Discover Minneapolis Scavenger Hunt
Discover the City of Lakes with a scavenger hunt across Minneapolis's mill ruins, lakes and pop-art icons. Walk the Stone Arch Bridge over the only major waterfall on the Mississippi, kiss the cherry on the Spoonbridge, toss a hat on Nicollet Mall and salute Prince at First Avenue. Mill ruins, lake breezes, juicy Lucys. Minneapolis is yours for the day.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Stone Arch Bridge
Navigate to the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi by St. Anthony Falls and check in at the downtown end.
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2
Nicollet Mall
Walk west into downtown and check in on the Nicollet Mall pedestrian street between 5th and 8th Streets.
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3
Walker Sculpture Garden
Rideshare or walk west across the freeway to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden by the Walker Art Center. Check in at the Spoonbridge and Cherry.
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4
Minnehaha Falls
Rideshare or bike south to Minnehaha Regional Park and check in at the overlook above the falls.
Challenges (20)
Minneapolis kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Minneapolis backdrop (the Mississippi River, a brick mill ruin, a lake at the edge of the city) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Stone Arch Bridge
Navigate to the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi by St. Anthony Falls and check in at the downtown end.
Stone Arch Bridge walk
The Stone Arch Bridge curves across the Mississippi with the city skyline behind it. Walk halfway across as a team and take a group photo with the arches stretching away and the skyline filling the background.
Trivia: Stone Arch opened
James J. Hill built the Stone Arch Bridge for his Great Northern Railway across the Mississippi. In what year did it first open?
Answer: 1883
Trivia: Stone Arch spans
How many stone arch spans does the Stone Arch Bridge have (the steel-deck truss span does not count)?
Answers: 21 / twenty-one / twenty one
Mill ruins portrait
Just south of the bridge stand the brick shells of the Washburn A Mill, now the Mill City Museum. Find an open courtyard inside the ruins and take a group photo with the brick walls and broken arches behind you.
Checkpoint: Nicollet Mall
Walk west into downtown and check in on the Nicollet Mall pedestrian street between 5th and 8th Streets.
Mary Tyler Moore hat toss
The bronze Mary Tyler Moore statue on Nicollet Mall captures her famous hat-throwing moment. Find the statue, line the squad up and take a photo where everyone throws an imaginary (or real) hat in the air.
First Avenue stars
The black wall of First Avenue on 7th and 1st is covered in silver stars listing every act that has played the club. Find Prince's star and take a group photo of the team pointing at it.
Trivia: Prince's club
What is the name of the legendary Minneapolis nightclub that Prince played throughout his career and that features in Purple Rain (two words)?
Answers: First Avenue / first avenue
Skyway walk
The Minneapolis Skyway is the longest continuous skyway system in the world. Find an entrance on Nicollet, head up to the second floor and take a group photo inside a glass skyway with the street visible below.
Checkpoint: Walker Sculpture Garden
Rideshare or walk west across the freeway to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden by the Walker Art Center. Check in at the Spoonbridge and Cherry.
Spoonbridge and Cherry pose
The Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen is Minneapolis's most iconic sculpture. Take a group photo with the team posed as if eating from the spoon, the cherry centered behind you.
Trivia: Spoonbridge year
The Spoonbridge and Cherry was installed in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in what year?
Answer: 1988
Checkpoint: Minnehaha Falls
Rideshare or bike south to Minnehaha Regional Park and check in at the overlook above the falls.
Minnehaha Falls overlook
Minnehaha Falls drops 53 feet through limestone in the middle of the city. Find the overlook closest to the falls and take a group photo with the falls visibly in the background.
Juicy Lucy taste
The juicy Lucy (a cheese-stuffed burger) was invented in Minneapolis. Order one from Matt's Bar, the 5-8 Club or any local joint, share it among the team and take a photo with everyone catching the cheese pull on the first bite.
Lake reflection portrait
Minneapolis has more than a dozen lakes inside city limits. Find any lakeshore (Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles) and take a squad photo with the lake mirroring the skyline or trees behind everyone.
Local Minneapolitan tip
Convince a local Minneapolis resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Minneapolis finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Minneapolis spot (the Stone Arch at sunset, a lake at golden hour, the Spoonbridge in low light) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the City of Lakes!
Frequently asked questions
Four to five hours covers the Stone Arch Bridge and Mill District, Nicollet Mall, the Walker Sculpture Garden and Minnehaha Falls at a relaxed pace. The lakes and Falls are a rideshare or short bike ride south of downtown. Most groups walk the downtown portion and use Nice Ride bikes or rideshare for the south stretch.
In winter, yes: the Minneapolis Skyway is more than 11 miles of climate-controlled tunnels connecting downtown buildings, and a hunt in January is much friendlier through them. In summer skip the skyway and walk Nicollet Mall outdoors, where the food trucks and First Avenue come alive.
May to October. The Stone Arch Bridge, Sculpture Garden and Minnehaha Falls are at their best in green months, and the lake paths are full of runners, kayakers and ice-cream stands. Winters are cold but spectacular if you lean into the skyway and the frozen falls. Avoid the State Fair last week of August unless that is part of the plan.
Mill Ruins Park by the Stone Arch Bridge is the natural starting point: parking is straightforward, the Mill City Museum and Guthrie Theater are steps away and the bridge gives you the city's best skyline shot to open with. From there you walk west into the Mill District and downtown.
Yes. The Stone Arch Bridge is pram-friendly, the Sculpture Garden is free and full of climbable art, and Minnehaha Park has playgrounds, ice-cream and a short walk to the bottom of the falls. No alcohol stops are required. The juicy Lucy and Nordic donut tastings are the kid favourites.