Things to Do in Inver Grove Heights
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
Divers as young as 12 years can learn to operate temporary gills in a Discover Scuba class at Scuba Center. Before you take your first dip, a PADI-certified instructor will give you a brief poolside orientation to ensure you are prepared for everything that blows bubbles ahead. Then from the heated comfort of Scuba Center's indoor pool, your instructor will teach you the tricks of the underwater breathing trade. All required scuba gadgetry is included with this Groupon; you just need to bring a swimsuit and towel.
When the Minneapolis Institute of Arts first opened its doors in 1915, it was the product of several decades of arts advocacy. A group of 25 citizens formed the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts in 1883 with the goal of giving their community access to creative arts. More than a century later, this commitment to the community has taken the permanent collections from 800 works to close to 80,000 objects and has made the institute Minnesota's largest art educator.
The collections, divided into seven curatorial areas, encompass a period of 5,000 years and hail from every corner of the world. The Asian Art collection represents 17 different Asian cultures, and Arts of Africa and the Americas holds more than 3,000 pieces of sculpture, basketry, painting, and beadwork. Temporary exhibitions bring collections of artwork from other institutions and tattoos from vending machines. The institute's interactive learning stations supplement understanding of topics such as modernism or 17th-century European painting with animation, video, and audio recordings.
Housed inside a Spanish Colonial–style former church, The Museum of Russian Art exudes an aura of hushed reverence—sunlight streams through Romanesque windows, and arches frame the museum’s collection of paintings and sculptures. The lofty setting is ideal for an art collection that spans eons, from unearthed Byzantine-era golden urns to paintings depicting a turbulent post-Stalin Soviet Union.
The Museum of Russian Art bills itself as the only museum on the continent dedicated to preserving Russian art. It continues to do so by collaborating with museums in Russia and the United States, recruiting artifacts, accumulating artwork, and reassembling hopelessly jumbled Matryoshka dolls for its ever-rotating collection. In tandem with the museum’s collection, curators strive to illuminate Russian culture by hosting lectures from scholars of Russian culture and leading free one-hour tours each weekend.
The instructors at Bodyblast Studio wrap fitness, personal growth, and entertainment into tidy one-hour classes centered on pole fitness, Latin-inspired dance moves, or competitive martial arts. Ladies-only pole-fitness classes utilize poles for leverage and stability as bodies swing and slide their way to a healthy sweat in routines designed to strengthen the core and upper body. Exercisers teach imaginary rivals a lesson they won’t soon forget as they pummel the air with swift kicks and punches in tae kwon do classes, and hearts race through the hip-churning steps of Latin-inspired Zumba dance classes. For a more calming exercise, balance a lopsided aura with a Vinyasa flow yoga class that links mind and body with conscious breathing.
A spring-loaded hardwood aerobic floor keeps steps peppy and reduces strain on joints during all-out workouts or dance sessions. Brass poles and glossy kettlebells reflect the colorful lights flashing overhead as hit dance tunes blast through the speakers of a full sound system.
US Air Force and Army veteran SGT Tim Peterson designs military-inspired workouts with a team of instructors trained under a meticulous 12-month curriculum. He leads one-hour boot-camp workouts, motivating 5–20 participants to race through a series of full-body exercises that boost heart rates and draw sweat to the surface by promising it a warm sweatshirt to sink into. Sergeant. Peterson mixes up each session, coupling military-style calisthenics with yoga, or speed training with kickboxing. In addition to the group sessions, he also works one-on-one with guests during personal-training sessions, honing in on muscle groups to work out and shouting at specific joints that underperform.
