Monday Through Friday in Minneapolis

Find laughs and lanes with Acme Comedy and Bryant-Lake Bowl

What Monday blues? If you’re in town on a Monday night, get a taste of the local comedy scene at one of downtown Minneapolis' most upbeat attractions: Acme Comedy Company. Their open mic event runs every Monday at 8 p.m. Admission to the show is free, and you don’t need reservations. For a pre- or post-show meal and nightcap, head uptown to Bryant-Lake Bowl & Theater for their “Cheap Date Night” deal. From 6 p.m. to midnight every Monday, the restaurant offers diners two entrees, a bottle of wine or two beers and a round of bowling for $28.

Go on safari at Como Park

For just a small suggested donation of $3 per adult and $2 per child, you can explore gorgeous gardens and encounter exotic animals at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. The Twin Cities community has enjoyed this outdoor sanctuary for more than 100 years. Today, the zoo’s exhibits include big cats, primates, a seal island, polar bears, a Central/South American rainforest experience and more. In the park’s Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, the main highlight is a 2-acre greenhouse that shelters a variety of plants and seasonal flowers from around the world.

Score dining deals

Grand Café is a charming French restaurant that’s drawn national acclaim, and weeknights are the perfect time to sample its elegant cuisine. From 7:45 to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, their $50 “Snack Attack” deal will buy a table’s worth of fine fare, like Island Creek oysters, chickpea panisse and porcini royale. Or, head to Ngon Bistro for Vietnamese cuisine—their Wednesday night deal is perfect for a fun weekday date in Minneapolis. Beginning at 5 p.m., $40 will get your table a bottle of wine, two entrees and dessert.

Explore Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

On Thursday evenings from 5 to 9, score free admission to Walker Art Center, one of the nation’s most-visited contemporary art museums and performance spaces. The venue not only houses modern art galleries, but also encompasses education areas, a theater for performing arts, a cinema and more. Before your evening tour of Walker’s galleries, make time to explore the 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden just outside the art center. One of the largest sculpture parks in the country, it’s home to 40 works of art, including the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry

See stars at the University of Minnesota

If you’re a stargazer staying in Minneapolis during the University of Minnesota’s fall and spring semesters, things are looking up for your Friday night. The Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics hosts a free public telescope viewing night every Friday in the observatory while school is in session. Join fellow star seekers at 8 p.m. for a presentation, a chance to look through the historic telescope in the dome, plus access to the roof-deck telescopes when weather permits. Check out the observatory’s public night schedule for details on speakers.