Minneapolis at a Glance

Minneapolis: A History of Curling

With a population of over 400,000 people, Minneapolis sits on both sides of the mighty Mississippi River, with the famed Saint Anthony Falls at its center. Located at the traditional, ancestral, and present-day land of the Dakota people, Minneapolis has long had a close relationship with water and ice. The Falls provided the power needed to operate industrial flour mills, powering the city’s growth throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Cold and harsh winters also powered the growth of curling as a winter pastime in the late 19th century, and important source of recreation for laborers working in local mills, lumberyards, and ice companies. This legacy makes Minneapolis a historic location the 2025 World Deaf Curling Championships.