Date Ideas in Minneapolis

Move through the galleries together at Walker Art Center, where one adult ticket covers every exhibition, then keep the date going next door at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, open daily from 6am to midnight. Walker galleries are open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm and Thursday from 10am to 9pm, and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Climb or boulder together at Vertical Endeavors, where more than 150 routes cover walls up to 58 feet alongside three bouldering areas. The gym welcomes newcomers, so first-timers can fill out the waiver online before arriving, then take a short orientation on site. Auto belays and bouldering caves are available.

Bowl a few frames on the retro lanes at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater in Uptown, where a restaurant, bar and cabaret theater are all under the same roof. On Mondays at 6pm, the date-night special bundles two entrees, drinks and a round of bowling into one plan.

Go head to head at Up-Down Arcade Bar in Uptown, where more than 50 arcade games from the 80s and 90s share the room with pinball, four skee-ball alleys, N64 and life-size Jenga and Connect Four. Pizza and craft beer are both available. Guests must be 21 or older, and the bar is open Monday through Friday from 3pm to 2am and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2am.

Catch a stand-up set at Acme Comedy Co. in the North Loop, where national headliners perform every week and open mic night runs every Tuesday. You can make dinner part of the plan with the Dinner & Show option or eat at the on-site restaurant, Sticks, before the show.

Build the night around a show at the Guthrie Theater in the Mill District, then take in the Mississippi River views or eat at the restaurant on site. The 2026-27 season includes eight productions, with Kunene and the King running October 10 through November 8 and A Christmas Carol beginning November 11.

Pair live music with dinner at The Dakota, a downtown club on Nicollet Mall with an intimate stage and a chef-driven menu. Dinner is served from 5:30pm daily; we'd start with the dirty duck rice plate or the flank steak. The club is easy to reach by transit, and valet parking is available.

Settle in for live music at Berlin, a North Loop club with candlelight, velvet drapery and an 85-guest room for jazz, electronic and experimental sets. Small plates and mains come alongside cocktails, beer and wine. Berlin opens at 6pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and at 4pm Friday and Saturday, and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays except for special occasions.

Keep the date casual with a pint and a slice at Surly Brewing Co. in Prospect Park, where pizzas are served upstairs and the patio fire pit comes into play when the weather allows. The beer hall is open Monday through Thursday from 3pm to 9pm, Friday from 3pm to 11pm, Saturday from 11am to 11pm and Sunday from 11am to 9pm.

Start at FIKA Cafe inside the American Swedish Institute in Phillips for pastries or Scandi-inspired cocktails, then wander the museum and gift shop afterward. On Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm, happy hour brings discounts on wine bottles, cocktails, beer and wine by the glass. The institute is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm, until 8pm on Thursdays, and closed Mondays.