First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis is one of many stops that come alive through "Purple Places," a Prince-themed GPS-guided audio tour from SoundAround tours.

Co-founder Kristen Zschomler stands outside the doors where "Purple Rain" was first performed live.

"I was doing a lot of in-person tours. I had done a bunch of research after Prince passed away on places where he lived or recorded, in part to get historic recognition for them," Zschomler said. "I had all this data and people really wanted to learn more about Prince and his connection to Minneapolis."

Through the SoundAround app, visitors can do just that. Fans can explore at their own pace, from the "Purple Rain" house to murals dedicated to Prince's memory — or the spot where the "That ain't Lake Minnetonka" scene was filmed.

As the new "Purple Rain" musical plays blocks away, Zschomler says the tour offers something beyond the stage.

"We really wanted people to get a chance to step out of the theater and go around and be able to see, you know, that movie was so inspired by Minneapolis, but people would want to get out and see more of the city," she said.

Creating "Purple Places" was deeply personal for Zschomler.

"It was actually my way of sort of processing my sorrow over his tragic death," she said. "As a historian and a preservationist, I thought this could be something that I could contribute to his legacy and to help sustain that connection he has to Minneapolis."

A short drive later, we pull up to a modest yellow house in north Minneapolis.

"This is where he lived between age 6 and 12," she said.

It's where he mastered piano and learned to make his voice heard. He was also living there at the time of what's believed to be his first-ever interview, speaking to WCCO at age 11 about the Minneapolis teacher's strike in April 1970.

"I think [teachers] should get some more money because they are working extra hours for us," said the young Prince Rogers Nelson in the interview.

The tours are not about the places Prince made, but the places that made Prince.

"We talk a lot about Prince and his relationship to schools and desegregation efforts, and we're trying to, you know, show him in that broader pattern," Zschomler said.

The SoundAround Tours app is free. There are three Prince tours featuring different locations starting at $9.99.