Mighty Mississippi Self Guided Minneapolis Riverside Tour
Description
Take a self-guided tour along the iconic Mississippi River with award-winning storyteller Frank Bures. From Nicollet Island to Gold Medal Park, delve into 12,000 years of vibrant river history. Cross the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, pass Stone Arch Bridge, and explore the Guthrie Theater. Along the way, discover tales of St. Anthony Falls, Guinness World Record paddling attempts, the Minneapolis Post Office, Spirit Island, and Nicollet Island's peculiar inhabitants. Uncover the mystery of the Grain Belt Sign's revival, marvel at bull sharks' Mississippi swim, and learn about the 450-mile canoe race. Frank's near-death experience in the river adds a personal touch. This tour will leave you with an appreciation for the Mississippi's profound impact on those living along its shores. Get unlimited use of this tour before your booking date and after it. You can use the virtual tour option at home, too. Once you have booked, you will receive instructions and a unique code to download the tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Embark on a captivating journey along the iconic Mississippi River, North America's most significant waterway, delving into its rich history spanning 12,000 years.
Start your tour on Nicollet Island, named after the cartographer Joseph Nicollet, where you'll explore the vibrant surroundings and set the stage for an enriching exploration.
Discover the Bell of Two Friends, a symbolic landmark along the river, echoing tales of camaraderie and connections that have thrived in the vicinity over the years.
Pass by the Grain Belt Sign, a famous beer advertisement, and uncover the intriguing story of its rescue after two decades in darkness, showcasing the resilience of iconic landmarks.
Cross the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, where you'll be treated to stand-out facts about the magnificent Mississippi and witness the bustling activity of the river from this vantage point.
At First Bridge Park, follow the river along the western bank, absorbing the natural beauty and historical significance of the area, with tales of resilient individuals shaping the river's narrative.
Pass architect Léon Arnal's Art Deco masterpiece, housing the Minneapolis Post Office, and discover the historical significance of this architectural gem along the riverfront.
Visit the St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center to delve into fascinating stories about St. Anthony Falls, its curious upstream journey, and the eroding limestone riverbed that shaped its unique course.
Wander through the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park, where the river's beauty is complemented by tales of Spirit Island, a sacred site below St. Anthony Falls, and its significance to the Dakota people.
Experience the majesty of St. Anthony Falls and learn about its historical importance, including how it played a role in the lives of generations of Dakota children born at Spirit Island.
Pass by the iconic Stone Arch Bridge, a testament to engineering marvels, and hear captivating stories about the river and the resilient individuals who have contributed to its history.
Explore Mill Ruins Park, uncovering the industrial history of the area, and relive the tales of the grueling 450-mile canoe race from Bemidji to Minneapolis.
Discover the Mill City Museum, a site steeped in industrial history, and learn about its vital role in shaping the narrative of the Mississippi River and the lives of those along its shores.
Conclude your tour beside the Guthrie Theater, reflecting on the stories shared, and appreciating the artistic and cultural significance that the river has bestowed upon this landmark.
Pause at the 35W Bridge Memorial, honoring those affected by a tragic event, and reflect on the resilience of communities along the Mississippi River.
End your walking tour with an exploration of Gold Medal Park, gaining a new appreciation for how the Mississippi has flowed through the people's lives along its shores.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(7)
I am a person that cannot follow walking directions using a GPS. The man who recorded this tour made it idiot proof!! If I was going the wrong way, I knew it right away 😂 Aside from that, visiting the Mississippi River has been a bucket list item for me for YEARS. This tour provided so much history, how engineering decisions were made to preserve the river, all about grain and the Gold Medal flour company, plus some extra facts about his one like which always adds charm to things like this.
We were expecting more history of the Twin Cities along the Mississippi and less stories of the author's canoe trips
Hi there, I'm sorry that the content wasn't as informative as you hoped. The tour is part of a two-part loop along the Mississippi. The River Walk tour has a bit more about the historic mills, in case you get a chance to come back. Thank you for your honest feedback, as this helps us ensure that tour content remains valuable and that improvements can be made over time. Best, Helene
Requires an app to be downloaded, which wasn’t difficult at all. And the app worked great. Impressive how it marries to GPS to know exactly when to continue the narrative. Definitely download the app in advance. This particular tour was good, but a bit limited and spent too much time with the narrator reflecting upon his personal experiences. I would have preferred more history.
First of all, I appreciate the VoiceMap people giving me a credit for a future tour based on my negative post on their website. I was disappointed in the Frank Bures production because there was too much generic information regarding canoeing and not enough location specific info. For example, at one point, I was at the base of these massive grain silos. It was actually awe inspiring. Instead of giving basic information on these man-made marvels, Mr. Bures describes the natives use of canoes. The only information he provides about the silos is, "Go to the museum." Mr. Bures responded to my review by writing that the silos are "covered extensively in another tour..." An "extensive" treatise of the mill is not necessary, but when I'm on a walking tour and passing by a noteworthy site, I would like to get some basic facts of the place instead of being told that the French preferred native canoes to their own watercraft.
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us! I'm sorry the tour wasn't quite what you expected. Our river tour does focus primarily on the waterway's history, with canoes playing a starring role in that story. As Frank mentioned, we do have another tour that explores those impressive grain silos in much more detail. We'd love for you to check it out with your credit if architectural landmarks are more your style! We hope to see you on another tour soon, and thanks again for your feedback. Best, Helene
Will tell my friends about this one. Super fun and interesting, and the directions were easy to follow. Highly recommended.
We really appreciated the guides knowledge of Mississippi history. We’re from out of town, so it was great to get a an insiders look at the history of the river in Minneapolis. And glad he made it out alive!
This tour was amazing. It was so fun to hear the history of canoe racing, and the Native connections to the river. The author's story about his own rescue was also moving. If you're at all interested in the Mississippi, this tour is a good one.
