Your eye catches that cantilever jutting out over the river, one of the most distinctive gestures in the Midwest. The Guthrie Theater, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and opened in 2006, juts a dramatic Endless Bridge above the Mississippi with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mill District below. This is free to anyone who walks in — just take the elevator up and stand on the overlook.
The Guthrie itself was founded in 1963 by British director Tyrone Guthrie and actor-producer Oliver Rea, who wanted to create a serious regional theater outside New York. They chose Minneapolis over other bidding cities partly for its engaged civic culture and strong arts community. The original building on Vineland Place served the company for four decades.
This new facility on the riverfront gave the Guthrie three stages, including a proscenium with an offset thrust stage that seats over a thousand people. Minneapolis has long punched above its weight in the performing arts, and the Guthrie is the anchor of that argument.