Mill City Museum, Minneapolis (must see)

Opened in 2003, Mill City Museum rose from the ashes of the Washburn “A” Mill—literally. Once the largest and most cutting-edge flour mill on the planet back in 1880, this grand mill sparked a milling revolution that gave Minneapolis bragging rights as the flour milling capital of the world from 1880 to 1930. Talk about rolling in the dough.

By 1965, the mill had run its course and shut down, and a fire in 1991 left it looking like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. But rather than letting it crumble, Minneapolis decided to turn lemons into lemonade—or, rather, wheat into, well, an award-winning museum.

The Minnesota Historical Society stepped in and called on architect Thomas Meyer to design a building that respected the past while welcoming the future. The result? A blend of preserved flour bins, milling machinery, and a rail corridor—all complemented with sleek modern touches, including a glass curtain wall etched with historic mill diagrams and multiple entry points that effortlessly link downtown with the Mississippi riverfront.

It’s not just a pretty face, either. The museum has racked up major design awards and continues to draw visitors into the city’s milling heritage. Inside, you can witness baking demonstrations, nibble on fresh bread, gawk at a model mill explosion, and enjoy amazing views of Saint Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge from the observation deck. Among other highlights are the Flour Tower exhibit and the much-recommended short film “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat!”