Minneapolis and St. Paul are growing centers of commerce and industry with major corporate headquarters in electronics, computers, food processing and milling, retailing, medicine, transportation, forest products and biomedical sciences. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are highly attractive cities, offering flourishing downtown areas, sophisticated educational and cultural institutions, entertainment and sports, and the always-affordable diversions of parks and open spaces. The Minneapolis campus is located near downtown Minneapolis, and bus service is excellent. The world's first indoor shopping mall, Southdale , opened in the suburban Twin Cities in 1956. People from all over the world come to shop in its 350-plus stores.
Cultural activities abound.
Visitors are amazed by the diversity of our performing arts and attractions, both of which go far beyond the usual. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra performs at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts , one of the world's finest performing arts centers. The Ordway features a full cast of internationally known performers of classical music, operas, Broadway musicals and plays, dance, jazz and educational programs. The beautiful and acclaimed Historic State Theatre , a fully restored 2,209-seat facility located in downtown Minneapolis, together with the historic Orpheum Theatre , features top quality Broadway shows and concerts. Live drama has long thrived in the Twin Cities, which supports seven professional theaters and numerous smaller ones.