Minneapolis FAQ

1. The Basics

It’s a city located in the state of Minnesota, which can be found in the Northern Mid-West (USA). Local Map (US) and Local Weather

By air:
Fly into Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport (MSP), which is located in Bloomington, about 30 minutes South of Minneapolis and about 40 minutes East of Chanhassen.

It’s a small town about 30 to 40 minutes West of Minneapolis, where Prince’s Paisley Park recording studio and his private home are located.

...it’s where you wanna be. ;-) Seriously, it’s a section of south western Minneapolis that is known for hot shopping and cool eats right off of Lake Calhoun. - (Uptown Association)

2. I’m going there! Oh Boy!

That depends on what you want to do.

If you’re there for the nightlife, stay in the city of Minneapolis. You can see some sights, check out the clubs and enjoy the natives. Realize that Minneapolis is 30 to 40 minutes from Chanhassen (where Paisley Park is). It’s a long drive at 5am after a late night jam.

Downtown/Uptown:
Mariott City Center - 7th Ave (612) 394 4000
Doubletree Guest Suites - 1101 Lasalle Ave, Minneapolis, MN (612) 332-6800 
Best Western Inn - 3924 Excelsior Blvd  (952) 927-7731 
Nan’s Bed & Breakfast - 2304 Fremont Ave S (612) 377-5118

If you wanna split the difference.. Try near the towns of Bloomington or Richfield.

Bloomington/Richfield (Near Airport):
Hotel Sofitel - http://sofitelminneapolis.com/
Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport - http://hiltonairport.citysearch.com/

If you are going for pure Paisley Park (the celebration, etc) stay near Paisley Park.

Chanhassen:
Chanhassen Inn – Featured in The Gold Experience, and the local favorite, just up the road from Paisley Park. - 1 (800) chan-inn or 952 934 7373

Americ Inn – Newer hotel in the area, with nice suites. - 952 934 3888

Country Suites – Hotel with Jacuzzi's, if you wish. - 952 937 2424

Definitely, someone from your party should have one, if you plan to see anything, and are going to be there for more than a day or so. Taxis aren't too cheap, and Minneapolis is pretty spread-out. Chanhassen would be a pretty long and expensive taxi ride.

Even if you are staying in Chanhassen, don’t bet on getting a cab very easily after a late night gig. They are few and FAR between at 4am in the sleepy town. Also, Paisley Park isn’t that keen on letting you use the phones after a gig even to call a taxi. I’ve heard MANY a story about folks walking a mile or two back to their hotels in high heels. In the cold, it’s nothing nice...

Most likely. MPLS has pretty good analog and digital cellular coverage. In 2000, VJillian was able to do a lengthy phone interview with a Japanese radio station from her cellphone, while standing outside Paisley Park in Chanhassen!

After a jam at Paisley Park, you can usually see folks hanging out at the Perkin's restaurant down the road for breakfast. Morris & Mike Bland have gone there to grab a bite after a long day.

Perkins - Chanhassen -951 W 78th St (Powers Blvd & W 78th St) Chanhassen, MN (612) 474-9460 (American) Simple, unpretentious food, served quickly and efficiently, attracts a diverse crowd to these chain restaurants.

You can also check out Applebee’s, a great place to grab a late night drink and good eats. They’ve got Prince memorabilia on the back wall behind the bar. Just ask & they’ll tell ya a story (or two).

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill – Chanhassen -590 W 79 St - Chanhassen, MN 55317 (612)949-9190 Part of the chain or restaurants, with a great daytime bartender and good food.

Paisley Park Studios is a $10 million dollar complex for recording, rehearsal, video and film productions. The studio, designed and owned by Prince, was officially opened on September 11, 1987. Studio A and Studio B have 48-track recording consoles. The Paisley soundstage, over 12,000 sq. ft., is often used for concerts, rehearsals and video productions.

Of course you do :-) Here's directions by car:

The first step is to navigate yourself to Interstate 494, the beltway around the Twin Cities. In the southwest portion of the loop, you'll find exit 11C, which will put you on State Highway 5 westbound. Follow route 5 for seven miles; you'll see a large green sign marking the intersection of Audubon Road and route 5. Paisley Park will be on your left; access is off Audubon.

