Minneapolis River Walk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Welcome to Minneapolis, the home of Nerf Balls, the singer and songwriter Prince, and, yes, Zubaz pants. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll stroll along the Mississippi River. Along the way, you’ll hear about:

• The history of the milling industry in Minneapolis
• The massive Washburn A Mill explosion of 1878
• The 35W Bridge collapse of 2007
• The secret history of "Funkytown"
• An ugly mansion with 86 TVs
• Cougar attacks
• The untimely death of Tiny Tim
• The hiring of a hitman in St. Paul
• ”Untalented but adventurous” German artists, to quote the author Jonathan Raban
• How long it takes a single drop of water to travel down the Mississippi – and how long it takes a person to make the same journey

This walking tour can be enjoyed on location or even virtually at home with VoiceMap's Continuous Play function which disables the GPS playback.

PHOTO CREDITS: Meet Minneapolis

City: Minneapolis-Saint Paul

Mon 21 Apr

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $8.99

Make a reservation

Mon 21 Apr

Starting at $8.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

VoiceMap App for Android and iOS

Lifetime access to this tour in English

Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What To Expect

Open Book

The tour starts outside the Open Book Literary Center. Here you'll learn about how VoiceMap works, be introduced to the city and hear about the Open Book Literary Center, and all before the walk begins.

Guthrie Theater

You'll pass by the Guthrie Theatre and learn about its history and its role as one of Minnesota’s core cultural institutions.

Mill City Museum

The tour takes you past the Mill City Museum. As you walk, you'll learn a bit about the museum.

Mill Ruins Park

You'll walk past the Mill Ruins Park and while you walk, you'll hear a little about it.

Upper St. Anthony Lock and Dam

You'll walk past St Anthony Lock and Dam and hear a bit about it, how it was used and why it is permanently closed.

St. Anthony Falls

While you walk, you can see where St Anthony Falls would have been if the dam wasn't built. You'll also hear a bit about the falls.

Nicollet Island

The tour ends in Nicollet Island at the Nicollet Island Pavilion. While you walk there, you'll learn a bit about Nicollet Island and who it was named after.

Show 4 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (59)

fruitboxx

May 2022

As someone who moved to Minneapolis several years ago, I found this tour both illuminating and fun. My mom, who was visiting, and I learned a lot and loved the walk. The mix of humor with history makes you feel like you're being led around the area by a knowledgeable friend. It's great that you can stop at any time, wander off and come back on, or even finish another day. Definitely worth it for anyone who is wanting to have a unique experience.

Paul_B

Apr 2022

Great little tour if you're in a time crunch. We only had a few hours to check out downtown Minneapolis. You move at your own pace, so the tour can take as little as an hour or as much as three hours. A word of advice, the tour starts at the library. We were under the assumption that you check in at the library, however, you download the app and start at the front door. No need to bother the folks inside, they wont have a clue about what you are talking about.

Mem19999

Nov 2021

Excellent tour and well worth the price. Would have liked it better if it circled back to starting point. Loving Minneapolis.