Tour US Bank Stadium – Home of the Minnesota Vikings

One of my sons is a Vikings fan. Despite their not-so-stellar record, he filled his 2021-2022 Fantasy Football team roster with multiple Vikings players. Sadly, he ended up getting 8th (and last) place in our Family Fantasy Football competition. But that didn’t stop us from touring their home field – US Bank Stadium – during our weekend trip to Minneapolis.

The Vikings stadium tour was actually one of the first things we did after arriving. Our tour guide was fantastic. He pointed out little things and shared some fun facts about the stadium itself. He even pointed out the sewer lines and the beer lines running across the ceilings overhead. Don’t get those lines mixed up!

Even if you’re a Green Bay Packers fan, I recommend touring US Bank Stadium while in Minneapolis. It’s always fun to learn about the football teams and see where they call home.

Directions and Tickets for Guided Tours of US Bank Stadium

Purchase tickets for the tour online in advance of your visit. They are $29 each, for adults and children. You can easily select the date and time for the tour that works for you. Tours are normally offered Thursday through Sunday, pending blackout dates because of other events. Check the tour schedule to ensure your intended dates aren’t blackout dates. Guided tours begin at 10 am and run the top of every hour until 4 p.m.

The US Bank Stadium is located in downtown Minneapolis. We stayed at the Courtyard Minneapolis Downtown and the stadium was a short walk from the hotel. It was a great location. If you’re not within walking distance of the stadium, here’s information on parking or public transit.

There are parking areas and garages near the stadium. Each parking spot has a slightly different rate, but plan on anywhere from $5 to $20 for the time you’re parked there for your tour.

If you take public transit, the light rail system is a great option. The Blue and Green line pass right in front of the stadium along the north side. There are several buses as well, which pass by the stadium.

When you arrive at the stadium, the entrance for the tour is on the north side. It’s the Polaris Entrance, and we had no trouble finding it. I recommend arriving about 10-15 minutes before the start of your tour time so you can get through security. Your tour guide will meet you there and take things from there.

Suites, Clubs and Seats Offer Great Views of the Field

The tour of the stadium makes me totally want to get tickets to see the Vikings play in person. But my level of tickets would be in the nosebleed section. So while the clubs and suites look amazing, they remain above my price range.

During the tour, you’ll get to enter the suite where the visiting team’s owners watch the game. The views are great from those suites. But the tour also took us to a few of the Club Level areas of the stadium. They offer food, beverage, couches, seats, tables and more. A great setting to enjoy a football game with friends.

But again, my seats would be in the seats on the top rows of the stadium. That said, even the view of the field looks pretty good from up there. And while the level of food would vary from the suites and clubs, I’m sure the food stands offer tasty foods for fans.

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I don’t think it matters where you end up sitting in the stadium. Every location we visited had a great view. It’s a well-designed stadium.

NOTE: During the tour, we didn’t get to see the iconic football field with the yard lines and Viking logo. It was covered for an event the previous night – the NFL Draft Party. So keep in mind that depending on what other events are happening in the stadium, the field may look different.

Gjallarhorn and Art in the Stadium

Right from the start, the tour guide pointed out the art on display throughout the US Bank Stadium. There were some pretty amazing and unique pieces. One of my favorites is pictured above. The unique aspect about it… the artist painted it using footballs (not paint brushes). The football is an unique tool, but he apparently knew how to use it. That’s one of the advantages of a guided tour – they know all the fun and unique aspects.

One iconic piece of art also has a functional purpose: the Gjallarhorn (pronounced yahl-lahr-hawrn). It’s an actual Viking horn that’s only sounded at the start of home football games. The call of the horn signals the arrival of the Vikings. This NFL team tradition dates back to 2007. An Honorary Viking is chosen to sound the horn for each game, and a record has been kept of those who’s honor it is to sound the horn.

Be sure and snap a selfie in front of the Gjallarhorn during your tour.

Tour the Home of the Minnesota Vikings

Part of the tour takes you down to the field. There’s a Club there, and you could stand at eye level to the players to enjoy the game. It was fun to see that as part of the tour. But during a game, I would prefer to be a little higher up so I can see more than the back of the heads of those on the sidelines.

After learning more about the turf on the field from our tour guide, we snapped a few photos and selfies before heading to the next stop on the tour… the locker room.

When the Vikings head from the field to the locker rooms, they walk/run right through the Club we were standing in. So naturally, the tour continues along this route to the locker room. I expected there to be names above the lockers so we knew who used each one. But they weren’t listed. My son probably would’ve known the names more than I would’ve. The guide gave us a rundown on the locker rooms and some of the cool features of it – like the Vikings symbol on the ceiling.

We made our way to a few other stops in the stadium to look at the big TV screens at each end of the field. There’s also a wall dedicated to high school football teams in Minnesota. So there are so many things to see in the stadium, and it definitely makes you want to return for a game.

Don’t Skip the Team Store – The Locker Room

As the tour concluded, a few of us exited the US Bank Stadium through The Locker Room. That’s the name of the team store inside the stadium. We looked around for souvenirs or team swag we could bring back home with us. My son already had Vikings socks, but we did grab a pin along with a toy for our new puppy, Molly. Yep, they have a small section for toys and clothes for dogs.

I wish we would’ve visited the store before the tour. My son and I were about the only people on the tour who weren’t wearing Vikings or NFL team attire. Despite the major rivalry between the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, a small group wore the competitions branded clothing. And, near the end of the tour, one of them asked where the Vikings keep their Super Bowl trophies. Ouch!

The Details

Address: 401 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415 (Enter through the Polaris doors – North side)

How long to spend: Tours last roughly 1.5 to two hours.

Cost: $29 for adults; $19 for children/youth (ages 5-12), senior citizens (ages 55+), active military (with ID) and students (with ID).

Hours: Tours are normally offered Thursday through Sunday, pending blackout dates because of other events. Check the tour schedule to ensure your intended dates aren’t blackout dates. Tours begin at 10 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, and 3 pm.

Website: https://www.usbankstadium.com/tours

Phone: (612) 777-8700

DISCLOSURE: I received two complimentary tickets for the guided tour of the US Bank Stadium for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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