Visit to the Sculpture Garden

Twilight in the sculpture garden

When we walk around the place

Look upon the beautiful secrets

That all the artists made.

Midnight in the sculpture garden

Underneath the cherry moon

We can make our own beautiful secret

We can join the fabled few.

- Semisonic, Sculpture Garden

Every summer, I make at least one visit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. This year, a friend and I made it a day-date.

With more than 40 permanent works, it's one of the country's largest urban sculpture gardens and one of my absolute favorite places in all of MSP. Well-known Minneapolis band, Semisonic, has a song about the garden that I just love (two verses above beneath the iconic cherry and spoon).

Nestled smack dab in the middle of Minneapolis near Loring Park, the Sculpture Garden, with its awesome sculptures and pristine grounds, feels like a true urban retreat. That it's free and open daily from 6 a.m. - midnight is an added bonus.

Also on the grounds is the Cowles Conservatory, home to many beautiful plants and flowers.

During our visit, we also explored the Walker, courtesy of free passes from the library. We saw the 1964 exhibit, which runs through Oct. 24 and features several Andy Warhol pieces. And also the Benches & Binoculars exhibit, on display through Nov. 21. Both were fantastic, and I would place the B&B exhibit among the top of any I've seen at the Walker. How's that for good word-of-mouth? ;)