One of the quiet pleasures of staying in downtown Minneapolis is how close you are to the Mississippi River without ever needing a car. From your furnished studio at Oaklands on 9th, the historic Mill District and the riverfront sit just a fifteen-minute walk away — close enough for a morning coffee stroll or an after-dinner wander once the skyline lights come on. Here’s how we’d point a guest toward the best of it.
Getting to the river on foot
From our front door at 215 South 9th Street, you’ll head east through the Downtown East neighborhood toward the water. The whole route is flat, well-marked, and an easy walk past US Bank Stadium and down toward 2nd Street. If the Minnesota weather isn’t cooperating, much of downtown is connected by the climate-controlled Skyway system, so you can stay warm for a good stretch of the way. No car, no parking, no fuss — just a short walk to one of the prettiest corners of the city.
The Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls
Here’s some good news for 2026: the beloved Stone Arch Bridge fully reopened in summer 2025 after a major stone-and-mortar preservation project — and finished months ahead of schedule. The car-free bridge, with its long row of granite and limestone arches first built in 1883, gives you what many locals consider the single best skyline-and-river view in the city. From the deck you also get a front-row look at St. Anthony Falls, the only true waterfall on the Mississippi and the reason this city exists at all.
At the western end of the bridge you’ll find Mill Ruins Park, where you can wander among the stone foundations of the flour mills that once made Minneapolis the milling capital of the world. It’s a peaceful, slightly surreal spot — ruins and rushing water right at the edge of a modern downtown.
Mill City Museum and a free view at the Guthrie
Built right into the ruins of the old Washburn A Mill, the Mill City Museum tells that flour-milling story with hands-on exhibits and the famous “Flour Tower” elevator ride up to an observation deck overlooking the falls. Right next door, the Guthrie Theater opens its cantilevered Endless Bridge and upper-floor Amber Box to the public for free — take the elevator up for one of the most photographed views in town, no ticket required. It’s a wonderful rainy-day option that won’t cost you a thing.
Saturday mornings at the Mill City Farmers Market
If you’re in town on a Saturday between late May and the end of September, time your walk for the Mill City Farmers Market, held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the plaza between the museum and the Guthrie. More than a hundred local growers and makers set up shop, and because every studio at Oaklands has a full kitchen, it’s the perfect chance to stock up on Minnesota produce, fresh bread, and coffee to bring back home. Few things make a stay feel more like living here than cooking with what you carried home from the market.
Make a day of it
Want to see more of the city’s history without all the walking? The narrated Minneapolis Trolley Tours loop past many of downtown’s landmarks and make an easy add-on to a riverfront morning. And if a grand old building is your idea of a good time, the same family behind Oaklands also looks after 300 Clifton, a beautifully restored 1880s mansion bed-and-breakfast, and the historic Pillsbury Club — kindred spirits to our own 1889 brownstone. For more ideas across the city, Meet Minneapolis keeps a handy calendar of what’s on.
Whether you’re here for a few nights or a few months, the riverfront is one of the best reasons to call downtown home. Book your furnished studio at Oaklands on 9th or call us at (612) 314-5124, and we’ll happily point you to our favorite spot on the bridge.