Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts

The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts is a performing arts facility in downtown Minneapolis housing theaters and studios in one building. The complex contains multiple performance spaces of different sizes, rehearsal rooms, and facilities designed to support dance companies and performing artists.

The original building opened in 1910 as the Samuel S. Shubert Theater, designed in Beaux-Arts style to host Broadway productions. Over the decades, the structure was repurposed to serve contemporary artistic needs, eventually becoming the home of multiple dance organizations.

The center serves as a vital gathering place for dance artists and companies across Minneapolis, offering studios and theaters where local performers share their work. It functions as a hub where the city's dance community comes together to create and perform regularly.

The location in downtown Minneapolis makes it easily accessible by public transportation and nearby parking options are available in the area. Check the schedule in advance since programming changes frequently throughout the week, and arriving early allows time to explore the building before your event.

In the 1990s, the entire building was carefully moved two city blocks to a new location in an engineering feat that required innovative machinery. This relocation preserved the historic structure while allowing it to become part of a new performing arts complex.

Location: Minneapolis

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

Address: 22 N. 7th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Website: http://thecowlescenter.org

GPS coordinates: 44.97972,-93.27306

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:56