U.S. Bank Stadium

About U.S. Bank Stadium

U.S. Bank Stadium rises in the heart of downtown Minneapolis — a 66,655-seat architectural statement that replaced the Metrodome in 2016 and immediately became one of the most striking venues in professional sports. Its angular ETFE roof, the largest transparent fixed roof in North America, floods the field with natural light while keeping Minnesota’s brutal winters firmly outside.

The stadium is home to the Minnesota Vikings, who played their final Metrodome season in 2013 before spending two years at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium during construction. On fall Sundays, the building fills with purple and gold while the Skol Chant — borrowed from Icelandic soccer fans — thunders off the glass walls. The stadium also hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers for select games, international soccer, and major concerts.

Designed by HKS Architects of Dallas, U.S. Bank Stadium cost $1.061 billion — funded by a combination of state, city, and private money — and opened on July 22, 2016. The design draws from Nordic vernacular architecture: the slanted roof evokes a longship prow, while the Legacy Gate’s five pivoting glass doors (75 to 95 feet tall) create the largest operable glass wall in the western hemisphere. The playing surface is UBU Speed Series S5-M synthetic turf.

In fewer than a decade, the stadium has already hosted Super Bowl LII, the 2019 NCAA Final Four (a record 72,711 fans), the 2017 ESPN X Games, and concerts from Metallica to Beyoncé. The Minneapolis Miracle — Stefon Diggs’ 61-yard walk-off touchdown against the Saints in January 2018 — may be the single most iconic moment to occur inside any NFL stadium built this century.

Getting to U.S. Bank Stadium

Public Transit

U.S. Bank Stadium is one of the best transit-connected NFL venues in the country, with a light rail station directly outside the gates.

Metro Transit adds extra service before and after Vikings games. Trains run frequently and are by far the easiest way to reach the stadium — no parking hassle, no downtown traffic.

Driving + Parking

The stadium address is 401 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415. I-94 and I-35W are the primary approaches.

The stadium does not manage its own parking. The Stadium Parking Ramp (connected via skyway) costs $20–$40 on game days. Additional downtown ramps are available at market rates. Pre-purchase through ParkWhiz or SpotHero for best prices. Tailgating is limited — this is a downtown stadium without large surface lots.

Rideshare

Uber and Lyft operate designated zones around the stadium on game days. Drop-off is along Park Avenue and Chicago Avenue. Post-game pickup zones shift to reduce congestion — check the Vikings app for real-time locations. A ride from downtown hotels runs $8–$15; from MSP Airport about $20–$30. Surge pricing spikes immediately after games — walk a few blocks toward the Mill District and wait 15–20 minutes for rates to settle.

From the Airport

History of U.S. Bank Stadium

U.S. Bank Stadium was built on the same downtown Minneapolis site as the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which served as the Vikings’ home from 1982 until 2013. The Metrodome’s inflatable Teflon roof famously collapsed under 17 inches of snow on December 12, 2010, forcing the Vikings to play at TCF Bank Stadium and even in Detroit. That collapse accelerated the push for a modern, fixed-roof replacement.

Groundbreaking (December 3, 2013): Construction began immediately after the Metrodome’s demolition, with Mortenson Construction leading the $1.061 billion project.

Grand Opening (July 22, 2016): The stadium opened with a ribbon-cutting and public open house. The first concerts — Luke Bryan on August 19 and Metallica on August 20 — were both sellouts.

ESPN X Games (July 2017): U.S. Bank Stadium became the first NFL venue to host ESPN’s Summer X Games, with skateboarding, BMX, and Moto X competitions inside the bowl.

Minneapolis Miracle (January 14, 2018): Stefon Diggs’ 61-yard walk-off touchdown as time expired gave the Vikings a 29–24 NFC Divisional Playoff win over the Saints — one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

Super Bowl LII (February 4, 2018): The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41–33 before 67,612 fans. Nick Foles’ “Philly Special” trick play defined the game. Justin Timberlake headlined the halftime show.

NCAA Final Four (April 2019): Virginia defeated Texas Tech 85–77 in overtime before a record crowd of 72,711 — the largest attendance for a sporting event in stadium history.

Designed to last at least 30 years and anchored by the Vikings’ long-term lease, U.S. Bank Stadium has already cemented itself as one of the premier event venues in the United States — a building where the roof lets the light in but keeps the cold out, and where the Skol Chant echoes louder than any Viking horn.