Prince/Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota, is known for its vibrant arts scene, rich cultural diversity, and beautiful natural surroundings. The city is famous for its many lakes, rivers, and parks, which provide ample opportunities for outdoor activities, including walking, biking, and boating.
Minneapolis is also a major hub for music, sports, theater, and art. It is home to world-class museums and a thriving food scene, with a wide range of restaurants, food markets, and breweries that cater to every taste.
One of the most significant figures in the city’s music history is Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson), whose influence not only shaped Minneapolis but also made the city a global epicenter for music and creativity. Bob Dylan also once had a presence in Minneapolis, and he is honored there on a huge mural.
Some outstanding Minneapolis attractions include the Walker Art Center, a major modern art museum featuring contemporary and visual arts exhibits from around the world. It also hosts performances, film screenings, and public art events. Here you’ll find the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, an iconic 11-acre park which is home to more than 40 works of art, including the famous “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture. The garden is a must-visit for art lovers and a great spot for photos and a relaxing stroll.
The Chain of Lakes is a wonderful area for nature lovers. This Minneapolis lake system offers beautiful walking and biking paths, beaches, and scenic views.
There’s a pedestrian-friendly street in downtown Minneapolis called the Nicollet Mall that features shopping, dining, and entertainment, along with several historic buildings and landmarks. The Minneapolis Visitor Center is in this area at 505 Nicollet, and you know I always recommend stopping at tourist centers to get your bearings in any destination.
Like any city, vibes change as you move around, so you might also want to check out Uptown Minneapolis. Known for its eclectic vibe, Uptown is a trendy neighborhood with lively bars, restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, boutique shops, and a thriving arts community.
Prince: Minneapolis’s Most Famous Former Resident
Prince Rogers Nelson (yes, Prince was his given name) was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, and he maintained a home there for his entire, tragically short life. Prince was one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the 20th century. He became an icon for his groundbreaking fusion of rock, funk, pop, and R&B, as well as his unique and electrifying stage presence. Prince revolutionized the music industry with his unparalleled musicianship, genre-defying music, and daring fashion.
Prince’s breakthrough came in 1978 when Warner Brothers signed him and actually allowed him to produce his own albums even though he was only 19. Prince was a major hitmaker in the 1980s, with albums such as “Controversy”, “1999”, and “Purple Rain”, a huge album that featured hits “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain,” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” His ability to play multiple instruments (really well), produce his own music, and create timeless songs earned him critical acclaim and a massive global fanbase. Known for his bold individuality, Prince became a symbol of artistic freedom and boundary-pushing creativity.
Minneapolis was not only his home but also his creative incubator. Prince’s career was deeply tied to the city, where he cultivated his music, image, and cultural impact. He became a symbol of Minneapolis’s vibrant music scene, and his influence helped to put the city on the global map as a center of musical innovation.
If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice displays of and nods to the Prince of Minneapolis everywhere you go, and that’s thrilling if you’re a Prince fan. In fact, the tourism bureau has a webpage dedicated to all kinds of Prince sites, which makes them easy to find. There are companies that provide Prince tours, and throughout the year, there are various festivals and events that honor the late artist.
In the city, you’ll find several murals of Prince and clubs where he used to play. I made it to First Avenue, the legendary music venue in downtown Minneapolis that played a pivotal role in Prince’s career. It was at First Avenue where Prince performed regularly in the late 1970s and early 1980s, helping to shape his reputation as an electrifying live performer.
First Avenue was also a filming location for the iconic concert scenes in the movie Purple Rain. The venue remains a vital part of Minneapolis’s music scene, continuing to host concerts and events today. The exterior walls are covered in painted stars that contain the names of the artists that have performed there. It’s very fun to look at, and you can see it in my video content.
Prince grew up in North Minneapolis, and the neighborhood is part of the story of his rise to fame. One of his childhood homes is still standing, and people are working to have it designated with a special historical status. Various murals and tributes to Prince have appeared in the area in honor of his lasting impact on the city.
I made sure I got to the Electric Fetus, an exceptionally groovy record store Prince used to patronize. They have a window display dedicated to Prince and an overwhelming inventory of vinyl records, gifts, music related items, clothing and a lot more. It’ll be in my video.
The highlight of my visit, as you may imagine, was touring Paisley Park. Located in Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis, Paisley Park looks like a random non-descript industrial building near the highway. Oh, but it’s way more than that. The 65,000 square foot complex was Prince’s home, and it contains multiple recording studios, offices, and a 12,000 square foot soundstage, used for film and television production. When it was completed in 1987, it became the epicenter of Prince’s creative world.
After his passing in 2016, Paisley Park was transformed into a museum and is now open to the public for guided tours. Visitors can see many of Prince’s iconic outfits, instruments, and personal items, as well as rooms where he entertained guests. Paisley Park is an essential stop for any Prince fan.
They make you lock your phones and cameras away for most of the tour, but at the end, you can get them out. I did get some video of a few things at the end of the tour, including the sound stage, and small stage and lounge/night club area where parties often took place, and guests or Prince himself performed. I found out that when Prince was (apparently) lonely, he’d put a certain exterior light on that alerted locals that they were welcome to come into Paisley Park and party. If I had known he did that in the 90’s, I would have moved to Chanhassen.
I asked my tour guide if she thought the spirit of Prince was around, and she said, yes. Then at the same time, we both said, “where else would he be?”
So much could be said about Paisley Park. While I was there, I looked around for the elevator where Prince died. Alone. At 57. While he had enjoyed fame, awards, accolades, travels, triumphs, wealth, and incredible creativity, he was damaged in a childhood of twisted abuse, abandonment and loneliness. This caused him to become a man with control issues, relationship issues, trust issues. Photos of Prince as a beautiful, wide-eyed child who desperately wanted love, break my heart. He carefully controlled every aspect of his life, look, and career in an effort to feel in control, to feel worthy.
Prince didn’t do drugs or drink, and he forbid his band and entourage to as well. In the end, it was pain that did him in–physical pain from years of dancing in high heels, jumping off speakers, performing high-energy acrobatics in the name of entertainment. Surgery didn’t relieve the pain in his hips, so the drugs came next. Carefully at first. I can only speculate that not being able to control the pain drove him nuts.
There are plenty of conspiracy theories about his death. But, given his gaunt appearance in his final days, and the fact that just a week before he died, his plane had to make an emergency landing as he was unresponsive and had to be revived with Narcan, I don’t believe any of them. On April 20, 2016, his representatives called an addiction specialist in California to see if he could help Prince. The treatment specialist sent his son to Paisley Park the next day, and he found Prince’s body in the elevator. Help had been on the way. But it was too late.
Prince left behind an amazing catalogue of work, and Spotify shows that Prince still has more than 10 million listeners monthly. His legacy runs deep, and it is definitely alive and well in his hometown of Minneapolis.
Video of my trip to Minneapolis will be posted soon on “Jewel Leigh’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Travel Show” on YouTube @RockTravelShow. Please subscribe so you can get alerts and enjoy my adventures to other destinations connected to classic artists whose music defined generations.