Minnesota Vikings tailgating and U.S. Bank Stadium access
By Adam Carlson
With U.S. Bank Stadium’s enormous size, parking and tailgating issues are being addressed by the Minnesota Vikings and surrounding Minneapolis businesses.
Minnesota Vikings fans are some of the most passionate individuals in the world. Their love for the team is electric on game day, when they look to parking lots for socializing and even having some great food and drinks.
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However, tailgating and parking will look a bit different with U.S. Bank Stadium. The massive building has eaten up much of the surrounding area where the Metrodome used to stand, taking up some of the parking and tailgating areas. Despite that, the team still has a plan of attack for days when the Minnesota Vikings are playing at home.
Don’t worry though, because there will still be opportunities to meet up with your friends and enjoy everything tailgating has to offer. With reasonably close parking to the stadium, SMG General Manager Patrick Talty assures fans that there will be multiple ways to get to the stadium, including the light rail, bicycles, cabs, Uber, busses and more. But for those hoping to park near the stadium, there will also be options according to Vikings.com:
"“Within a 20-minute walk zone of the area, there are 32,000 spaces available for parking,” Talty said. “In each of those zones, looking at the percentage breakdown of how people approach the stadium, the highways, and how they’ll approach the downtown, we have excess parking in all those zones.”"
With the extra distance for those travelling by foot, their walk could be extended even further for having to travel to designated tailgating areas around the stadium. But at least the tailgating will still be available to fans, as Vikings Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development Lester Bagley has made this a priority for game day.
"“Tailgating is an important tradition that the Vikings have honored since 1961,” Bagley said. “It started at the old Metropolitan Stadium where our fans were in the parking lot before the games. They came early, they stayed late and began this tradition that has continued. Over the past four years since the [stadium legislation] bill passed in May 2012, we began to work with city leadership, with the neighborhoods and the community to build consensus on where we can have this tailgating activity.”"
Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview
Fans will need to be prepared for Minnesota Vikings with comfortable walking shoes and a plan of attack. But that shouldn’t distract fans from taking in everything game day has to offer. With what should be an amazing atmosphere at U.S. Bank Stadium and plenty of interaction, each home game should be a blast during the 2016 NFL season.