A Guide to Downtown Minneapolis' Central Business & Theater District
A Guide to Downtown Minneapolis' Central Business & Theater District
By Devon Cox
Close your eyes. Think “downtown downtown.” What you’re picturing? That’s the Central Business and Theater District. This is where you’ll find the sweeping views of Foshay Tower, the Four Seasons Hotel and Nicollet Mall (where Mary Tyler Moore tossed her triumphant hat in the air).
This neighborhood has a comforting, cyclical rhythm. During the day, Minneapolis’ Central Business District possesses a sturdy (but never showy – we don’t brag, it’s not Minnesota nice) elegance. At happy hour, well-suited attorneys, Target employees, and cool ad executives kick up their heels at Peavy Plaza. And once the sun goes down, crowds flock to Broadway tours at The Orpheum, concerts at the legendary First Avenue, symphonies at the world-renowned Minnesota Orchestra, and intimate performances at Dakota Jazz Club. Meanwhile, diners fill steakhouses and the bar at Brit’s, as all the glittering lights come alive.
Here's our hit list of things to do in downtown Minneapolis' Central Business and Theater District.
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF
THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA
Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra is commonly considered one of the nation’s top 10 orchestras, often mentioned in the same breath as the Cleveland Symphony and New York Philharmonic. And Orchestra Hall, the glass palace anchoring the south side of downtown, is a befitting home.
Led by the ruggedly handsome Danish music director Thomas Søndergård since 2024, the orchestra performs both classic repertoire, new composers, and popular music with acts like Dessa and Ben Folds. Take the kids to a 60-minute symphony for free through their hall pass program, or go see your favorite film score played live.
SPLASH AROUND
PEAVY PLAZA
Peavy Plaza / Credit: Joseph Scheller
Located next to Orchestra Hall, Peavy Plaza is a legendary downtown gathering spot. It underwent a 2020 renovation and restoration, and since then, is a bustling summer venue. Catch live music, pop-up bars, and families picnicking on the steps, letting their kids splash in the glass-like shallow pool.
TAKE IN THE VIEW
FROM THE FOSHAY
Foshay Tower / Credit: Meet Minneapolis
For 48 years, the Art Deco Foshay was the tallest building in the Midwest. While it no longer holds that distinction, it is still an iconic part of the skyline. Home to the W Hotel, classic Keys Café, and a museum, the Foshay is probably best known for its observation deck, which boasts spectacular city views and has been the site of countless Minneapolis proposals.
GET KNACKERED LAWN
BOWLING AT BRIT'S PUB
Brit's Pub
Three words: Rooftop. Lawn. Bowling. When the weather is warm, downtown’s iconic British pub becomes a sporty hang for those looking to throw back a few pints in the sun and try their hand at an across-the-pond sport. But it’s not just summer fun at Brit’s; the bar is one of the city’s most popular places to watch soccer (or, more appropriately, football).
SEE A BROADWAY SHOW
AT HENNEPIN ARTS
Hennepin Theatre Trust presents "Hamilton" at Orpheum Theatre
Hennepin Arts, previously known as Hennepin Theatre Trust, is a nonprofit that operates downtown’s historic touring houses. In addition to its Broadway season, Hennepin Arts hosts concerts, stand-up comedians, and cabarets in its smaller venues.
BUST OUT THE BILLS
AT UNION ROOFTOP
A Pokemon-themed drag brunch at Union Restaurant / Darin Kamnetz for Flip Phone Events
Union is a scene-y rooftop hang primarily known for its raucous events, including themed drag brunches (Ariana Grande! Taylor Swift! Spongebob Squarepants!), talent showcases, and concert after-parties.
WATCH HISTORY
UNFOLD AT FIRST AVE
Credit: First Avenue
There may be no place more iconic to the Minnesota music scene than First Avenue. You know it as the place Prince performed “Purple Rain,” but legendary New York Times writer David Carr once said, “There are a few rock clubs in the country with the cultural weight and history of First Avenue... There was a time in the 1980's when First Avenue made a noise big enough to shake the whole country.”
Housed in a former Greyhound Bus Depot, First Ave’s main room (and it’s smaller next-door venue, known to locals simply as “The Entry,”) remains one of the nation’s coolest places to see rock and roll. During a tour stop in Minneapolis, Este Haim confessed that she visited First Ave and “burst into tears.”
Jack White performs at First Avenue / Credit: David James Swanson
Show up on the right night and you may even catch an intimate show from arena-sized stars like Jack White, The Killers or Lizzo. (All three have performed special one-off sets in recent years.)
First Avenue also owns and operates several other local venues, including several St. Paul standards (Palace Theatre, Turf Club) and the Fine Line just a few blocks away.
Read more about how First Ave became the epicenter of the 80s music scene.
