Where's the cherry? Sculpture Garden's 'Spoonbridge' gets a touch-up

The spoon is missing the cherry.
Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The cherry was removed for repair on Tuesday.
Ava Ewald | MPR News

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Minneapolis is losing its cherry on top.

Workers on Tuesday are removing the cherry from the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

The bright red fruit — which in reality is a 1,200-pound aluminum ball — will be unbolted and removed for its once-a-decade maintenance and repainting. The restoration work is necessitated by harsh Minnesota winters.

The cherry will travel to New York for the touch-up and is expected back in mid-January.

In the meantime, here's a bit of trivia to wow your friends: The diameter of the cherry is 8 feet, 10 inches. There’s also a not-so-secret door that’s used to send someone inside to unbolt the cherry from the spoon.

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