There’s a particular kind of evening Minneapolis does better than almost anywhere: a world-class play on a riverfront stage, a slow walk along the Mississippi at dusk, and then — if you’ve planned it right — a nightcap in a speakeasy hidden beneath a Gilded Age mansion. This summer, the Guthrie Theater has two productions worth building a whole weekend around, and 300 Clifton is the place to wake up afterward.
What’s on the Guthrie stage this summer
Private Lives — July 18 to August 23, 2026
Noël Coward’s champagne-dry 1930 comedy Private Lives takes over the Wurtele Thrust Stage from July 18 through August 23. Divorcees Elyot and Amanda, honeymooning with their brand-new spouses, discover they’ve booked the same French resort — and the sparks (and insults) fly from there. It’s the Guthrie’s fourth staging of this audience favorite, directed by David Ivers. Tickets run $35 to $94, the show is about 2 hours 15 minutes with two intermissions, and it’s recommended for ages 12 and up.
If any play pairs naturally with a night in a historic mansion, it’s this one. Coward wrote Private Lives for a world of verandas, cocktails, and grand rooms with witty conversation echoing off the paneling — which happens to be exactly the world Eugene J. Carpenter built at 300 Clifton, back when he was helping found the Minneapolis Institute of Art and hosting the city’s arts patrons under his own roof.
Come From Away — closing August 9
Sharing the building through August 9 is Come From Away, the true-story musical about the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, which welcomed 7,000 stranded airline passengers in the days after September 11. It’s warm, funny, and famously hard to leave dry-eyed. If this one’s on your list, book soon — the final performance is Sunday, August 9.
Make an evening of it in the Mill District
The Guthrie sits at 818 South 2nd Street, its cobalt-blue silhouette cantilevered over the Mississippi riverfront. Arrive early: the theater’s public lobbies and the famous Endless Bridge overlook offer some of the best river views in the city, no ticket required. Next door, Mill City Museum — built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill — makes a perfect pre-matinee stop, with rooftop views of St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.
Want the full story of the city before curtain? Minneapolis Trolley Tours rolls past the milling district, the mansions, and everything in between — see their guides to things to do in Minneapolis for more ways to fill a theater weekend.
Then come home to a mansion
300 Clifton is the historic Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion on the edge of Loring Park — a National Register property considered the finest Georgian architecture in Minnesota, and about a ten-minute drive or rideshare from the Guthrie’s front doors.
After the applause fades, your evening doesn’t have to. Slip into the four-season hot tub tucked into the English gardens and replay the best lines under the stars. Or descend into Gertrude’s Cistern, the mansion’s own speakeasy and haunted video lounge with heated reclining seats — because a Noël Coward night deserves a proper Jazz Age nightcap. Guest rooms range from the Crystal Mansion and Grand Edwardian to the story-book Coachman’s, Blacksmith’s Forge, and Hayloft rooms, all with the hand-painted murals and carved fireplaces of a true Gilded Age estate. Have a look at our specials and packages — and if you like your theater with a ghost story, ask about the mansion’s haunted side.
More summer stages, if you’re planning ahead
The Guthrie is just one act in a big Minneapolis summer. The Minnesota Orchestra’s summer season runs at Orchestra Hall through August 8 — our concert getaway guide has the lineup — and the Minnesota Fringe Festival brings hundreds of performances to town August 6–16. Traveling with a group that loves a theatrical evening? The Pillsbury Club — the haunted Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion — has a private theater and a speakeasy-style bar of its own. And for stays of a week or more, our sister property Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished studios in the heart of downtown.
Book your theater weekend
Private Lives runs six weeks, but summer Saturdays at the mansion don’t last. Check availability at 300 Clifton and book direct for the best rates — then all that’s left is deciding who gets the first soak in the hot tub after the show.