Fruen Mill

5 photos · 2008–2022

5 photographs tagged Fruen Mill, 2008–2022.

Related: Abandoned Abandoned Mill Grain Elevator Mill Minneapolis Minnesota
Abandoned Fruen Mill grain elevator in Minneapolis shows deteriorated wooden floors and graffitied concrete structures from above.
Fruen Mill sits along Bassett Creek near Van White Memorial Boulevard in Minneapolis, built in the 1870s by William Fruen to grind flour and later feed. The mill operated for roughly a century before closing, and the property has stood vacant for decades since. Fire has since gutted sections of the structure, leaving charred timbers and collapsed decking exposed to the elements. Over the years the abandoned mill has drawn graffiti artists and urban explorers, its concrete surfaces layered with tags and murals. The site remains privately owned and undeveloped, a holdover industrial ruin within the city's Bassett Creek corridor.

Burned Rooftop, Fruen Mill, Minneapolis

Graffitied metal staircase inside the abandoned Fruen Mill grain elevator in Minneapolis.
Fruen Mill sits along Bassett's Creek in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, one of the city's earlier flour-milling operations before larger mills along the Mississippi took over the industry. The building has stood vacant for decades and has become a well-known spot for graffiti writers and urban explorers, its interior stairwells and landings layered with decades of paint.

Graffiti-Covered Stairwell, Fruen Mill, Minneapolis

Colorful graffiti murals cover brick walls inside the abandoned Fruen Mill in Minneapolis.
Inside the long abandoned Fruen Mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Fruen Mill is a historic industrial complex along Bassett Creek in Minneapolis. William H. Fruen established a workshop at the site in 1872, manufacturing screws and waterwheel governors, and began milling grain using water power in 1894. The business grew into a major cereal producer and was among the earliest manufacturers of breakfast cereals in Minneapolis. A fire destroyed the original mill and workshop in 1920, and much of the surviving complex dates from the rebuilding that followed. The mill was eventually sold to ConAgra in 1971 and ceased operations, leaving the complex as one of the remaining landmarks of the industrial history of Bassett Creek. (

Graffiti-Covered Silo Tower Overlooking Downtown Minneapolis, Fruen Mill

Fruen Mill, an abandoned grain processing facility in Minneapolis with deteriorating concrete silos and industrial structures.
Fruen Mill sits along the Bassett Creek corridor near the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, where it once processed grain using water power drawn from the creek. The mill complex grew over decades into a cluster of concrete and steel structures, including a grain elevator tower and attached storage silos typical of early 20th-century milling operations. Milling in this stretch of the city dates back to the 1870s, tied to the industrial development that spread along Bassett Creek west of downtown. The property has stood vacant for years, its structures left to weather while the surrounding area redeveloped around it.

Grain Elevator Tower at Fruen Mill, Minneapolis

Abandoned Fruen Mill grain elevator complex with concrete towers and silos in Minneapolis.
Fruen Mill sits along Bassett Creek near Van White Memorial Boulevard in Minneapolis, on land tied to one of the city's earliest water-powered milling operations, dating back to the 1870s. The concrete grain elevator and adjoining steel-and-brick structures were built to store and process grain for regional distribution, part of the industrial corridor that once lined the creek west of downtown. The mill ceased operations decades ago, and the property has since sat vacant, drawing graffiti artists and urban explorers to its empty floors and silos. Bassett Creek itself was rerouted underground through much of Minneapolis in the 20th century as part of flood-control efforts, leaving this stretch as one of the few visible remnants of the waterway's industrial past.

Fruen Mill Grain Elevator, Minneapolis

Built in Minneapolis

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