LOUNGE AROUND
DAKOTA JAZZ CLUB
Local act Travis Anderson Trio at the Dakota
An intimate, upscale jazz club with truly good food, the Dakota is one of the most reliable nights out in town. Classic acts like Sweet Honey and the Rock come to the Dakota, as well as new favorites like Chastity Brown and Davina and the Vagabonds.
HIT HAPPY HOUR AT
BREVA BAR + GRILL
A bartender preps a cocktail at Breva / Credit: Meet Minneapolis
Located in the ground floor of the Hotel Ivy, Breva has one of downtown’s best happy hours — think $10 spicy palomas and smoked walleye dip. But it’s also got the sort of upscale, approachable menu that can work for a varied crowd, and a quiet, pleasant atmosphere.
ORDER A SHORT
STACK AT KEYS
A short stack of Keys pancakes at The Foshay
Keys has been serving Minneapolis since 1973, when the original location opened on St. Paul’s Raymond Avenue. The Foshay location is the only tenant that survived in the transition from office building to W hotel, and for a good reason: Keys is an institution. With a mile-long menu (pancakes! egg salad sandwiches! chili omelets!), it’s the kind of place you’ll see besuited downtowners chowing down on a power lunch next to a family on vacation.
DIG INTO A CHIPPY
BASKET AT THE LOCAL
Fish and chips at The Local
At 11,000 square feet, The Local is one of North America’s largest pubs. Pouring Guinness and slinging bangers and mash since 1997, The Local's interior is a loving pastiche of a Dublin haunt, and they serve a late-night menu until 11 p.m. (a bit of a rarity in this town).
CRUSH THE PANCAKES
AT HELL'S KITCHEN
A massive Bloody Mary at Hell's Kitchen
Much local ink has been spilled over Hell’s Kitchen's lemon-ricotta pancakes. Justifiably so — they are as light and fluffy as everyone says they are — but their real appeal is that you can order them all day long. Hell’s Kitchen (named for it’s underground location) serves their rich, rock-n-roll breakfast menu all day long. Come for the bloody mary and mimosa bar, stay for the northern poutine smothered in beef pan gravy.
DANCE THE NIGHT
AWAY AT THE SALOON
The Saloon in downtown Minneapolis
One of the state’s oldest gay bars, The Saloon opened in 1977 and has been drawing crowds ever since. They host musical acts (Todrick Hall performed there to kick off Minneapolis Pride week in 2018), RuPaul viewing parties, and some of the Twin Cities’ best DJs.
GRAB IT TO-GO AT
GRAY FOX COFFEE
Gray Fox Coffee's lofty Deluxe Plaza location / Credit: Julia Mary
Gray Fox has three downtown Minneapolis locations and their top-notch lattés are tricked-out with custom art, but the best reason to seek them is out is that they are an excellent locally-owned alternative to another ubiquitous downtown coffee purveyor that may or may not be based in the Pacific Northwest. Owned by the same powerhouse team that operates the beloved Copper Hen, Gray Fox also offers breakfast sandwiches for an on-the-go breakfast.
DINE IN LUXURY AT
THE FOUR SEASONS
Mara's bar area at the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis
Gavin Kaysen’s Mediterranen-ish restaurant (Mara) is exactly what you’d expect from an establishment located in the Four Seasons Hotel: luxe, precisely executed, and richly atmospheric. On a typical weekend night, the well-heeled crowd can be seen in one of the restaurant’s lush velvet banquettes, enjoying foie gras toast and lobster bucatini with roe butter.
SLICE A STEAK
AT MURRAY'S
Murray's / Credit: Meet Minneapolis
Home of the silver butter knife steak since 1946, Murray’s steak house is a Minnesota legend. From the teal-blue exterior the classic white tablecloth interior, Murray’s is the place your grandparents might have gone for their anniversary, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuffy or out-of-date. No, those classic steaks hold up, and so do the au gratin potatoes, stiff martinis, and exacting, personal service.
SOAK UP THE
VIBES AT FHIMA'S
The dining room at Fhima's
Stepping into Fhima’s is a little bit like stepping onto the set of "The Great Gatsby." The storied interior was actually moved piece by piece from its original location down the block by a team of dedicated preservationists. We're talking 3,500 pieces of black and pale green tile, paired with mirrored, curtained booths and drippy chandeliers to create one of the city’s most unabashedly glamorous spaces.
Under the helm of David Fhima, the restaurant celebrates Moroccan, Spanish, and Southern Italian cuisine. The lamb shank and chicken tagine are superlative, yes, but we wouldn’t blame you for just coming to sit at the bar, knock back a drink or two, and call your companion “old sport.”
