The 20th Century Society USA is organizing a tour of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St Paul) to explore Art Deco and 20th Century Design.
6:00 pm Welcome Dinner at the Rand Hotel
Participants should plan to arrive in Minneapolis during the day of Tuesday September 29, 2026.
Walking tour of Downtown Minneapolis:
Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank (1941) Now Westin Hotel.
Rand Tower (1929) Former office tower, now Marriott Hotel with an aviation theme.
Lumen Technologies Building (1932) Formerly the Northwestern Bell Telephone Building.
St Olaf Catholic Church (1955) Previous church was destroyed in a fire on Ash Wednesday, 1953.
Main Post Office (1933) Well preserved lobby has perhaps the world's longest brass light fixture: 350 ft in length.
Lunch at Indigena by Owamni. Chef Sean Sherman, of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, has won both James Beard and Julie Child Awards for his cuisine that only uses foods native to North America.
We'll take the METRO Green Line (light rail) to: St Columba Church (1949) Unique organic, mid-century design by architect Barry Byrne.
Returning to Downtown Minneapolis: Minneapolis Central Library (2006) Cesar Pelli, architect.
Northwestern National Life Building (1965) Elegant structure by architect Minoru Yamasaki, surrounded by 63 slender quartz faced concrete columns.
Board public transportation to: Purcell-Cutts House (1913). Private tour of this well preserved Prairie Style home, now owned by the Minneapolis Museum of Art.
Return to Downtown Minneapolis: Lunch at Stock and Bond, a restaurant within the stunning former banking hall of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank.
IDS Center (1973) with the iconic Crystal Court by architect Philip Johnson. Who remembers the Mary Tyler Moore show?
Wells Fargo Center (1988) Postmodern Art Deco by architect Cesar Pelli.
Foshay Tower (1929) Obelisk shaped tower was inspired by the Washington Monument. Observation Deck on the 31st floor, along with an interesting museum about the history of the building. This was the tallest (447 ft) building in Minneapolis for many years. It was converted into the W Hotel in 2008.
(Optional evening event, not included in the registration fee: Visit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, and adjacent Walker Art Museum.)
Our day in St Paul begins with a long ride to the end of the METRO Green Line.
Landmark Center (1902) Former Federal Courthouse repurposed as a cultural center in 1978.
First National Bank Building (1931) Classic Art Deco Tower.
Lunch at Sawatdee Thai Restaurant.
Minnesota Building (1929)
Mickey's Dining Car (1937) Local landmark with red and yellow porcelain enameled steel panels. Unfortunately too small to accommodate our group for lunch.
St Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse (1932) Masterpiece of American Art Deco by the Chicago firm of Holabird & Root. Our private tour by the Ramsey County Historical Society will showcase the outstanding design in many exotic marbles and woods. There's also an enormous onyx statue in the lobby.
Take public transportation to the Hi-Lo Diner, a restored 1957 Fodero diner that was moved from Pennsylvania. We'll enjoy their happy hour, with drinks and snacks.
Board another bus to Christ Church Lutheran (1949) for a private tour of this National Landmark by architect Eliel Saarinen.
Return to the Hampton Inn via public transportation.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2026
Morning: We'll use passenger vans to drive to suburban Chanhassen, the location of PAISLEY PARK, the home and studio of the musician PRINCE.
We'll have a VIP tour of some of the public areas and sound stages.
[Photos are limited to a few areas--you'll place your mobile phone in a locked pouch upon arrival.]
Lunch, location TBD.
Afternoon: Drive to the Minneapolis State Fairgounds to see the 4-H Building (1940) and the Agricultural Horticultural Building (1947).
Return to the Hampton Inn. Tour concludes.
Optional evening event not included in the registration fee: Attend a play at the acclaimed Guthrie Theater, with dinner prior. Details and pricing will be available in August.
THE TOUR WILL BE LIMITED TO 24 PARTICIPANTS, SO PLEASE REGISTER EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. We want to keep the group to a manageable size for an exceptional experience!
WE'LL SAVE A LOT OF MONEY BY USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Participants will be provided a transit card to use on all busses and trains during the tour.
The registration fee will include all local transportation costs, museum, guide, and tour fees, a guide book, and some meals (as listed).
The registration fee does not include your hotel, transportation to the Twin Cities, some of your meals, and some optional events as listed.
HOTEL INFORMATION
Links to the hotel websites to directly book your room at the special rates will be available in July. Both special rates do not include taxes. All daily tours will begin at the Hampton Inn.
Our host hotel will be the Hampton Inn Downtown, for $139/night (1 King) or $154/night (2 Queens). All daily tours will begin here. It's a newer building (2015) and located on the northwest edge of Downtown, near some of the sports stadiums and parking garages (and across the street from the Prince Mural). Price includes a basic breakfast. Please click the button below for access to our rates.
For those who desire a more upscale and unique experience in a historic Art Deco building, we've also arranged a special rate at the Rand Tower Hotel, a Marriott property. The rate will vary, depending upon availability, so booking sooner will likely yield a better rate. This is a former office building (1929) by the famous Chicago architects Holabird & Root, opened as a boutique hotel in late 2020. Our welcome dinner will also take place here.
Cancel on or before July 15, 2026: 100% refund
Cancel on or before July 16-August 15, 2026: 50% refund
Cancel after August 16, 2026: no refunds
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT. Save $75 off the registration fee by registering before August 15, 2026.
MEMBERSHIP & ORGANIZATION DISCOUNT. You can save another $75 off the registration fee if you're a 20th Century Society USA member, member of another Art Deco or Modernism society (includes International Coalition of Art Deco Societies) or member of another authorized group.
20th Century Society USA members: use code 20THCS. Check with your organization for their discount code or contact us at: 20thcs@gmail.com for assistance with discount codes.
Main Program fee: $1075
Early Bird discount if registered before August 31, 2024: less $75
Membership or Organization Discount: less $75
Guthrie Theater evening pending
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