritsch. It’s totally free to visit and full of great photo ops, plus there’s a self-guided tour to get you started. (Pro-tip: Don’t overlook the Jenny Holzer benches.)

But the Sculpture Garden is just one part of the Walker Art Center, which is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in all of the country. The Walker has it all: long-term installations, cutting-edge exhibitions, major historical retrospectives, plus a theater for performing arts and a robust film department. It even has a gorgeous restaurant, Cardamom, where you can dig into steamed mussels or a mezze platter before or after you wander the galleries.

The Mississippi gets a lot of attention as far as local bodies of water go, but it’s tough to beat the spectacular beauty of Minnehaha Falls. It’s located on the Minnehaha Creek near its confluence with the Mississippi, and the sight of a 53-foot waterfall right here in the city is truly breathtaking. And if you’re visiting Minneapolis during the warmer months, you’re in luck: The park’s seasonal restaurant, Sea Salt, serves mouthwatering po boys and fried fish baskets, as well as beer and wine. Other natural wonders worth a visit within city limits include the Quaking Bog and Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, both located at Theodore Wirth Regional Park.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Lynx, and Minnesota Vikings all call downtown Minneapolis home—isn’t that convenient? Target Center (home of the Wolves and Lynx), U.S. Bank Stadium (home of the Vikings), and Target Field (home of the Twins) are all located within about a mile of each other, so the only question is… who’s playing while you’re in town?

It’s legendary for a reason: First Avenue, which opened in 1981, was Prince’s favorite venue and features heavily in Purple Rain. But the venue, which is located in a former bus depot, doesn’t rely solely on its historic status. First Ave recently invested in a super-powerful L-Acoustics L Series system, the first of its kind in North America, meaning the audio quality here is really killer. Make sure you snap a photo of yourself in front of the star wall mural outside and scan the names to see if your favorite artist makes an appearance. First Ave also has an attached restaurant, the Depot, which makes it easy to grab food or a drink before the show.

A gorgeous walking and biking trail wraps around Minneapolis’s Chain of Lakes: Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Brownie Lake, and Cedar Lake. There’s ample beach access if you want to swim, or you can get out on the water thanks to canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals from Wheel Fun Rentals.

There are lakeside restaurants like Bread & Pickle (Lake Harriet) and Pimento Jamaican Kitchen (Bde Maka Ska) if you get hungry, and there are few better places around town to catch a sunrise or sunset. You can even spend a whole day on the lakes.

There’s no better foodie neighborhood than Minneapolis’s North Loop. Bar La Grassa is the beloved Italian restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre, and there’s also Spoon and Stable, from James Beard Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen. Kaysen’s adjacent restaurant, Demi, is also a really special experience. You could swing by Kado No Mise for an omakase prix-fixe experience or go for sister restaurant Sanjusan’s inventive Japanese-Italian menu.

Parlour makes a locally legendary burger; Dario serves unmissably beautiful plates of pasta; and Billy Sushi dishes up fresh seafood with impeccable vibes. Maison Margaux, Porzana… honestly, just drop a pin somewhere in the North Loop, and you’ll find yourself eating some pretty spectacular stuff.

The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is a dynamic and colorful section of the city, packed with so many galleries, artists, and arts-focused orgs hosting monthly events, pop-ups, and open studio sessions that there’s virtually always something cool going on. Simply scan this handy map, which also highlights tons of public art to take in throughout Northeast, and let the artsy adventure begin.

All that exploring is bound to make you thirsty! Luckily, Northeast Minneapolis also boasts a fine selection of craft breweries. Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative and 56 Brewing are situated right along the Mississippi River, while Padraigs Brewing, Bauhaus Brew Labs, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, and Sociable Cider Werks are all conveniently located on or along the Central Avenue Corridor. You can check off a number of them on foot—or, heed our earlier suggestion and rent a bike!

Hey, we get it—traveling is expensive. What if we told you that one of the best art museums in the city is totally free to visit? The Minneapolis Institute of Art, or Mia, as it’s affectionately known, is home to more than 100,000 works of art, making it one of the largest art museums in the country. You’ll find world-famous works like Raffaelle Monti’s "Veiled Lady" and Vincent van Gogh’s “Olive Trees,” along with pieces by Wassily Kandinsky, Yayoi Kusama, Claude Monet, and many more.

The Weisman Art Museum, a modern art museum at the University of Minnesota, is also free to visit, and as a bonus the incredible building looks like something out of a sci-fi film. So is the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery.