What to do When Visiting Benchmark Reporting Agency
Benchmark Reporting Agency is located in downtown Minneapolis and conveniently close to some of the city's best attractions:
Children's Theatre Company
2400 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612/874-0400
The Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is recognized as North America's flagship theatre for young people and families as well as a major cultural and artistic resource in Minnesota. Founded in 1965, CTC has set a standard for excellence in theatre for young people, the creation of new work, and arts education. CTC is located on a campus in south Minneapolis along with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Mall of America
952/883-8000
Interstate 494 and State Highway 77
Bloomington, MN 55425
The Mall of America is a world-class tourist destination, with more than 520 retail stores, 20 sit-down restaurants, 30 fast-food restaurants, 36 specialty stores and 14 movie screens. The lower level houses a nationally-recognized aquarium. An Executive Meeting & Event Center is available on the 4th floor. The MOA is conveniently accessible by light rail to the Lindbergh and Humphrey airport terminals, and downtown Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612/870-3200
612/870-3004 (fax)
Founded in 1883, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is one of the leading comprehensive fine-art museums in the country. The MIA's permanent collection includes more than 100,000 objects, including world-famous works spanning 5,000 years and representing the world's diverse cultures. The MIA has seven curatorial areas: Africa, Oceania and the Americas ; Architecture, Design, Decorative Arts, Craft and Sculpture; Asian Art; Paintings and Modern Sculpture; Photographs; Prints and Drawings; and Textiles.
Historic Orpheum, Pantages and State Theatres
800 LaSalle Ave., Suite 120
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612/373-5600
Box Office: 612/373-5665
612/252-0601 (fax)
Orpheum Theatre
910 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
The Orpheum Theatre opened in October of 1921, with the first playbill featuring the Marx Brothers, and later Jack Benny, Burns & Allen and Fanny Brice. Today, the theatre is a thriving venue for individual artists, comics and Broadway touring productions. The first concert performance was by Heart in December 1993. The first Broadway production was Miss Saigon in January of 1994. The Orpheum has seen the origination of a number of productions, including Victor-Victoria, Beauty and the Beast and the pre-Broadway premiere of Disney's The Lion King, and the national tour of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA.
State Theatre
805 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55402
When the State Theatre opened in February of 1921, it was the most technologically advanced and elaborate theatre of its time, with a glass floor that allowed direct lighting from underneath. Since the reopening in 1991, the State has hosted live Broadway productions, concerts, and films - including the world premieres of Minnesota-based films such as Grumpy Old Men.
Pantages Theatre
710 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
The Pantages Theatre opened in October of 1916 and was admired for its Art Modérne façade and Beaux arts interior. Considered one of the city's most beautiful theatres, the Pantages was brought back to its former glory and reopened on November 7, 2002, bringing music, dance, lectures and other performances to the Historic Minneapolis Theatre District.
Orchestra Hall
1111 Nicollet Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Box Office: 612/371-5656
Orchestra Hall is an architectural landmark in downtown Minneapolis and home to the Minnesota Orchestra, which was founded in 1903 as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra has been recognized with 13 awards for adventuresome programming from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), including the 2004 Award for American Programming on a Foreign Tour and the 2005 Leonard Bernstein Award for Education Programming. Six Minnesota Orchestra CDs have received Grammy Award nominations since 1966. The Minnesota Orchestra's music director is Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, who recently extended his tenure through 2011.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington St.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Box Office: 651/224-4222
This vibrant performing arts center has offered “everything from opera to the Russian circus.” Its classic interior is reminiscent of the great concert halls of Europe. The Ordway Center Performance Season brings an exciting array of musicals and other shows to Minnesota, and hosts the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Schubert Club and the Minnesota Opera. The Ordway Center is located in the center of St. Paul's historic district.
Science Museum of Minnesota
120 West Kellogg Boulevard
St. Paul, MN 55102
651/221-9444
The Science Museum of Minnesota, located on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, is a repository for all things natural. The museum's Research and Collections Division focuses on archaeology and ethnology; mammalogy, entomology, and ornithology; vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology; and river and stream ecology and watershed biology. The museum houses 1.75 million artifacts and specimens that are worldwide in scope, and range in size from microscopic spores to dinosaurs and whales.
Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612/375-7600
Established in 1927, the Walker Art Center's focus on modern art began in the 1940's, when a gift from Mrs. Gilbert Walker made possible the acquisition of works by important artists of the day, including sculptures by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, and others. Adjacent to the Walker is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The garden's centerpiece and most popular work is Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Spoonbridge and Cherry (1985-1988), which has become a beloved symbol of the Twin Cities. A new Walker Art Center, nearly double in size, opened in April of 2005.
Guthrie Theater
818 2 nd Street South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612/377-2224
The country's premier resident theater anchors the center of the historic Mills District of Minneapolis on the bank of the Mississippi River. The new theater complex, which opened in June of 2006, includes three theaters, public lobbies, fine restaurants, bars, administrative and support facilities. The original Guthrie Theater opened in 1963 and quickly gained international recognition. It was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie, who also served as the theater's artistic director. In 1982, the Guthrie Theater received a Tony Award for its outstanding contribution to American theater. Joe Dowling has served as the Guthrie's artistic director since 1995, bringing both classic and contemporary performances to the heartland.