More than a decade since it opened, U.S. Bank Stadium is still one of the crown jewels of NFL stadiums. With its distinct profile and raucous crowds, a trip to the Twin Cities to take in a football game is one that you and your family will definitely remember.
The fact that the Minnesota Vikings are pretty good helps, too.
But if you’re coming to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for more than just a football game, you’re going to need to find some other things to fill your time with while you’re in town.
After all, the Vikings game is only a three-hour block of time on a Sunday afternoon (or whatever evening you’re in town for, if you’re here for a primetime game). There are plenty of other things to do in the Twin Cities while you’re waiting for kickoff, and we want to share some of our favorites with you.
Places to stay in Minneapolis
If you’re planning on making a Vikings-centric trip to the Twin Cities into something for the whole family, the Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington is certainly a place that you could set up shop. Honestly, you could do an entire weekend at Great Wolf Lodge without even leaving the building, considering that it has multiple restaurants, numerous kids’ activities, free events for all ages, and. . .oh, yeah. . .a 75,000-square-foot indoor water park that’s open year-round and kept at a balmy 84 degrees for everyone’s enjoyment. With rooms and suites that can accommodate eight or nine people, just about any size family can crash at Great Wolf Lodge for a weekend.
If it’s just you and your significant other, check out Hotel Ivy, which is situated in the historic Ivy Tower on South 11th Street. With a full-service spa that you can spend quality time at together and three different restaurants, it’s a place where a couple can take some time away from everyday life and relax. It’s also pet-friendly if you simply can’t leave your furry friends at home, and it even has an outdoor area called Thor Lounge. It’s practically begging Vikings fans to come visit, isn’t it?
Of course, maybe hotels aren’t your scene at all. Maybe you just want a place where you can hang out for a few days, come and go as you please, and not have to worry about parking or dealing with. . .well, anything. There’s always the option to hit up Airbnb, find yourself a place as close to (or as far away from) the heart of the Twin Cities as you’d like, and plan your activities accordingly. Obviously, it’s best to book these things as far out as you’re able for maximum flexibility, but it works for last-minute trips as well.
Things to do in Minneapolis
Sure, I could recommend the Mall of America, but everybody recommends the Mall of America, and you were probably going to go there anyway. Let’s go in a couple of different directions, shall we?
I’m going to give you a different shopping center for an entirely different reason: Eden Prairie Center. Why? Have you heard of and/or seen the movie Mallrats? Well, Eden Prairie Center is the mall from that movie. Sure, it looks a little different now, both inside and out, and you’re probably not going to run into Jay or Silent Bob (or Ben Affleck, for that matter), but if you’re a fan, you can at least say that you’ve been there. There are plenty of shopping and dining options to be had, as well, though I understand that the Fashionable Male location has been closed for some time.
If you’re looking for something to do with your little ones, we recommend the Minnesota Children’s Museum. With three floors of exhibits and activities, you can find things to do for children of just about any age. There are all sorts of different interactive exhibits and things to do to get your kids active and spark their imaginations. A couple of things to be advised of: The museum recommends bringing an extra pair of shoes and a change of clothes for your kids, as some of the exhibits do involve water, and if you buy your tickets in advance, it’s cheaper than buying them at the door.
If you’re in a couple or a part of a group and you want to take a look at Minneapolis from a different perspective, you can take a trolley tour of the city. These tours run year-round, and there are several different themes to choose from, including a regular sightseeing tour, a candlelight ghost tour, and a true crime tour that runs on the weekends. If you go in December, there’s even a holiday light ride that comes in “naughty” and “nice” versions. The “naughty” version is for people 21 and over only because, you guessed it, there’s alcohol involved. Book in advance to make sure you have a seat, and if you’re prone to motion sickness, you should probably avoid this one.
Best places to eat in Minneapolis
Sometimes, you just want a good steak. If that’s what you’re looking for, point yourself in the direction of Manny’s Steakhouse. Manny’s has sort of become the unofficial steakhouse of the Vikings because. . .well, whenever free agency comes around and the team is courting a big-name player, that’s always where dinner seems to be. With its outstanding service, top-notch entrees, massive side dishes, and incredible atmosphere, Manny’s is at the top of the list of Twin Cities restaurants for a reason. Of course, it comes with a premium price tag, but if you’re willing to go all out, a trip to Manny’s will not leave you disappointed.
If you want a family meal out that doesn’t involve a play area and pizza that tastes like someone slapped tomato sauce on top of some cardboard, check out the Market at Malcolm Yards. It’s hard enough to get everyone to agree on what they want, and the Market has nine different options for everyone to choose from under one roof. You’ll find your regular food court-style fare like burgers, chicken tenders, and pizza, and even less traditional fare like dumplings, empanadas, and sushi. It’s hard to believe that anyone would be unsatisfied after a trip here for lunch.
