Tours

Public Guided Tours

Discover the museum with the help of our trained tour guides. Free one-hour public tours are offered daily. Topics range from special exhibitions to treasures of Mia’s permanent collection. Feel free to join the tours at any point, and stay as long as you like.

  • January: Snow Days Venture boldly into images of snow and cold as artists depict the beauty and challenges of winter.
  • February: Celebration of African American Art History Discover African American artists’ contributions to art history in the United States.
  • March: Women in Art Discuss how women, as both creators and inspiration, have influenced and changed art-making around the world.
  • April: Finding Home Explore ideas of home as artists reflect on the universal desire for safety and acceptance.
  • May: Points of View Express yourself while viewing artworks from multiple perspectives.
  • June: Pride Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community through artworks that explore gender constructs and identities.

Tours of Purcell-Cutts house

The Purcell-Cutts House, designed and built by William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie, is a masterpiece of Prairie School architecture. Located at 2328 Lake Place in Minneapolis, the house has been extensively restored and is now a part of the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

The house is open to the public on the second weekend of each month. Special tours are given throughout the holiday season.

Due to its historic design, parts of the Purcell-Cutts House are inaccessible to some people with limited mobility. Tours involve two sets of stairs, the restroom is in the basement, and there is no elevator.

Admission is $5 for adults; free to Mia members, K-12 students, and children under 6. (Sign up for My Mia here.

To reserve tickets, call (612) 870-3000 or order online here.

School Tours

Bring your class to Mia! School Groups may request a free guided or self-guided tour. Please submit an online tour request to assure availability for your group. Learn more about school tours.

Private Guided Tours

Private, guided tours of the permanent collection and special exhibitions are available for groups of 10 or more. We can custom design a tour for your group on almost any topic. For permanent collection, special topics, and special exhibition tours please call the Tour Office: (612) 870-3140. A tour of 15 people maximum per guide will be charged a fee of $150 for a permanent collection tour. Special exhibition admission fees vary by exhibition.

Summer Youth Book Tours – coming in June, July, and August 2020

FREE tours for book lovers grades 3 and up!

Connect the chapter books you love with artworks from Mia’s collection. Gain a better understanding of the story, the art, and even yourself!

Adult Book Tours

Join lively discussions of art works related to popular books, facilitated by a museum guide.

FREE public tours:

Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m., and third Sundays of every month at 3 p.m. Drop in; no reservation necessary. Public tours are only available for the book listed for the current month.

  • January  A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
  • February  The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
  • March  Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
  • April  Logical Family: A Memoir by Armistead Maupin
  • May  Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
  • June  Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

Private Book Club Tours

Your group selects the book, day, and time. We customize a tour especially for you. See the list below, or we will be happy to consider other possible selections.  Special rate: $75 for up to 20 people. Call (612) 870-3140 to reserve.

After the tour, receive a coupon for 20% off on food and beverages at Agra Culture at Mia.

Choose from our list of visitor favorites:

  • LaRose by Louise Erdrich
  • The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
  • The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
  • Emma by Jane Austen
  • All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  • The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance by Edmund de Waal
  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
  • Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
  • Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
  • The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
  • People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
  • Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

Try it Tours

A Feast for the Eyes: Highlights of Mia’s World-class Collection

Ever been tempted to touch the art? Or play dress-up in the galleries? Want to hear tantalizing stories behind the objects?

This is your chance to experience a museum tour with a twist. Curated with an eye for intrigue and delight, Try It Tours serve up experiences you’ve never had in an art museum. Guides practiced in the art of storytelling bring the art to life in new ways, inspiring your sense of wonder and igniting your curiosity. We don’t want to give away the surprises—but be prepared for anything!

Group size: 15–30; $20 per person

To reserve this 90-minute experience for your group, call 612.870.3140 at least one month in advance.

For printable information about this tour: Try It Tour