A Day Full of Art in Greater St. Cloud

Spend a day, or weekend, in St. Cloud enjoying and admiring all the art and beauty in the area! There are murals, gardens, galleries and more to explore.

Start your morning at Jule’s Bistro, where the food is so tasty it is art itself! While at Jule’s check out the locally made art that adorns the walls.

Next, meander downtown to Green Thumb Etc. home to plants, furniture that is a work of art, home décor, and gifts! After finding a plant that really speaks to your soul, check out Books Revisited, a bookstore with used and new books. Spend some time wandering through the shelves and find a book from a local Minnesota author, great for an afternoon read! Not to mention, Books Revisited is the perfect place to snap a cute photo for Instagram.

After your lunch at Dolsie’s Lunchbox Grill , take a stroll through downtown and enjoy the vibrant murals and statues scattered throughout the area. The murals showcase the local art scene and provide great backdrops for photos. Don’t miss the opportunity to snap a picture with the butterfly mural in the alley behind Radio City Music Hall and with the Pencil out front of Paramount Theater. And be sure to order dessert, Dolsie’s cupcakes are a must-try and the perfect sweet treat to enjoy while exploring downtown.

For the perfect lazy afternoon, bring your new book to Munsinger Clemens Gardens and enjoy the natural beauty. Dating back to the 1930s, Munsinger Garden features refurbished and expanded WPA-constructed paths and garden areas on its 14-acre property. The garden’s informal design boasts winding flower-bordered paths under tall pines, creating an organic flow between the grass and island beds, much like the nearby river. The gardens are filled to the brim with flowers, fountains, and sitting benches. So, find a spot and spend some time surrounded by some earth-grown art.

For more art, spend time exploring the galleries at Cream City Tattoo, and the Paramount Center for the Arts gift gallery, or head to see the beautiful, handcrafted ceramics at Desi Murphy Pottery during one of her open houses. With an abundance of artists at the galleries from the area and all over Minnesota, we suggest giving yourself some extra time at these stops. 

Art comes in many forms, including presentation and expression in foods and we invite you to sit down and enjoy dinner at the White Horse, or Arroy Thai and Filipino Restaurant. Or better yet, try both! Showcasing fresh ingredients and chef inspired recipes, we know your tastebuds will appreciate this artform! Following dinner, catch at show at Pioneer Place Theater, Paramount Theater, Helgason Learning Lab, The Ledge Amphitheater, Silly Beaver Comedy, Open Mic Night, test your knowledge at trivia, or make some art at Arts Underground. For planning, check out the local events calendar for what’s happening during your time here. 

Finally, wind down your night with a prohibition style cocktail or mocktail at the Blue Goose Speakeasy, or a nightcap at Iron Street Distillery, both new establishments to the area that are full of character, history, and stories to be told.