“But what about a date night option?” you might ask. Well, since we already gave you a place that you could go for a really expensive date if you wanted to go that route, let’s go the opposite direction. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater in Uptown Minneapolis. Yes, a bowling alley. Well, it’s more than a bowling alley. It’s got a theater that features acts such as improv comedy and local musical talent, and a menu that features traditional bar fare like burgers and tacos, and they even serve breakfast food until 3 PM. If you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater is your destination.
U.S. Bank Stadium parking, rideshare, and transit options
While U.S. Bank Stadium does not directly operate its own public parking, there are numerous lots available near the stadium that fans are able to make use of on game days. The Vikings have partnered with ParkWhiz to give fans the opportunity to reserve parking at the lot of their choice prior to an event, complete with pricing options so they can find anything they’re comfortable with, budget-wise.
Fans also have the option to use rideshares such as Lyft and Uber to make their way to the stadium. There are two specific locations that the Vikings have set aside as drop-off points for rideshare patrons. One is on 9th Avenue South between 6th Street South and 7th Street South, and the other is on 3rd Street between Park Avenue and Portland Avenue. Be advised that, as you can imagine, traffic is going to get a little congested the closer you get to game time, so time your ride accordingly.
You can also make use of the Minneapolis light rail system to get to and from U.S. Bank Stadium on game day, allowing you to park at venues as far away as Fort Snelling or the Mall of America and head to the stadium. Both the Blue and Green Lines make stops at U.S. Bank Stadium, so you can plan your trip accordingly. You can see maps of the routes here. Again, when it comes time to leave the stadium and get back on the light rail, it’s going to get a bit crowded, so travel safely.
Tailgating at U.S. Bank Stadium
Your tailgating options will have a lot to do with how early you want to start partying and what, exactly, you want your experience to entail. You will have several different options to choose from, depending on how you want to go about it.
The official tailgate parking lots are near U.S. Bank Stadium and require season permits. These are, generally, for well-established folks who have been doing this sort of thing for quite a while and have reputations in the fan community or larger fan-based groups. The official lots open up six hours before game time and will stay open for approximately three hours after the game finishes or until midnight (in the case of prime time games).
There are also some on-site zones closer to the stadium, such as the Spam Tailgate at the Commons and Medtronic Plaza. The Spam Tailgate features local food trucks, photo ops, entertainment, and performances from the Vikings Skol Line and the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, while Medtronic Plaza has the Vikings Table food truck, the Vikings Locker Room merchandise trailer, and the Pendleton Whiskey Longhouse. Both of these venues open approximately three hours before kickoff.
If you’d like something a little bit smaller, there are several local restaurants that open their doors prior to kickoff so you can sit down and enjoy some food before making your way to the game. One specific place you can check out is the Day Block Brewing Company. On game days, they open the doors at 8:00 AM with a breakfast buffet featuring Bloody Marys, “purple shots,” and the full gamut of breakfast fare. Be advised that they take reservations between 8:00 and 8:30, but it’s all walk-ins after that if you don’t want to get there quite that early.
The Vikings game-day experience
The gates to the stadium open up around two hours before game time, so if you want an opportunity to fully take in the awesomeness that is U.S. Bank Stadium, you can get there early and have plenty of time to do so. Be advised that everything inside the stadium is completely cashless, so only cards and contactless forms of payment are accepted for any purchases. U.S. Bank Stadium also offers free Wi-Fi for anyone in attendance under the network name #USBANKSTADIUM. Please make sure you take the necessary precautions before transmitting any sensitive data on the public network.
Once you’ve gotten into the stadium and had ample opportunity to look around, get your food and beverage of choice, and find your way to your seat, you can get settled in and prepare for the real show to start. About twenty minutes before the game starts, the award-winning “Showtime Sequence” gets underway. The Showtime Sequence is a video and light show featuring the story of Odin and Norse mythology, a high-energy musical piece called Symphony of the North, and concluding with the introduction of the players running out from the stadium’s dragon ship (which no longer breathes fire because the Tennessee Titans set part of their field on fire a few years ago and ruined it for the rest of us).
After the singing of the National Anthem and the coin toss, we get the iconic Skol Chant and the sounding of the Gjallarhorn leading up to the game’s opening kickoff, after which everyone buckles up for three hours of Minnesota Vikings football. . .and because the Vikings are, seemingly, incapable of playing a normal football game, those three hours are filled with highs and lows all the way from start to finish for an experience that you’ll remember for a long time to come.
Those are some of our recommendations for some of the best things to do in and around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area if you’re making the trip to the Great White North to see our Minnesota Vikings, folks. If you have anything you’d like to suggest or any hidden gems that you think deserve to be highlighted, feel free to share them with everyone else!
