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For people coming to Minneapolis there is more than the Mall of America and the US Bank Stadium. This website is probably the best for finding things to do other than Summer Slam: https://www.minneapolis.org/things-to-do/
A few places of interest I would like to recommend:
Paisley Park - Prince’s studio, built in 1986, and used by him for both recording as well as Friday night dance parties/impromptu concerts. Since his passing, it has become a museum of sorts and has tours that are well worth it for a Prince Fan.
The Eden Prairie Mall - Filming location for Mallrats, although it has been renovated since then. The elevator is completely different and the sunken food court used for the "dating game” sequence has been converted to office space not accessible to the public, But you can still tell kids to quit riding the escalator.
The Source Comics and Games - An Eisner award winning comic shop that is one of the biggest in the Midwest. It has a massive selection of current comics, graphic novels, games of all kinds, and the biggest manga selection in the Twin Cities.
We have a lot of indy bookstores, but the two I like most are Dreamhaven and Uncle Hugo’s, both are institutions for SF and Fantasy books as well as lots of both things. When you visit either one, no matter who long you linger, you'll feel like you missed something.
First Ave and 7th Street Entry - A former bus station that was converted into a music venue in the early 70’s, and it wasn’t just the home of Price before Purple Rain )and where a lot of Purple Rain was filmed) but a national destination for an incredible assortment of bands. You could say that it’s the Minnesota version of CBGBs, but you can almost use the bathrooms at First Ave. There will be some wrestling shows there before and after SummerSlam, so stop by and enjoy.
We have three world class art museums if that is your thing, The Walker Art Center which tends toward modern art, the Minneapolis Art Institute, which tends toward classical and some contemporary art, and the Weisman Art Center, which has special installations.
Yes, we have more than 10,000 Lakes and tons of parks in the Twin Cities. My favorite is Minnehaha Park & Minnehaha Falls: Famous for its 53-foot waterfall, scenic trails, picnic areas, and gardens, perfect for nature walks and photography. Taking a walk around one of the many lakes in Minneapolis is a big thing, and it’s a good idea to do it at least once during your visit to get an idea of what the city is like.
If you have time and are interested, there is also the Brave New Workshop. The 2nd major improv theater founded in the US in 1958 by Dudley Riggs. It had associations with Second City in the 50’s and 60’s, and some of the people who started there include Penn Jillette, Al Franken, Louie Anderson, Pat Proft (who wrote The Naked Gun and other spoof movies where they were funny), Mo Collins, Peter MacNicol, Lizz Winstead (creator of The Daily Show) and others.
For food, there are lots of great places, but I will highlight a few:
For fast food, you will see a place called Culver’s, which is a Midwest chain that usually comes in second to In and Out in national polls.
There is a Minneapolis burger type called the Jucy Lucy, and two places playfully fight over who invented it. It is a burger patty with the cheese inside the burger, and you can go to either Matt’s Bar or the 5 - 8 Club, both of which claim to have invented it and both are fun places to go.
There is no "Minnesota pizza” but the best pizza you can find in the Twin Cities will be
OG Za Za - 1595 MN-36 Roseville, MN 55113
Pizzeria Lola - 5557 Xerxes Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55410
Red Wagon Pizza Company - 5416 Penn Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55419
Punch Pizza - Various locations
Mama’s Pizza - 961 Rice St, St Paul, MN 55117 ·
Holy Land is a Middle Eastern Deli/restaurant/grocery store and well worth if a trip if you like that food - 2513 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
****
With WWE coming to Minneapolis for a two day Summer Slam event, other local and indy companies are going to be running shows as well, just not to the same extent as around WrestleMania. The ones I have found are:
Thursday July 30th -
F1rst Wrestling Unleashed - Starting at 8 pm, 21+
2917 Aldrich Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408
American Wrestling Federation Cowboy Jack’s Barn Brawl - Starting at 7 pm
Cowboy Jack’s - 126 5th St N Minneapolis
Friday July 31st -
F1rst Wrestling Friday Night Nitro - Starting at 7 pm, All Ages
Mall of America Rotunda
F1rst Wrestling Hardcore Wrestling - Starting at 10 pm, 21+
2917 Aldrich Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Saturday August 1st -
GCW Rude Awakening - Starting at 1 pm, All Ages
701 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Available on Triller and we will have coverage
Minnesota Independent Wrestling Pola-Czesky Days - Starting at 4 pm Free Admission
310 Main Street W Silver Lake MN
F1rst Wrestling Wremix - Starting at 10 pm, 18+
701 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Sunday August 2nd -
GCW vs F1rst Wrestling - Starting at 1 pm - All Ages
701 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Available on Triller and we will have coverage
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