The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a must see attraction in the heart of the city of Minneapolis. It is home to world-class art that spans thousands of years. The museum has over 80,000 pieces of art so there will be something for everybody to enjoy when visiting. The Minneapolis Institute of Art also brings in top notch art exhibits from museums around the world as special exhibitions so if you are planning a trip to there make sure you check out their website to see what is on display. We got to see a fascinating exposé of China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy which will be there until January 20th 2013. Karen and I really enjoyed our time at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We had a limited time in Minnesota and wanted to make it count and this museum ended up being well worth our time. Luckily we were there during the week so it was not very crowded except for a couple of schools on a field trip, but the museum is so massive we never had to wait to see any works of art. Another bonus about going to this particular Minneapolis museum is that there is no admission charge. This is always a big plus for us especially if any free admission place is as nice as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The only cost for us was going in to see the Terracotta Warriors and we probably would have passed on that if I was not a history teacher and there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to see them. I am definitely glad that we did. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts was founded in 1883 by the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts and first opened its doors in 1915. It expanded in 1974 and then again in 2006. The museum now has 7 distinct galleries- Arts of Africa & the Americas, Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts, Textiles & Sculpture, Asian Art, Painting, Photography and New Media, and Prints and Drawings. While we are not art connoisseurs by any means we do enjoy going to an art museum from time to time. I like going to see the historical items or classical works of art that I have seen in a book and Karen likes to go to marvel at the talent especially any paintings that look so real they seem like they are a photograph (like the one above). With the amount of work on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Karen and I found much to entertain us. Overall we really enjoyed our time here. The building itself with the grand architecture and pillars were what we have come to expect to see in a fine art museum. The collection was grand and encompassing, we love to see works from around the world coupled with historical artifacts like statues from Rome and Feudal Japanese Armor. While we have never been a big fan of modern art, if that is your thing the Minneapolis Institute of Art will have you covered there as well. How Karen and I always determine if something was worth seeing is by asking ourselves would we go back if given the chance and this is one of the places that would like to see again.

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Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Locate at 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis

Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with extended hours on Thursday until 9 p.m. closed on Mondays and Thanksgiving Christmas Eve, Christmas and July 4th

Cost as of this Posting: Free

For more information visit their website at http://www.artsmia.org/