A great way to see the architecture of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is by taking a guided tour or attending other excursions when you attend FORUM 2009. SeverRBqxKKb7al exciting and interesting tours and other activities are planned for you. This year's tours focus on the history and development of the region as well as on sustainable design.
The tours sell-out every year, so do not delay in securing your seats.
You must sign up in advance for all tours when you register online for the convention. If spots are still open tickets will also be available at the registration desk during the convention. Fees include round-trip transportation (when necessary), entry fees to the facilities, tour guides and gratuities. Note that some of the activities require walking to the facilities and/or during the tour, so please report any assistance needed when registering. Be sure to check the times and dates of the workshops and tours, as you may not sign up for activities that overlap. Due to contractual obligations some tours may require a minimum number of participants. If the minimum is not met the tour may be canceled and you will be offered another tour or your fee will be refunded.
HOMES OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
Tuesday, December 29 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Fee: $35.00
With Minnesota being so close to Wright’s home in Taliesin, Wisconsin he had numerous projects in the area. On this tour we will pay close to attention the residences designed by Wright with a visit to three residences: Willey, Henry J. Neils, Paul Olfelt..
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, guided tour and gratuities.
SKYWAY SCAVENGER HUNT
Tuesday, December, 29 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Fee: Free
Learn about Minneapolis through the downtown’s Skyway, a unique system of glass "tunnels" located one story above ground. The 8-mile system will get you almost anywhere downtown in climate-controlled bliss. You will experience the culture and character of the area by visiting the major tourist venues and interacting with locals. This is also an excellent way to get to know other convention attendees. There are three main activities: finding information, collecting objects, and taking photographs. Information is collected from various landmarks, monuments, works of art, and tourist venues and written into the hunt handbook.
SUMMIT BREWERY
Tuesday, December 29 | 12:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $25.00
The brainchild of St. Paul beer lover Mark Stutrud, Summit brewing Company was founded with one goal: bring back the remarkable craft beers once brewed throughout the Upper Midwest. Achieving that goal, however, would prove no small task. A location for the brewery had to be found (an old auto parts warehouse) and an authentic brew house had to be shipped from Germany. See the historic building, learn about brewing and taste the craft beers during this trip.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour, beer tasting and gratuities. You must be 21+ years of age to sample the beers.
GOPHER STADIUM AND UNIVERSITY SPORTS ARENAS
Tuesday, December 29 | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Fee: $20.00
Do you love college sports? Then you’re in for a treat with this trip to visit the brand new Gopher football stadium, designed by HOK. The impressive facility may become the 1st LEED Certified Collegiate Football Facility despite it housing the 3rd largest outdoor scoreboard. After a tour of this facility, you will visit two other campus sports facilities; the historic Williams Arena/Sports Pavilion (basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics) and the Mariucci Arena (men’s hockey).
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, guided tour and gratuities.
WEISMAN ART MUSEUM
Tuesday, December 29 | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Fee: $25.00
The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, has been a teaching museum for the university since 1934. The museum's current building, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, was completed in 1993. The stainless steel skin was fabricated and installed by the A. Zahner Company, a frequent collaborator with Gehry's office.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, guided tour and gratuities.
TWINS STADIUM AND TARGET CENTER
Wednesday, December 30 | 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Fee: $10.00
If you have not figured it out yet, Minneapolis is a sports-centric city. On this trip you will visit the new Target Field, the future ballpark for the Minnesota Twins designed by HOK. Following a tour of this facility you will visit Target Center, the city’s premier entertainment facility hosting professional basketball, concerts, family shows, and more. Opened in 1990, the facility was design by KMR Architects.
Trip includes: guided tour and gratuities.
TWIN CITIES HIGHLIGHTS TOUR
Wednesday, December 30 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Fee: $32.00
Today we will experience a sampling of what makes the Twin Cities fantastic. During the tour, our guide will provide commentary on the downtowns of Minneapolis, Saint Paul and surrounding areas with a focus on downtown architecture. We will visit the new 35W bridge to learn about the rebuilding process. A short stop will be made at Minnehaha Falls to see Minnesota’s oldest tourist attraction. This is where the twenty-two mile Minnehaha Creek, which flows from Lake Minnetonka through the western suburbs of Minneapolis and into the city, dives over the falls and into the Mississippi River. The fifty-three foot falls have been immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s "Song of Hiawatha" and are visited by thousands of tourists and locals every year. Our next destination is Saint Paul, Minnesota’s charming historic capital city. Magnificent Art Deco and Victorian reminders of the past nestle next to sleek skyscrapers, giving this Capital City an Old World charm. Finally, we will drive along Summit Avenue, one of the longest stretches of virtually uninterrupted Victorian architecture in the United States.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, guided tour and gratuities.
