The combination of a flourishing economy and its European heritage, as well as a location on a river, which constantly brings in newcomers with new and exciting influences, probably accounts for much of the Twin Cities' cultural wealth. Toward the end of the 19th century, many Scandinavian and German immigrants arrived in the area and traces of that north European heritage remain today, in the people's surnames, the lilting Minnesota accent and small cultural festivals and institutions, such as the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.

From world-famous theatre and orchestra performances to intimate poetry readings, the Twin Cities have a plethora of arts and cultural entertainment. There are more than 30 theatres and nearly 100 theatre companies in the metropolitan area, presenting a range of cultural entertainment from serious dramas and Broadway productions to cabarets, farcical ballets, avant-garde performances and children's theatre. Nationally, the area is second only to New York City in the number of theatre seats per capita and the amount spent on tickets for these. There are also 20 classical music groups and 10 dance groups based here.

Arts and entertainment listings appear in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St Paul Pioneer Press and the weekly free tabloid, City Pages. Ticket agencies include TicketMaster (tel: (612) 371 2000; website: www.ticketmaster.com) and Open Seats (tel: 1 866 789 1884; website: www.openseats.com).

Music: The Twin Cities boast two world-class orchestras. The Minnesota Orchestra (website: www.minnesotaorchestra.org) performs at Orchestra Hall, 111 Nicollet Mall (tel: (612) 371 5656 or 1 800 292 4141), while the St Paul Chamber Orchestra (tel: (651) 292 3248 for information or 291 1144 for tickets; website: www.thespco.org) performs at Ordway, 345 Washington Street, Downtown St Paul (tel: (651) 224 4222). Northrup Auditorium, 84 Church Street South East (tel: (612) 624 2345; website: www.umn.edu/umato), located on the University of Minnesota's East Bank Campus, attracts regular performances by leading jazz artists. The Minnesota Opera (website: www.mnopera.org) performs classics with a contemporary twist at the Ordway Theatre. During the summer, live classical music is performed under the stars at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, south Minneapolis.

Theatre: The Tony award-winning Guthrie Theatre, 818 South Second Street, Minneapolis (tel: (612) 377 2224; website: www.guthrietheater.org), is the jewel of the Twin Cities, presenting critically acclaimed contemporary productions that draw a national audience. Its new building opened in June 2006 and cost US$125m. The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington Street, Downtown St Paul (tel: (651) 282 3000 for information or 224 4222 for tickets; website: www.ordway.org), presents top Broadway hits and innovative multicultural performances. Two restored classic theatres, the Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin (tel: (612) 339 7007; website: www.hennepintheatredistrict.org) and the Historic State Theatre, 805 Hennepin (tel: (612) 339 7007; website: www.hennepintheatredistrict.org), in Downtown Minneapolis' Hennepin Avenue Theatre District, often serve as the debut venues for large Broadway productions. A favourite for top comedies and dramas is the Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Avenue (tel: (612) 333 3010). The Old Log Theater, 5158 Meadville Street (tel: (952) 474 5951; website: www.oldlog.com), set in a rustic stable in Excelsior, opened in 1940 and is the oldest running theatre in the country. With three auditoriums, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, 501 West 78th Street (tel: (952) 934 1525 or 1 800 362 3515; website: www.chanhassentheatres.com), is the nation's largest professional dinner theatre. The Children's Theatre Company, 2400 Third Avenue South (tel: (612) 874 0500; website: www.childrenstheatre.org), is also a leading theatre group and the largest children's theatre in North America. Penumbra Theatre, 270 North Kent Street, St Paul (tel: (651) 224 3180; website: www.penumbratheatre.org), is one of only three professional African-American theatres in the country.

Dance: The Ballet Arts Minnesota (website: www.balletartsminnesota.org) presents traditional and contemporary works at Northrup Auditorium, 84 Church Street South East (tel: (612) 624 2345), and O'Shaughnessy Auditorium, College of St Catherine, University of St Thomas (tel: (651) 690 6700; website: http://oshaughnessy.stkate.edu). During the holiday season, the Minnesota Dance Theatre (tel: (612) 338 0627; website: www.mndance.org) presents the Nutcracker Fantasy at the Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin (tel: (612) 339 7007; website: www.hennepintheatredistrict.org). Other top dance groups include Minnesota Dance Alliance (tel: (612) 340 1900) and Ethnic Dance Theatre (tel: (763) 545 1333; website: www.ethnicdancetheatre.com).

Film: Minneapolis' Uptown Theater, 2906 Hennepin Avenue (tel: (612) 825 6006), shows artistic and alternative films, rolling out the red carpet for film premieres. The Minnesota Film Arts (tel: (612) 331 3134; website: www.mnfilmarts.org) screens international cinema and independent films in the Bell Auditorium, 17th Avenue and University Avenue Southeast, on the University of Minnesota campus and the Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street South East, near the intersection of Oak Street and Washington Avenue South East in the Stadium Village area of the East Bank. State-of-the-art mainstream cinemas are located in the Mall of America.

Feature films shot in the Twin Cities include the Coen brothers' Fargo (1996); Purple Rain (1984), starring Prince; Grumpy Old Men (1993), starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon; and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) with Kirstie Alley.

Literary Notes: The Falls of Minnehaha feature in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, 'The Song of Hiawatha' (1855), while Minneapolis and St Paul are described by Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi (1883). The author F Scott Fitzgerald was born in St Paul and penned his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920), here. The Beautiful and the Damned (1922) and the story Winter Dreams (1926) followed. Playwright August Wilson, whose works include Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984), also once lived in St Paul. Another famous Minnesota writer was Sinclair Lewis, who used his home state as a setting for his novels Main Street (1920) and Babbitt (1922). The Twin Cities' most famous contemporary writer is arguably St Paul resident Garrison Keillor, creator of the long-running popular public radio programme A Prairie Home Companion and author of Lake Wobegon Days (1985) and Leaving Home (1988).