So many people take pictures in front of silly things downtown, but cool painted walls aren't one of them. And what better way to spend a day in the city looking for an awesome photo op? You'd be so fly! With that being said, here are14 of my favorite walls downtown to take the cutest photos in front of.
1. American Flag Wall
Perfect for the 4th of July, this wall is a great way to show off your American pride. Make sure to snag a couple of friends, maybe even a couple of sparklers and snap a picture in front of this gorgeous wall!
Located: 2904 Lyndale Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55408
2. Music Note Wall
Want to take a picture where the legend himself took a picture? Then grab your camera and head downtown! The oversized notes actually play a song believe it or not. It's a piano piece called, "Gaspard de la Nuit'' written by French composer Maurice Ravel. Apparently Schmitt's music headquarters were located there, and a columnist wrote about how the wall was boring and ugly. So in efforts to make it more appealing, they painted this!
Located: 10th Street and Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403
3. Snoopy Wall
Want to take a picture with a couple of Peanut characters? Head downtown and snap a picture in front of this awesome cartoon!
Located: 2822 Lyndale Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55408
4. I Like You Wall
Like someone? Like a lot? Take them downtown and take a picture in front of this super cute wall! Many couples and good friends snag a photo in front of this wall everyday. It's actually on the side of a store called, "I like you" (ironic huh?) On their site it says, "Our city is humming with hip, independent crafters and artists– like us– who need a creative space to showcase their wares. So we’ve collaborated with over 200 of those artists to get our shop jam-packed with beautiful, unique, strange findings that have been locally or independently made." So grab your SO, take a picture, and go inside to check out some cool locally made artwork!
Located: 10th Street and Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403
5. Chevron Wall
Chevron has definitely been a trendy pattern in recent years. If you want to create a more modern and sophisticated looking picture, take it in front of this wall!
Located: 29th Street and Bryant Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55408
6. Garden Wall
If you're a gardener or like fresh fruits and vegetables, this is definitely the place to be! It's surrounded by unique stores and shops owned by a few of St. Paul's culturally diverse residents like the growing population of the Hmong and Latin American groups. This wall is part of the "Cultivate Northeast Movement," and it includes a permaculture demonstration garden filled with sun flowers, basil, tomatoes, kale and swiss chard right in front of the wall.
Located: Lowry Avenue and Central Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55418
7. Cultivate Northeast Wall
This wall is right next to the garden wall! Like I had mentioned in #4, this wall is located on the corner of a permaculture demonstration garden. So there are lots of fresh greens everywhere! Plus, the stripes add a super cute touch and make this wall even more adorable. This would be the perfect photo op with your friends!
Located: Lowry Avenue and Central Avenue Minneapolis, MN 554188. Paul Bunyan Holding a Boombox Wall
What better way to show off your Minnesotan pride than posing in front of this wall, eh? I mean, just look at how sick it is! It has the iconic Paul Bunyan holding a freakin' boombox with Babe the blue ox in the background! And it's right next to a Subway, so you can snatch a sub after all the awesome picture taking.
Located: 28th Street and Lyndale Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55408
9. Bob Dylan Wall
The times they are a-changin'! Another well known and iconic artist from Minnesota is Mr. Bob Dylan himself, and just last year a team of artists painted a kaleidoscopic mural of him on the side of a five-story perch building. So grab a few friends and pose in front of this colorful masterpiece!
Located: 15 S 5th Street Minneapolis, MN 55402
10. Flowers Wall
Right by the delicious Chino Latino's, this flower wall is perfect to snap a few cute photos in front of in your best summer outfit!
Located: 1426 W Lake St Minneapolis, MN 55408
11. First Avenue Wall
The well-known first avenue wall is the perfect op and a great way to pay your respects to Prince and take pictures in front of some fancy stars. Since it needed a new paint job, in 2010 they painted over the old artwork. But made stars from the past reappear for the future.
Located: 701 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55403
12. Light-rail Wall
When you go downtown, you're bound to see a light rail! But this painting makes them pretty darn cool. Cool enough to take a picture in front of it!
Located: 38th Street and Chicago Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55407
13. Car Wall
Feeling a bit old school? Drive down to Hennepin Avenue and pose in front of this giant comic-book-like wall! Painted by Greg Gossel, who also helped paint the Bob Dylan wall, this mural was meant to create diversity and emphasize the idea of public art.
Located: 10th Street and Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403
14. Geometric Wall
Who knows who painted this geometric design, but who cares! It's sharp features and bold color pallet make for a great photo op.
Located: 11th Avenue and 3rd Street Minneapolis, MN 55415
I got most of my inspiration for this article from a website called Studio DIY. They were doing a #StudioDIYWallCrawl, so in order to give credit for making this article even happen, go check out this link to see even more cool walls downtown: