Why go
Our Lady of Lourdes, the Basilica of Saint Mary and Christ Church Lutheran tell different parts of the city’s story through their buildings. The first changed from a Universalist church to a French Catholic parish; the last is an Eliel Saarinen design. They reward an architecture-focused visit even without a service.
The full story
Dakota people lived on this land long before Minneapolis was founded, and later colonial settlement dispossessed them. New England Protestant, Quaker and Universalist settlers were followed by many other faith communities. Our Lady of Lourdes on the Nicollet Island and East Bank side was built by Universalists in 1856 and later became a French Catholic church. Temple Israel grew from the Shaarai Tov congregation formed in 1878; its East Isles synagogue dates from 1928. The Basilica of Saint Mary near Loring Park, designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, became the first church in the United States designated a basilica in 1926. In Longfellow, Christ Church Lutheran shows Eliel Saarinen’s architectural approach, with an education wing by his son Eero. Muslim and Buddhist communities also formed lasting institutions in the city during the twentieth century. These sites are active places of worship, so check visitor access and be mindful of services before planning an interior visit.