Murray's

Much has been written about the food at Murray's, but little of it has focused on the exterior of the building that houses the iconic restaurant. Behind the aquamarine front at 26 South 6th Street South stands one of the oldest buildings in Downtown Minneapolis. This narrow (44 foot wide), three-story building was built in the 1880s, the same decade as the Lumber Exchange Building at 5th and Hennepin (1886) and the Masonic Temple at 6th and Hennepin (1888).

The Murray's building originally had a rugged masonry appearance. But in the 1950's, tastes had changed to a preference for flashy, sleek, and smooth surfaces. During this time period, Murray's added stone and metal square panels to the first floor, a round-edged serpentine canopy, the neon sign that sits on top and the "Murray's Restaurant Cocktail Lounge" sign. In addition, the Streamline Moderne horizontal lines underneath the sign and the vertical elements on the eastern portion of the building were installed to help give the building a feeling that airstreams could move smoothly over them.

This was my father's favorite place to dine when he visited Minneapolis. The food inside is still wonderful (or maybe even better). But my favorite part of this historic establishment is its moderne style.