The Storied History of Nye’s Polonaise Room

Nye’s Polonaise Room stood unmarked by time as Minneapolis ebbed and flowed around it. The glittering booths, the world’s most dangerous polka band, the piano bar that would invite anyone interested to sing a song and the many levels of Mid Century Modern drinking all weathered over six decades of changing tastes. That is, until last year, after a long goodbye, the restaurant closed, most of the fixtures were auctioned off and the block was demolished for redevelopment.

Now that the owners of the name and the new building are attempting to revive the dream, look back at the timeline of how one of Minneapolis’ oldest restaurants passed into legend.