Official Seal of the City of Minneapolis

Learn about the design of the seal and notable versions of it.

Design of the seal

City Council adopted the official seal on June 5, 1878.

It depicts a view of St. Anthony Falls, the old suspension bridge across the the Mississippi River, mill buildings, and the skyline of 1878 Minneapolis.

In the foreground, there are symbols of the city’s early fortune: a plow, a shock of grain and a barrel of flour, a gear wheel, a large circular saw blade, and a stack of lumber.

At the top in rays of light is the City’s motto "En Avant," which in French means "forward."

Seal of the City of Minneapolis, MN, Approved June 5th 1878, En Avant

Great Seal of City of Minneapolis

The lobby of the new Public Service Center features a massive, 26-foot wide seal. The seal was carved out of limestone in 1967. It is made of 96 blocks and weighs approximately 33,000 pounds.

It originally hung five stories above the ground on the old Minneapolis Auditorium. The auditorium was demolished in 1988 to make way for the Minneapolis Convention Center.  The seal was kept in storage for over 30 years, until it was restored and reinstalling in the new building.