Bloomington Center for the Arts is the city's main cultural hub, with gallery space, performances, classes, and community arts organizations under one roof. It gives visitors staying near the Mall of America a quieter local alternative to pure shopping and airport-hotel routines.
The center is most worthwhile when an exhibition or performance is on, so check the calendar. Even a short visit can round out Bloomington, showing it as a lived-in suburb with its own creative institutions.