In Minnesota, Hold the Mayo

Activities Within the Clinic

· Take a tour of the clinic buildings. The free guided tours include the elaborate Siebens Building and the glass-fronted Gonda Building. See the reverentially preserved 1920s offices of "Dr. Will" and "Dr. Charlie," the Mayo brothers who, with their physician father, William Worrall Mayo, founded a group practice based on the idea of medicine as a cooperative science with "the clinician, the specialist, and the laboratory workers uniting for the good of the patient." The offices can also be visited on your own.

Tours leave Judd Auditorium in the Mayo Building Monday-Friday at 10 a.m.

· Take a conducted art and architecture tour. The clinic's outstanding art collection features such names as Rodin, Miro, Calder and Warhol. Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra are represented in the international collection of contemporary glass. There are also drawings, prints, photographs and a vast collection of ethnographic art.

The free tours leave Judd Auditorium in the Mayo Building Monday through Friday at 1:30 p.m.

· Visit the carillon. Not many medical facilities employ a carillonneur, but Dean Robinson has been handling the job at Mayo since 1958. The Rochester Carillon, housed in the tower of the Plummer Building, is one of the most complete in North America. Carillon concerts are held Monday evenings at 7 and on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, and are best listened to 500 or more feet downwind from the tower.

To visit the carillon, call 507-284-8294.

· Browse the shops. There are many upscale shops in the subway and the Kahler Grand Hotel lobby. "People shop like crazy when they come here," says Lisa Ihrke, owner of Exquisite Leather and Luggage. "They celebrate when they get good news by treating themselves to expensive presents, and they also console themselves with presents when they get bad news." On my first visit I watched Arab women in abayas buy multithousand-dollar Judith Lieber purses in the Paloma Picasso Shop in the Kahler's lobby. That shop is now gone, but other luxury boutiques have taken its place (see Details).

· Immerse yourself in health education. Pick up a copy of "Gray's Anatomy," available at the subway's newsstand and other unlikely places. Gather a supply of the clinic's handouts on every disease imaginable. Visit the Patient Education Center in the subway and attend classes on such subjects as asthma, back care, weight management, hypertension and other common conditions.

All classes are free. Brochures giving class descriptions and schedules can be found on the racks of publications in all Mayo Clinic buildings.

· Tickle the ivories. If you enjoy playing, sit down at the grand piano in the atrium of the Gonda Building. A cautionary sign tells overly enthusiastic performers not to "accept donations, and limit playing time to approximately 30 minutes."

Nearby Activities

· Browse in Rochester's book and antiques shops. A large Barnes & Noble is housed in an old movie theater with striking original details on the facade and second floor. I always stop in the Extraordinary Bookseller, across the street from the Marriott. See fine 18th-century antiques and flea market delights in nearby shops and malls (see Details).

· Visit the Centerplace Galleria. The Galleria is a small shopping mall with three fine Scandinavian shops: Counterpoint, the Nordic Shop and Collections by the Nordic Shop. If you have a Norwegian friend, you can pick up a card in Counterpoint and many drugstores and gift shops that reads "Gratulerer Med Dagen," or "Greetings of the day."

More Distant Diversions

The clinic is closed tight on weekends, so if you have Monday appointments and you've done the clinic and the shops, here are some suggestions if you get claustrophobic.

· Visit Mayowood and the Plummer House. In the early 20th century, when it was apparently possible to be both an idealist and a millionaire, William Mayo and Henry Plummer, a physician and inventor, built huge homes with extensive gardens. Both are short cab rides from the clinic. Mayowood is a 38-room mansion where three generations of Mayos lived. The Plummer House, with 49 rooms, contains many technological innovations. Tour hours vary seasonally.

For information on the Plummer House ($3): 507-281-6160, http://www.ci.rochester.mn.us/departments/park/facilities/plummerhouse . For Mayowood ($10): 507-282-9447, http://www.olmstedhistory.com/ .

· See a show. Check schedules and exhibits at the Mayo Civic Center, the Rochester Civic Theater, the Rochester Repertory Theater and the new art center.

A listing of events citywide can be found on the calendar of events put out by the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau (see Details). Check it out on the bureau's Web site, ask for it at your hotel or visit the bureau's office on the third floor of the Galleria shopping mall.

· Visit the Mississippi. Rent a car or check on Star Limousine's chauffeured service to nearby river towns. Trips to several Amish communities are popular as well. Star Limo will also drive you to a riverside casino or the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

For information on Star Limo trips, call 866-440-2907.