Note that the portion of route 5 near I-494 has been under construction for a few years, and will likely remain so for the near future. Please use caution while driving in this area.

Paisley Park usually does not offer tours. It is private property with heavy security, and is not usually open to the public. Once in a while his music club announces late night parties or performances, to which everyone is welcome to attend... young or old.

They have given tours in the past. In the summer of 2000 and 2001, fans were able to tour the facility as part of "Prince: A Celebration." A $15 day pass allowed you to take a short tour that focused on the studios, whereas those with $70 VIP passes were able to see almost the entire complex.

Normally, unless Prince is throwing a party or late night gig, you'll have to settle for a drive-by view. Attempts to enter the property will probably result in your being chased away.

NPG Online Ltd. (his Official website) announces when there will be a party at Paisley Park. They’re not the most reliable, as Prince often changes his mind, but if you’re in for a Friday night it’s worth a try. Doors usually open around 1 am (early Saturday morning), and the cover charge ranges from nothing to $7. It is recommended that you arrive early, as capacity is limited. These parties are open to people of all ages (although infants may not care for loud music). There is no food or liquor in the place, so eat before you go. Once in a while they’ll put out soda or chips for the party-goers. Oh, Joy!

Jonathan Carter runs a email list that notifies the recipients of upcoming happenings at Paisley Park. The emails are usually on pretty short notice, so it may not benefit you to be on the list if you aren't within 5 hours of Paisley Park, and able to drop everything on a whim... and his list is by no means official. For more info on his email list, see (Minneapolis Music).

Also, the prince.org news service (prince.org) will pass along anything they hear regarding upcoming Paisley parties. We try to get the posts up in a timely manner for everyone’s benefit, post fan reviews from the parties and set lists.

First Avenue (of Purple Rain fame) is alive and well. They’ve taken down most of the Prince Related stuff, but it’s still cool. Most shows there require patrons to be 21 with ID, however. For more info check (First Avenue)

It doesn't exist anymore, unfortunately (it was his old nightclub). But, you can go check out the building, anyway.
The Glam Slam has been renamed the Quest Club (The Quest), and no longer has any affiliation with Prince. If you look hard, there still are remnants for it’s former glory. Symbols and such are supposedly still in the floor tiles. The other Glam Slam locations (L.A. and Miami) have also officially closed.

Calhoun Square is a small urban boutique mall located in Uptown. Prince & the NPG wrote a song about it because it was across the street from the old NPG Store. You can find great “Club Clothes” and excellent dining at Figlio’s or Famous Dave’s BBQ. “See you there, if you dare, Calhoun Square...” http://www.calhounsquare.com/

Sadly, it too is no more. It USED to be across the street from Calhoun Square in the store which now specializes in home furnishings. All of the NPG Stores have been officially closed.

3. What to see and do (less-obvious or not-Prince related)

Jazzmine's  123 N 3rd St Minneapolis, MN 55401-1613 (612) 630-5299
Go for live jazz (local and national acts), Prince sightings and creative dishes influenced by Asia, France and the Louisiana Delta.

Bunker's Music Bar and Grill 761 Washington Ave N (8th Ave N & Washington Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 338-8188
Rock/Pop, Jazz/Blues A reliable destination for funk and R&B. Nothing fancy, but great dancing. Try the Monday Night Jams! The Combo, formerly known as Dr. Mambo's Combo, including former NPG members Sonny Thompson and Michael Bland, used to play there often.

The Lounge 411 2nd Ave N (N 4th St & 2nd Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 333-8800 DJ/Dancing This Warehouse District hangout may remind you of a comfy '50s cocktail lounge, with cigars and snifters abounding. It’s a major hang out! Cool atmosphere and Jazzy nightly jams.

Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave S (S 9th St & Cedar Ave S) Minneapolis, MN (612) 338-6425 Alternative, Rock/Pop, Jazz/Blues The aging queen of the West Bank music scene is one of the Twin Cities' foremost rock venues, hosting national acts regularly. Caboose - Thursday nights; where the now defunct "Greasy Meal" played (T Barbarella's band). Once in a while you can still see some new & original NPG band members

The Quest 110 N 5th St (N 5th St & 1st Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 338-3383 Funk/Soul, DJ/Dancing, Rock/Pop, Latin/Salsa Once known as Glam Slam, this former Prince palace proffers vintage funk by locals. Fresh R&B comes courtesy of national acts. This is the OLD Glam Slam Mineapolis Club)

First Avenue & 7th Street Entry 701 1st Ave N (N 7th St & 1st Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 332-1775 Rock/Pop, Alternative, Funk/Soul, Jazz/Blues, DJ/Dancing Yes, it's grimy and smoky, but it's still the premier music club north of Chicago, presenting national acts in one or both rooms every night.

Fine Line Music Cafe 318 1st Ave N (N 4th St & 1st Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 335-8181 Rock/Pop, Jazz/Blues, Alternative More upscale than First Avenue, the Fine Line is one of the Twin Cities' best clubs for music. At a Greazy Meal concert earlier that night at the Fine Line, cards saying "1 am Love 4 One Another" were handed out.

South Beach 325 1st Ave N (N 3rd St & 1st Ave N) Minneapolis, MN (612) 204-0790 DJ/Dancing, Latin/Salsa, Rock/Pop, Funk/Soul, Alternative Despite the tropical motif, the place is upscale, with contemporary funk, house and alternative bands.

Ground Zero Niteclub & The Front 15 4th St NE (Hennepin Ave & 4th St NE) Minneapolis, MN (612) 378-5115 Alternative, DJ/Dancing Across the river from downtown Minneapolis is one of the Twin Cities' hottest dance clubs, with different genres every night. The Front's in front.
The Front - They have wednesday nite Jams... often a Paisley Spotted
Ground Zero - one of the Hip spots. Paisley employees hang here to allert of paisley parties/shows every once in a while

The Saloon 830 Hennepin Ave (S 9th St & Hennepin Ave) Minneapolis, MN (612) 332-0835 Gay/Lesbian, DJ/Dancing, Lounge/Karaoke On a typical weekend night, the dance floor and cruise bar are wall-to-wall men. Cool setting to hang out, tues night jams were hot here (call to check for shows)

4. Other "cultural" ideas

Check out the Walker Art Museum downtown. It's always got good shows on; if it's not too cold outside, there is also a sculpture garden and conservatory right across the street, too. (Walker Art)

Wander through the Minnesota History Center's newly-opened exhibit Sounds Good to Me: Music in Minnesota, an interactive collection of scenes and memorabila from the likes of Garrison Kellior, Prince and Bob Dylan (through 2006) (MN History Center)

Sports Fan? Catch A Game! Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins and the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings both play at the Metrodome - http://www.msfc.com/

Minnetonka Music (250 Water St., 612-474-3277). An offbeat music store with an eclectic instrument collection that includes a sitar, a global assortment of flutes and recorders, and a washboard replete with thimbles. You'll also find a cowbell with Sheila E's trademark backward signature (sorry, it's not for sale).

There’s plenty of shopping to be had in the Minneapolis area. Here’s a few suggestions:

Try the Mall of America, the USA's largest indoor mall (I think...it's pretty damn big). You can't beat it for quantity, anyhow.
A great place to take the kids, since they have an amusement park (with roller coaster) and a LEGO Land right inside.
Mall of America - I-494 & Hwy 77 - Bloomington, MN 55425 (612) 883-8810 http://www.mallofamerica.com/

Uptown District/Calhoun Square – You can find great “Club Clothes” and excellent dining at Figlio’s or Famous Dave’s BBQ.
“See you there, if you dare, Calhoun Square...” http://www.calhounsquare.com/
“Uptown” Shopping District - http://uptownassociation.citysearch.com/4.html

Southdale Center - 6601 France Ave S, Edina, MN 55435-2451 - (952) 925-7885 http://www.southdale.com/
The nation's first enclosed shopping mall--an institution since 1958. It’s got the usual suspects... J.Crew to Marshall Field’s.

The Mystic Lake casino (http://www.mysticlake.com) is a short drive from the city. The minimum gaming age there is 18, and no alcohol is served (although you can have all the free soda you care to drink).