You’ll have a “fan”tastic time in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot. We’re the perfect home base for cheering on the area’s six professional sports teams, semi-pro teams and a host of college sports teams.
St. Louis Park and Golden Valley are conveniently located near all the best sporting events. We’re 8 minutes away from Target Center and Target Field, 12 minutes to U.S. Bank Stadium, and 16 minutes from Allianz Field. From pre-game entertainment to post-game celebrations, we’ve got you covered. Plus, enjoy ample FREE parking at all of our 9 hotels. Cheering on your favorite team has never been easier!
Bonus: You can use the links below to get all the latest team stats and purchase tickets!
P.S. Don’t want the fun to stop? We’ve made a list of the best sports bars/restaurants for watching ALL the games!
The Vikings are our professional football team. They compete in the National Football League as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Vikings were founded in 1960 as an expansion team and began play the following year. They are named after the Vikings of ancient Scandinavia, reflecting the area’s local culture. The team plays their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Visitors will want to check out the Viking ship at the entrance to the stadium.
Going to the game, but don’t want to drive to the stadium? JJ’s Clubhouse in Golden Valley offers a SKOL Shuttle to every Vikings home game. Tickets are just $15/person (roundtrip) and include a $6 coupon for food at JJ’s on gameday. You can even bring a beverage with you on the bus! Reserve your space by calling 763-595-8771.
The main campus of the University of Minnesota is spread across the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Their college sports teams are known as the Golden Gophers and their games and meets are popular attractions for fans. The football team plays its home games at Huntington Bank Stadium, a 50,805-seat outdoor stadium located on the Minneapolis campus. The men’s and women’s basketball teams play at Williams Arena, also in Minneapolis. The building is more commonly known as “The Barn” and the student section is called “The Barnyard.” Other fan favorites include men’s hockey, played at Mariucci Arena, women’s hockey, played at Ridder Arena, men’s baseball and wrestling, and women’s soccer, softball and volleyball. Other team sports include cross-country, gymnastics, golf, rowing, tennis, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field.
The Minnesota Wild, our professional hockey team, calls the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul home. The X, as locals call it, is a 30-min drive from St. Louis Park / Golden Valley. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the West Division. The Wild was founded on June 25, 1997 but did not play their first game until the 2000-01 season.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League had it’s inaugural season in 2024. The league is currently comprised of 6 teams – Minnesota, Ottowa, Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York. Minnesota won the 2024 PWHL Finals and claimed the first ever Walter Cup. The Walter Cup is named after Mark Walter, the billionaire owner of the LA Dodgers and the single financial backer of the PWHL. The season runs from January through May, with home games played at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, a 30-min drive from St. Louis Park / Golden Valley.
The Timberwolves are our men’s professional basketball team. They compete in the NBA as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded in 1989. Minnesota had been without an NBA team since 1960, when the Minneapolis Lakers departed for Los Angeles. At the time, the team was one of four new expansion teams. The team plays their games at the Target Center in Minneapolis, their home since 1990. They are commonly referred to as “The Wolves.”
We’re home to the Minnesota Twins, our major league baseball team. The Twins compete as part of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team plays at Target Field, only 5 miles away from St. Louis Park’s West End. The franchise was founded in 1901 in Washington, D.C. as the Washington Senators. The team relocated to Minnesota at the start of the 1961 season and was renamed the “Minnesota Twins” after the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Target Field has been the home ballpark of the Twins since April 12, 2010. Their mascot is TC Bear.
Plus, take advantage of the West End Shuttle to and from every home game, June through August!
Our minor league baseball team is The Saints. They are part of the Triple-A East and they are the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. From their founding in 1993 until 2020, they were an independent baseball team. The team plays at CHS Field, a 7,500 seat ballpark in St. Paul. Their mascot is a pet pig that fans help name each season.
The Lynx are our women’s professional basketball team. They are part of the Women’s National Basketball Association, playing in the Western Conference. Founded prior to the 1999 season, the team has won more Western Conference championships than any other franchise. They hold a record ten consecutive playoff appearances and have won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. They play their home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Minnesota United FC is our professional soccer team. They are part of the North American Soccer League. The club began playing in 2017 as the league’s 22nd club. The team is based in St. Paul and began playing at Allianz Field in the spring of 2019. The team nickname is “The Loons.”
Minnesota Aurora FC is our semi-professional women’s soccer team. They are part of the USL W League, which serves as the premier pre-professional league in the country, developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field and bridging the gap between college and professional soccer. The Aurora kicked off their inaugural season in May of 2022.
Minnesota Roller Derby (MNRD) is a women’s flat track roller derby league. It was founded in 2004 as Minnesota RollerGirls by the Donnelly sisters. MNRD was one of the first 30 members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2006. Today the league has over 80 skaters playing on four home teams, as well as their All-Star team, which has qualified for the WFTDA Playoffs every year since its inception. The league plays at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, which can accommodate up to 4,000 spectators.
The North Star Roller Derby (NSRD) is a women’s flat track roller derby league. The league was founded in 2006 and is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The league has four home teams – the Banger Sisters, Delta Delta Di, Kilmores, and the Violent Femmes. They also have two traveling teams – the Supernovas and the Northern Lights, which are comprised of skates from all four league teams. The league plays at the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, a 5,785 indoor arena located on the MN State Fair grounds in St. Paul.
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