Go out to Epěc nightclub (formerly the quest) Its downtown. Its has a good feel to it or even Barfly, that place is amazing.. Both places are relatively upscale establishments as they are near the financial district and close to Nicollet Mall, which brings me to saying that Nicolett Mall has some interesting shops and restaraunts located in them as well.

If it isn't sold out, how about a live(?) broadcast of the somewhat-iconic A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul (the radio show is much better than the movie).

http://fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org/events/

Visiting the Mill City Museum in Downtown Minneapolis could have been an opportunity or walking down First Avenue and see where the video for Purple Rain was shot.

FlyFrank, welcome to Flyertalk!

Excellent advice, IMO, and don't forget that Minneapolis has not only the Walker Art Center, which is the home of major modern art, but the Minneapolis Museum of Art, which has a very varied and respectable collection. The only caveat is that it requires a car or taxi from the center of things--e.g. the main downtown hotels. Also, some very nice and original cafes on Nicollet Mall.

Friend of mine had her birthday party at Barfly, though I don't think she is a well, barfly there. Also go to Uptown if you have a chance. Nicollet Mall is OK (it's a pedestrian mall, not an enclosed shopping mall), but it tends to cater to the office crowd and may not have much going on on the weekend--some good restaurants though, I always liked the News Room, for one (great gnocchi). Or you can go to one of my favorites, Matt's Bar, Home of the Juicy Lucy, in South Minneapolis. Bring cash (no credit cards accepted) and a defibrillator.

I spent a year consulting in Minneapolis and still miss it, even this time of year.

@MKEBound: Thank you for the welcome, I'm glad to be here.

What's the nearest casino to MSP?
Is there one across the street from MoA?

Unfortunately there is not one right by the MOA. But it's not terribly far away. Mystic Lake, SW of the airport, is about a 30 min drive, maybe a little less, I've never done the route from the airport. All casinos are run by Native American reservations, with the one exception of Canterbury Park horse track which has a card club and is about 20 min SW of MSP. (It simulcasts during the winter.)

There are plenty of good theater shows to see as well, if you haven't heard. The Star Tribune has a good listing of shows here. (go to the box in the upper right that is titled "Entertainment Finder" and make sure the "OnStage" tab is selected. But it also allows you to search the music and art showings as well, however, by clicking the corresponding tabs.) The biggest theaters are the Guthrie, Ordway, Orpheum, and Historic State theaters. It often isn't cheap, though.

This thread is about killing a day in MSP, but I might kill myself is I ever had to step foot into the Mystic lake Casino again. No booze, no booze, and did I mention that they don't allow any beer, wine, or spirits onto the property. Not even BYOB! It has an exclusively over 70 clientele, everyone wearing diabetes shoes, smoking heavily, and walking so slow that i was about to push some of them down as I ran out the door to drive to a bar. The sheets on the bed have a rubber lining below them....just horrific....avoid the place like the plague...

Speaking of plagues and casinos, I'm gonna be in St.Paul this wknd with my boys - ages 5 and 7. Look'n for something fun to do. Any suggestions?

Hoping to get up to Minneapolis in a few weeks to take advantage of the 50k Park Plaza promo.

We plan to go to the Russian Museum of Art http://tmora.org/ as there is a photo & art exhibit we'd like to see.

also plan to hit the NWA History Center www.nwahistory.org

Both of the above were recommended by MSP based FTers at a recent dinner.

We also plan on walking some of the many parks or maybe rent a bike www.niceridemn.org
-

I see the Park Plaza is participating in the 30% off promo on some qualifying dates.
"Enjoy 30% off your stay at select Radisson® hotels in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America and the United States."

I'd never heard of the Museum of Russian Art. I will definitely stop by the next time I am in Minneapolis. Thanks for sharing that!

I am not sure if this has been mentioned by Fort Snelling may be worth a visit it is right by the MoA and the Airport. You can even see the planes take off and land.