Football season is the moment downtown Minneapolis fills back up, and this year the Vikings give you two home dates worth planning a trip around: a Saturday preseason game against Baltimore on August 22, and the Week 1 opener against Green Bay on September 13. Both are at U.S. Bank Stadium, and both are close enough to our front door on 9th Street that you can leave your studio on foot and be in your seat without thinking about a parking ramp once.
Here is what is on the schedule, how the walk works, and what to know before you get to the gate.
The two home dates at U.S. Bank Stadium
Both games are at U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Avenue, on the eastern edge of downtown.
- Saturday, August 22 — Vikings vs. Baltimore Ravens, 12:00 p.m. (preseason). A noon Saturday kickoff is the easy one: you are out by mid-afternoon with the whole rest of the day still ahead of you.
- Sunday, September 13 — Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers, 3:25 p.m. (regular-season home opener). This is the big one. A Packers game in Week 1 brings a purple-and-green crowd from both sides of the river and books downtown solid, so if you want this weekend, claim it early.
Dates and kickoff times come straight from the official Vikings schedule, and both games are listed on the U.S. Bank Stadium event calendar. The NFL flexes some later-season games; these two are set.
The walk from 9th Street is under a mile
From our door at 215 South 9th Street to the stadium gates is a little under a mile — roughly 15 to 20 minutes at an unhurried pace, straight through downtown past the Armory and into Downtown East. On game days you fall in with everyone else walking the same direction, which is honestly half the fun.
If you would rather ride, the METRO light rail stops at U.S. Bank Stadium Station. One caution for late summer 2026: Metro Transit has been running replacement buses on the Blue Line during signal work, with trains scheduled to return before both of these games. Check the rider alerts the morning of. Walking, of course, never gets rescheduled.
The bigger advantage is what you skip: no ramp hunting, no event-rate parking, no surge pricing on the ride home while 60,000 people leave at once. Our guests have used the same trick for SummerSlam at the same stadium and for Twins games at Target Field in the other direction.
Clear bag policy: pack light before you leave
U.S. Bank Stadium follows the NFL clear bag policy for Vikings games, and it is stricter than most people expect. The short version, from the stadium’s official bag policy:
- Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag.
- A small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″ may come in alongside one of the clear bag options.
- Backpacks, coolers, camera bags, larger purses and luggage of any size are not allowed in.
- One 32-ounce factory-sealed plastic water bottle, or one empty reusable bottle (no metal or glass), per person at Vikings games.
There is a bag check, but when you are staying a few blocks away the simpler move is to leave everything in the studio and walk over with your phone, your ticket and a light jacket.
A downtown base for a football weekend
Oaklands on 9th is a restored 1889 brownstone at 215 South 9th Street with fully furnished studios — each with a full kitchen, and with WiFi, heat, all utilities and free laundry included. There is no contract and no lease: stay a night, a weekend, a week or a month. Some studios are pet friendly, and rooms come in three tiers, Good, Better and Best.
The kitchen matters more than people expect on a game weekend. Coffee before an early kickoff, a real breakfast instead of a $20 hotel omelet, leftovers in the fridge afterward. There is grocery shopping within walking distance, including Target on Nicollet Mall.
Making a full weekend of it? Minneapolis Trolley Tours runs narrated loops past the riverfront and the mills, and Meet Minneapolis keeps a running calendar of what else is happening the same weekend. If you are traveling with a larger group or want something more of an occasion, our sister properties — the mansion bed and breakfast at 300 Clifton and the Pillsbury Club — are both a short ride away.
Book your game-weekend studio
August 22 will be an easy one to grab. September 13 will not be, so if the Packers opener is on your list, book it now. You can check dates and reserve online, or call us at (612) 314-5124 and we will walk you through the options. Either way, we will leave the light on — the stadium is a walk away.
Keep reading: curious why every studio at Oaklands on 9th has a different antique light fixture? It goes back to 1889.