The Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Minneapolis on Friday, April 19, 2019. The Doors Open Minneapolis event is back after a two-year hiatus, and the Masonic Center is one of the venues open to the public on May 13 and 14. (Leila Navidi, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Doors Open Minneapolis is back for the first time since 2019, offering a behind-the-scenes tour of more than 100 locations in the city, many of which are closed to the public.

Highlights include the Star Tribune printing plant (no, we're not biased. It is really cool), the Federal Reserve Bank, the Minneapolis Rowing Club, the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, and Kramarczuk's Sausage Co.

Most of the sites on the tour offer self-guided tours, but some events require pre-registration. And while it's fine to pop in, it's wise to plan ahead just because of the sheer breadth of venues and the popularity of the event.

"Doors Open Minneapolis attracted more than 17,000 visitors to more than 100 venues all across the city," Kelly Fischer in a statement. "This year we expect to be even bigger!" Fischer is heritage tourism manager for Rethos, the nonprofit that sponsors the event.

The free event runs Saturday and Sunday, but not all venues are open both days.

Here are three ways to navigate:

Mechanics + STEM lovers

Try going to the Minneapolis Eastside Maintenance Facility (open on Saturday) to check out the city's newest public works building, then head over to George Isaacs Carbarn, part of the Minnesota Streetcar Museum to learn about the storied history of public transit in Minneapolis. Round out your weekend by taking a deep dive into the underground workings of the Pillsbury A-Mill.

History geeks

The downtown Post Office will offer rare mail-processing tours along with a look inside the 1930s Art Deco building. Theodore Wirth's home in Lyndale Farmstead Park will be open for those who are wondering "Who was that guy, anyway?" At the Federal Reserve Bank you can learn about security features in money and take a selfie with $4.6 million.

Art freaks

Take a stroll down Milwaukee Avenue to check out the historic homes built for workers in the 1880s, peek inside Orchestra Hall (Saturday), or check out various art studios, including the Plymouth Avenue Art Studio and Homewood Studios. The Minneapolis Institute of Art will also give tours of the Purcell-Cutts House, an architectural landmark owned by the Institute.

More information: doorsopenminneapolis.org/venues-2023