Walker Art Center

State: Minnesota. Type: contemporary art museum at 725 Vineland Place, Lowry Hill, Minneapolis. Founded 1879 as a private gallery; opened to the public as Walker Art Galleries in 1927; renamed Walker Art Center in 1940. Current building by Edward Larrabee Barnes opened 1971, expanded by Herzog & de Meuron in 2005 to 260,000 square feet across 8 stories on a 17-acre campus. Permanent collection: over 13,000 modern and contemporary works. Adjoins the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (est. 1988, reconstructed 2015-2017).

The Walker Art Center traces its roots to 1879 as a private gallery before opening to the public in 1927 and taking its current name in 1940, making it one of the longer-running contemporary art institutions in the United States. Its home building, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, opened in 1971 in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, and a 2005 expansion by architects Herzog & de Meuron added new galleries, a theater, a restaurant and a shop, bringing the campus to 260,000 square feet across eight stories on 17 acres. The permanent collection holds more than 13,000 pieces spanning books, costumes, drawings, media works, paintings, photography, prints and sculpture. Alongside its galleries, the Walker is closely tied to the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a joint project with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board established in 1988 and rebuilt between 2015 and 2017. Beyond visual art, the Walker has commissioned some 265 performing-arts works since the 1960s and runs active film/video, design and digital-media programs, drawing roughly 700,000 visitors a year across the museum and sculpture garden combined.

The Walker Art Center is located at 725 Vineland Place in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, adjoining the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The campus covers 17 acres and sits close to downtown Minneapolis.

Minneapolis has a continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters; specific seasonal temperature data was not pulled from the sources used for this entry. Because the Walker's galleries are entirely indoor and climate-controlled, a visit to the museum itself is comfortable in any season, though the adjoining outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is more pleasant to explore in the milder months.

Thursday evenings, when the museum stays open until 9 p.m. and offers a free-admission program, are a popular time to combine a visit with fewer daytime crowds. Spring through fall is generally the most comfortable time to pair an indoor museum visit with a walk through the adjoining outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

The Walker's origins go back to 1879, when it began as a private gallery. It opened to the public as the Walker Art Galleries in 1927 and was renamed the Walker Art Center in 1940 as its focus shifted toward contemporary and modern art. Architect Edward Larrabee Barnes designed the building that opened in 1971, and the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron designed a major 2005 expansion that added new gallery space, a theater, a restaurant and a shop. In 1988 the Walker partnered with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to establish the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which was reconstructed between 2015 and 2017 and reopened in spring 2017. Mary Ceruti has served as director since 2019.

Visitors can tour the Walker's rotating and permanent-collection exhibitions across its 260,000-square-foot building, take in performing-arts, film and design programming tied to the center's long history of commissioned works, and walk through the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Free Thursday Nights and Free First Saturday programs offer no-cost access, and a monthly Sensory Friendly Sunday precedes regular Sunday opening at 11 a.m. for visitors who benefit from a lower-sensory environment.

The museum's permanent collection galleries hold more than 13,000 works of modern and contemporary art. The adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, rebuilt 2015-2017, is a major outdoor extension of the Walker's collection. The 2005 Herzog & de Meuron expansion added a theater and additional gallery space used for performing arts and rotating exhibitions.

The Walker sits at 725 Vineland Place in Minneapolis, close to downtown, and is reachable by car, rideshare or public transit; paid underground parking is available on-site via the Vineland Place ramp, with additional metered street parking nearby. Accessible parking connects directly to the building.

As of research, the Walker was open Wednesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday through Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and closed Monday and Tuesday. Confirm current hours on walkerart.org before visiting, since museum schedules can change for holidays or special events.

As of research, general admission was $18 for adults, $16 for seniors (65+), and $12 for students with ID; admission is free for active military, EBT cardholders, visitors 18 and under, tribal nation members, and Walker members. Free Thursday Nights and Free First Saturday programs also waive the fee on those specific dates. Confirm current pricing on walkerart.org before visiting.

Most visitors plan two to three hours for the museum's galleries, with additional time, generally another hour or more, if also walking the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Downtown Minneapolis, a short drive or rideshare from Lowry Hill, has the widest range of hotel options for visitors basing a stay around the Walker. No specific on-site or immediately adjacent lodging was identified in the sources used for this entry.

The Walker's 2005 expansion added an on-site restaurant within the museum building itself. The surrounding Lowry Hill and nearby downtown Minneapolis neighborhoods offer a broader range of dining options within a short drive. Specific current restaurant names beyond the museum's own were not verified from the sources used for this entry.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden adjoins the museum directly and is included in a typical Walker visit. Downtown Minneapolis's other museums, theaters and riverfront attractions, including the Stone Arch Bridge area, are a short drive away.

The Walker is reachable by car, rideshare or Metro Transit bus routes serving the Lowry Hill/downtown Minneapolis area; on-site paid parking is available via the Vineland Place ramp. Specific bus route numbers were not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

As with any museum, follow posted gallery guidelines around artwork, and supervise children closely in the outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which includes water features and large installations. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes for the multi-story galleries and outdoor sculpture garden, a camera or phone for photos (check current photography policy at the front desk), and a light jacket for the air-conditioned indoor spaces are all worth bringing.

Visiting on a Free Thursday Night or Free First Saturday is a budget-friendly way to see the collection, though these dates draw larger crowds. Booking underground parking in advance via the Vineland Place ramp can save time on busy evenings. Pairing a Walker visit with a walk through the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden makes for a fuller day without needing to travel elsewhere.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For general visitor questions, the Walker Art Center can be reached at (612) 375-7600, or by email at access@walkerart.org for accessibility-specific inquiries.

Walker Art Center - https://walkerart.org

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This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.