RALPH RAPSON TOUR
Wednesday, December 30 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Fee: $20.00
Ralph Rapson (1914-2008) was one of the world's oldest practicing architects at his death at age 93, and also one of the most prolific. Rapson taught architecture at the New Bauhaus School (now IIT Institute of Design) from 1942-46, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1946-54. He was head of the architecture school at the University of Minnesota from 1954-84, where "generations of Minnesota architects came up through [his] tutelage" Rapson, who worked predominantly in the Modernist style, practiced in Minneapolis from 1954-2008. During this tour you will visit some of the highlights of his work including Riverside Plaza and Hope Lutheran Church.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, guided tour and gratuities.
SNOW TUBING AT BUCK HILL
Wednesday, December 30 | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Fee: $35.00
Buck Hill offers 15 different runs to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, as well as snow tubing. There are 11 lifts including 2 Quads and a Triple chairlift. Buck also has one of the best snowmaking systems in the Midwest, enabling the area to operate even when Old Man Winter doesn’t cooperate. Join the fun and jump on the specially designed tube, ride the lift to the top, and choose from one of several chutes to slide your way to the bottom. Grab your tube, get on the lift, and do it again. After tubing down a snow covered hill, sit back and relax by the campfire and enjoy some hot chocolate, a hot dog or fresh popcorn from the snack bar (food and beverage additional).
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission and tube rental and gratuities.
MILL CITY MUSEUM
Wednesday, December 30 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $25.00
The Washburn A. Mill was the second-largest flour mill in Minneapolis. The original mill was built in 1874 by Cadwallader C. Washburn, but destroyed in an explosion in 1878, killing 18. The mill was later rebuilt, and for nearly 50 years, the Washburn A. Mill was the most technologically advanced and largest mill in the world. Now shut down, it operates as a historical museum of the local milling industry. The museum features exhibits on the history of milling, examples of the machinery used to grind wheat into flour, and a tour that shows the jobs that were performed on each of the eight floors of the mill. In the centerpiece display of the museum, visitors are seated in a large elevator in the Flour Tower, where they are taken, floor by floor, to an animatronic recreation of the machinery that used to be on every floor of the mill. At the end of the tour, visitors are taken to an outdoor observation area at the top of the mill structure, where they can overlook the old complex as well as have spectacular views of the riverfront area.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission and gratuities.
GUTHRIE THEATER
Wednesday, December 30 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $20.00
The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training. In 2006, the Guthrie finished construction of a new $125 million theater building along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. The design is the work of architect Jean Nouvel, along with the Minneapolis architectural firm Architectural Alliance and is a 285,000 square foot facility that houses three theaters: (1) the theater's signature thrust stage, seating 1,100, (2) a 700-seat proscenium stage, and (3) a black-box studio with flexible seating. It also has a 178-foot cantilevered bridge (called the "Endless Bridge") to the Mississippi. The outside of the building's walls are covered in large panels which display a large mural of photographs from past plays, clearly visible at night.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Wednesday, December 30 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $20.00
Christ Lutheran Church was designed by the firm Saarinen and Saarinen. The project was Eliel Saarinen’s last completed building before he passed away the following year. Dedicated in 1949, the building was acknowledged as an architectural masterpiece from the day it opened. It later gained further fame as an early example of modern church architecture. An addition to the building was designed by Glen Paulsen in 1962, under the supervision of Eero Saarinen. By coincidence, the addition to Christ Lutheran Church was Eero Saarinen’s final project as he passed away the following year. In 1977, the building was awarded the AIA 25 Year Award, one of only two places of worship to have been so honored. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the entire building was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 2009.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
MINNEAPOLIS METRODOME
Thursday, December 31 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Fee: $25.00
Construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis started in December of 1979. The commission wanted the Metrodome to be "austere but a quality and aesthetically pleasing structure." The design team included Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Minneapolis-based Setter, Leach & Lindstrom, Inc. SOM, one of the world's largest architectural firms. New York-based Geiger Berger Associates designed the Metrodome's roof. Approximately 80 companies were awarded contracts to participate in the construction of the Metrodome, with most of the labor from Minnesota construction workers. The Dome was inflated on October 2, 1981 and the stadium was completed in April 1982. The Metrodome's roof is made of two layers of Teflon coated fiberglass fabric, and is an air-supported structure supported by positive air pressure. It is reported to be the largest application of Teflon on Earth.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CAMPUS TOUR
Thursday, December 31 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Fee: $20.00
Our host institution invites you to take a tour of its campus located only 10 minutes from downtown. Among the largest public research universities in the country, it offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Spanning the Mississippi River, the flagship campus has a broad green mall in the classical style, lined with towering elm trees, providing an ideal setting for inquiry. The tour will include visiting Rapson Hall, home to the College of Design, the McNamara Center, which will host the Beaux Arts Ball, and other notable buildings on the campus.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, tour and gratuities.
MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL BUILDING
Thursday, December 31 | 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $30.00
The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Saint Paul, the capital city, and houses the state Senate, House of Representatives, Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Governor. The building also includes a chamber for the Minnesota Supreme Court, although court activities usually take place in the neighboring Minnesota Judicial Center. Set near the crest of a hill, a panoramic view of downtown St. Paul is presented from the Capitol steps. The building sits on a landscaped campus with various monuments to its sides and front. Behind, a bridge spans University Avenue; in front, others were later added over the sunken roadway of Interstate 94, thus preserving the sight lines. The building was designed by Cass Gilbert and modeled after Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome - the unsupported marble dome is the second largest in the world, after Saint Peter's. Work began in on the capitol in 1896, and construction was completed in 1905.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
MINNEAPOLIS CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Thursday, December 31 | 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Fee: $20.00
Established in 1965, the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre has grown to become the leading professional theatre company for young people in North America, and among the three largest in the world. Recipient of the 2003 Regional Theatre Tony Award and numerous other honors, the Children’s Theatre Company is committed to improving the quality of life for children and families in our community, state and region. Located in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts facility, the Children's Theatre Company facility has stunning spaces including the 298 person Michael Graves-designed Cargill Theatre, the 747 person UnitedHealth Group Stage, numerous rehearsal rooms and a dance studio.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
FOSHAY TOWER
Thursday, December 31 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Fee: $15.00
The Foshay Tower (now the hotel W Minneapolis - The Foshay) is a skyscraper in Minneapolis. Modeled after the Washington Monument, the building was completed in 1929 in the months before the stock market crash in October of that year. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, is an example of Art Deco architecture. The building has been credited as "the first skyscraper west of the Mississippi" although some previous structures in Minneapolis were considered by some to be skyscrapers. It remains one of the tallest concrete skyscrapers to this day, second only in height to the Empire State Building in New York City.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
WALKER ART CENTER
Thursday, December 31 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Fee: $15.00
The Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn. It was opened on May 22, 1927; by Thomas Barlow Walker as the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest. The museum's focus on modern art began in the 1940s, when a gift from Mrs. Gilbert Walker made possible the acquisition of works by important artists of the day, including sculptures by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, and others. Directly across from the museum are the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1988; and the Cowles Conservatory. In April 2005, the Walker Art Center underwent a renovation featuring an addition designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
Trip includes: admission, tour and gratuities.
ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL
Friday, January 1 | 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM (note time change)
Fee: $20.00
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of St Paul. It is the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. One of the most distinctive cathedrals in the United States, it sits on Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown St. Paul and features a distinctive copper-clad dome. The current building opened in 1915 as the fourth cathedral of the archdiocese to bear this name. On March 25, 2009, it was designated as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican. The building of the current cathedral was instigated by Archbishop John Ireland in 1904. French Renaissance architecture inspired the design. The dome of the cathedral is 76 feet in diameter and 186 feet high. Warm-colored paint and gold leaf were added during a major renovation of the dome in the 1950s. The exterior walls of the cathedral are Rockville granite from St. Cloud, Minnesota. The interior walls are American Travertine from Mankato, Minnesota. The interior columns are made of several types of marble.
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, tour and gratuities.
MINNESOTA ZOO
Friday, January 1 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Fee: $32.00
The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited zoo in Apple Valley. When it opened in 1978 it was fairly evolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their living environment as opposed to their species. Exhibits are arrayed in six themed areas, including three themed walking trails ranging from one to two miles in length:
- Medtronic Minnesota Trail, featuring animals native to Minnesota
- Northern Trail, featuring animals of the north (above the 45th parallel)
- Tropics Trail, an indoor walking trail featuring animals from the tropics
- Discovery Bay, an activity area themed around marine wildlife
- Russia's Grizzly Coast, a part-indoor, part-outdoor new multi-million exhibit featuring animals from Russia's Far East and the Kamchatka Peninsula
- Wells Fargo Family Farm, a petting zoo themed around farm animals
Trip includes: roundtrip transportation, fuel surcharge, admission, monorail ride and gratuities.
IDS TOWER
Friday, January 1 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Fee: $15.00
The IDS Center (or IDS Tower) is the tallest building in Minneapolis at 792 feet. Opened in 1974 as the IDS Centre, it was constructed as the headquarters of Investors Diversified Services, Inc.—now Ameriprise Financial. It also housed the headquarters for the Target stores division of Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation) from 1972 until it moved to its own new headquarters building in 2002. Because of the IDS Center's peculiar and unique stepback design, termed "zogs" by its architect, Philip Johnson, each floor has a maximum of 32 corner offices.
Trip includes: admission, tour and gratuities.
