A new main entrance and lobby. An outdoor plaza. Tweaked hours. The Walker Art Center announced Tuesday the unveiling of the first phase of its campus renovation. Designed by HGA architects John Cook and Joan Soranno, the new entrance on Vineland Place will face the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Here are the key dates:

Nov. 11: The new outdoor plaza, main entrance and lobby will be open to the public.

Dec. 1 to Dec. 4: The Walker is hosting an open house. It's free to get in, and there are special events.

Early December: The center's new restaurant, Esker Grove, will open.

Also, starting Nov. 11, the Walker will tweak its gallery hours. Target Free Thursday Night will begin and end an hour earlier -- running from 4 to 8 p.m. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the galleries will be open until 6 p.m., rather than 5 p.m.

Picasa, Star Tribune

Meanwhile, the sculpture garden's expansion is ongoing and set to be completed in June 2017. That renovation includes the addition of 16 new artworks.

The letters spelling "Walker" went up last week. Photo by Christy DeSmith.

Rendering by HGA architects, courtesy of the Walker Art Center.