MAKE IT LIKE
MARY TYLER MOORE
Pay tribute to Mary on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis / @mnbucketlist
She’s gonna make it after all! In 1970, Mary Tyler Moore drove down Lake of the Isles Parkway, took up residence in the Kenwood neighborhood, and tossed her pom-topped beret in the air in front of iconic department store Dayton’s, on the pedestrian-only street known as Nicollet Mall — and an iconic Minneapolis moment was born.
These days, abundant public art, restaurants, and performance venues like the Dakota Jazz Club keep the block vibrant and buzzing. As a bonus, you can visit a bronze monument to Mary at Nicollet and 7th. Then, pop across the street to the IDS Center's Crystal Court, and go shopping in the same spot Mary did in the show’s opening credits.
PEOPLE WATCH ON
ZELO'S SIDEWALK PATIO
A seafood-forward dish at Zelo
It's easy to overlook Zelo — a trend-immune, Italian-ish fine-ish dining restaurant that’s anchored its downtown streetcorner for a quarter-century — but that would be a mistake. Because Zelo is consistently delightful, with a wide-ranging, well-executed menu and warm, professional hospitality.
Is it going to be the most boundary-pushing, culinarily surprising meal of your life? No! But more often than we want to admit, we just want a well-done bowl of pasta we didn’t have to make ourselves.
Sit outside for a summer lunch and enjoy the people-watching along Nicollet Mall as you sip on a glass of Sardinian Vermentino and dip shatteringly crisp pieces of calamari fritti into lemon-garlic aioli. Bellissima!
SIT ALONGSIDE LOCAL
EXECUTIVES AT MANNY'S
Credit: Manny's Steakhouse
Oh, Manny’s. What would we do without your reliably ice-cold martinis? Your unashamedly old-school vibe? Your rolling cart full of Black Angus beef? This classic hotel restaurant (located in the similarly classic W at the Foshay) is a bastion of old-school service, food, and a perennial favorite of the downtown power-lunch crowd.
ENTER THE SKYWAY
AT IDS CENTER
The Crystal Court at IDS Center
Built in 1973, the IDS Center is the tallest building in the state of Minnesota. Its Crystal Court, a tree-lined atrium complete with water fixtures, is a great place to people watch. But it may be better-known as the perfect entrance point for those looking to explore the city by skyway, the Minneapolitan term for those elevated, enclosed-glass hallways linking the city’s business district together.
SATISFY VEGAN FRIENDS
AT HEN HOUSE EATERY
A stacked brunch spread at Hen House Eatery
It’s not often you find a friendly all-day diner with great vegan options, but Hen House Eatery (serving downtown since 2014) has done it. Run by longtime friends who spent over four decades learning the ropes at Keys Cafe, Hen House is both modern and nostalgic, serving blueberry cream cheese rolls alongside creme fraiche-topped avocado toast.
SNAP A SELFIE
WITH BOB DYLAN
Bob Dylan's iconic mural in downtown Minneapolis / Credit: Paul Vincent
Three eras of Bob look out on Minneapolis from Eduadro Kobra’s colorful landmark. Since debuting in 2015, this homage to a Minnesota legend has become the most-instagrammed image in Minnesota.
SEE MINNEAPOLIS'
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Minneapolis Central Library / Credit: Tony Webster
A sun-soaked ode to literature and history, the Minneapolis central library takes up an entire city block and serves as a delineating landmark between the central business district and the buzzy North Loop. This welcoming, sunny gathering space holds nearly a million books and serves as an important community resource. You could spend a whole day getting lost in the stacks, taking a stroll along the second-floor Cargill Gallery, which features local artwork, or even playing a grand piano in the free-to-use Heilmaier piano room.
SPRITZ IT OUT
AT GIULIA
Dinner at Giulia
Helmed by multi-Beard nominee Steven Brown, Giulia is a northern Italian paradise in the grand marble ground floor of the Emery Hotel. Featuring an approachable (but not boring) menu of pastas, pizzas, and meaty mains, Giulia executes crowd-pleasing favorites like burrata-topped Neapolitan pies and pork ragu pappardelle with care and precision.
There may be no better use of a downtown afternoon than popping in for their happy hour, where you can get a Peroni on tap, pebble-iced limoncello spritz, and fried foccacia with pomodoro sauce. Close your eyes, and you might even feel the Lake Garda breeze.
GET IN A WORKOUT
AT THE YMCA
The swimming pool at Gavidaae Commons' YMCA / Credit: Peter J. Sieger
The multi-level YMCA at Gavidaae Commons is a great place to get a workout in, with a full track, lap pool, hot tub, sauna, cycle and Pilates studios, and basketball courts. In the right weather, there are even classes held on the rooftop patio.
Devon Cox is Explore Minnesota’s Digital Strategy Manager. You can spot her carting her public radio tote bag to Twin Cities bakeries, bookstores, and vintage shops. She thinks you should go out to eat tonight (sit at the bar).