MINNEAPOLIS — Doors Open Minneapolis, produced by Rethos, is a two-day open-house event that invites participants to explore the city’s story through its buildings and meaningful spaces. It is free and takes place across dozens of venues in Minneapolis.
The two-day event provides free access to over 100 venues across Minneapolis that are normally off-limits or charge an entrance fee. Building owners, architects and local historians will be on hand to provide unique insights and perspectives at each site.
“Doors Open Minneapolis celebrates the buildings, people and businesses that are central to our city’s identity,” said Amanda Blasena, Program Manager at Rethos to DayTripper. “It’s a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and learn the stories behind some of Minneapolis’ most fascinating architectural treasures.”
Highlight venues for 2026 include the Basilica of Saint Mary, U.S. Bank Stadium, the North Loop’s historic Ford Center manufacturing plant, Red Lake Nation College’s downtown campus and the Target Plaza video display with over 650,000 LED lights. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, perennially the event’s most popular stop, invites visitors to see what $4.6 million in cash looks like, take a seat on $1.7 million in shredded money and explore how currency circulates through the economy. Visitors must pass through a metal detector.
This year, the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis carries special significance: the Ritz Theater is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, and home to Theater Latté Da for the last decade, it has served as a hub for many communities and organizations over the past century.
At the University of Minnesota’s West Bank campus, visitors to the Elmer L. Andersen Library will be able to tour caverns 80 feet beneath the building, as well as view rare collection materials including the 1602 Ricci map of the world and exhibits on pioneering women architects.
At Lakewood Cemetery, visitors can tour the historic Byzantine Memorial Chapel, featuring 10 million mosaic pieces and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the Garden Mausoleum, an award-winning masterpiece of contemporary architecture.
Doors Open is part of City Stories, a 9-day, multi-location event that invites visitors and locals to explore the Twin Cities through the lens of architecture, history and design, featuring exclusive home tours, walking tours, lectures, panels and immersive experiences. City Stories begins May 2 and runs through Doors Open weekend.
The event is presented in partnership with the City of Minneapolis, Metro Transit and many corporate sponsors. To encourage transit use, Metro Transit is providing free ride passes that can be used for buses and trains during Doors Open hours.
Rethos is seeking more than 500 volunteers for the weekend. Volunteers receive a t-shirt and a VIP pass that allows them to skip lines at popular venues. More information is available at doorsopenminneapolis.org.
