Foshay Tower observation deck and museum
821 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN
An art deco skyscraper shaped like the Washington Monument, once the tallest tower between Chicago and the coast, with an observation deck and museum telling one of the great boom-and-bust stories of the Jazz Age.
The Foshay Tower is one of Minneapolis's most beloved landmarks, a slender art deco skyscraper completed in 1929 and modeled, unusually, on the Washington Monument, tapering as it rises. For decades it was the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast, and the name FOSHAY still stands in tall letters near its top, a monument one man built to himself just as his fortune was about to collapse.
Near the summit, an observation deck offers a sweeping view over downtown Minneapolis, and a small museum tells the extraordinary story of the tower and its builder. Though the modern skyline has long since risen around and above it, the Foshay remains a proud symbol of the city and one of the finest art deco buildings in the region, now woven into a downtown hotel.
What Guests Love
- An art deco landmark modeled on the Washington Monument
- An observation deck with a wide view over downtown Minneapolis
- A small museum telling the tower's dramatic rise-and-fall story
- A stylish piece of Jazz Age Minneapolis preserved inside a modern hotel
Worth Knowing
- The tower now houses a hotel, so the observation deck and museum have set hours and access, worth checking ahead
- The view from the deck is one of the best downtown vantage points, so pick a clear day
- It is a compact experience, an easy add-on to a day exploring downtown
- The building sits in the busy city core, so use nearby ramps or transit rather than hunting for street parking
Details
Minneapolis, MN
Learn about Foshay Tower observation deck and museum
The man and his monument
Wilbur Foshay was a utilities magnate who built a business empire in the 1920s and wanted a headquarters to match his ambitions. He commissioned a tower shaped like the Washington Monument, the memorial to the president he admired, and spared no expense on its African mahogany, ornamental metal, and gold-and-silver detailing. When it opened in 1929 he threw a lavish three-day dedication, complete with a march composed for the occasion by John Philip Sousa.
The triumph was heartbreakingly brief. Within weeks of the grand opening the stock market crashed, and Foshay's debt-laden empire collapsed. He lost the tower, was convicted of mail fraud tied to his financial dealings, and served time in prison, though his sentence was later commuted. Even the Sousa march went unpaid for, and the bandleader reportedly withdrew permission to play it for years. The tower Foshay built to celebrate his fortune outlived the fortune itself.
Art deco design and the observation deck
The Foshay is a showpiece of art deco, the sleek, geometric style of the late 1920s, from its tapering obelisk form to the rich materials and ornament of its interiors. Its stepped, slender profile made it stand out sharply on the Minneapolis skyline of its day, and the enormous FOSHAY letters near the top ensured no one could miss whose tower it was.
Near the summit sits the observation deck, once one of the great vantage points of the Upper Midwest and still a rewarding place to take in downtown Minneapolis, the river, and the sprawl of the city beyond. The accompanying museum gathers artifacts and photographs that bring the tower's Jazz Age origins and its dramatic story to life.
The city that grew up around it
Minneapolis rose on the power of the Mississippi's only major waterfall, St. Anthony Falls, which drove the sawmills and flour mills that made it a milling capital. The Foshay was a product of the confident, booming city of the 1920s, a symbol of a place that had grown rich and wanted to announce it to the world in stone and steel.
The land beneath the city is part of Mni Sota Makoce, the Dakota homeland, and the river and its falls, sacred to the Dakota, were the reason the city grew where it did. That deeper history underlies the modern downtown, where the once-dominant Foshay now stands among far taller towers, a reminder of an earlier era of the city's ambitions.
Visiting and the seasons
The Foshay now anchors a downtown hotel, and its observation deck and museum operate on set hours, so it is wise to check access before a visit. A clear day makes all the difference for the view, and the compact experience pairs easily with a wider day exploring downtown Minneapolis.
Summer offers long, clear light over the city and green riverfront below, while fall adds color to the parks and river valley. Winter can bring crisp, sharp views on a cold blue day, and the warm interior is a welcome refuge, and spring reopens the city's outdoor life along Nicollet Mall and the nearby Mississippi.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Minneapolis
Nicollet Mall
Steps away
A pedestrian-friendly downtown spine of shops, restaurants, and public art, long the main street of Minneapolis.
St. Anthony Falls and Stone Arch Bridge
About 1 mile
The Mississippi's great waterfall that powered the city's mills, spanned by a historic stone railroad bridge now open to walkers.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
About 1.5 miles
A landmark outdoor art park anchored by the giant Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, beside the Walker Art Center.