Target Center – Home of the Minnesota Timberwolves | Arena Guide

Target Center is the proud home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, an arena with a rich 35-year history that has been thoughtfully transformed through a landmark $145 million renovation completed in 2017. Opening on October 13, 1990 — one of the oldest arenas in the NBA — Target Center has welcomed more than 36 million guests and hosted over 5,000 events since its opening, including concerts by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Prince and Bob Dylan, both Minneapolis icons. The arena is owned by the City of Minneapolis and managed by Legends Global. The 2017 renovation gave Target Center a complete visual transformation: the previously foreboding bunker-like exterior was replaced with wood panelling and glass facades that evoke a Minnesota woodland lodge, with a stunning glass atrium at the corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street serving as the new main entrance. The renovation also created new premium and social spaces, a large overhead videoboard, and significantly improved the food and beverage programme. Target Center holds two significant firsts: it is the first sports arena in North America to feature a movable floor (one of only two in the United States), and the first arena in North America to install a green roof — a sustainable system that captures nearly one million gallons of stormwater annually to prevent drainage into the Mississippi River. The arena connects directly to downtown Minneapolis's renowned Skyway system of indoor pedestrian walkways, providing weather-protected access year-round — a crucial feature in a city known for severe winters. Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett had his jersey retired in the rafters here, and the arena hosted the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Target Center opened on October 13, 1990, as one of the first new NBA arenas of the modern expansion era, built specifically to house the newly formed Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. The arena was a public-private partnership between the City of Minneapolis (which owns the arena) and the Timberwolves ownership. It opened with one of the NBA's most innovative features: a movable floor — one of only two in the United States — allowing rapid conversions between basketball, hockey, concerts, and other events. The arena also became the first in North America to install a green roof, capturing approximately one million gallons of stormwater annually. For much of its early existence, Target Center showed its age — the exterior had a bunker-like appearance that was unwelcoming. In 2017, a $145 million renovation transformed the building completely: a new wood-panelled and glass-facade exterior evokes a Minnesota woodland lodge, with the stunning new glass atrium at First Avenue and Sixth Street serving as the main entrance. Inside, new premium and social spaces were created, a major videoboard installed, and the food programme upgraded with local Minneapolis restaurants. Target Center hosted the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett's jersey hangs in the rafters here, representing the franchise's most celebrated era.

Target Center on Timberwolves game nights is a genuinely engaging experience — Minnesota is a basketball-loving state where the high school game is an institution, and the fanbase's basketball knowledge is matched by its passionate support for a franchise that has underperformed relative to its talent throughout most of its history. Anthony Edwards' emergence as an NBA star in the 2020s has reinvigorated the fanbase and created sell-out atmospheres rarely seen in the building's history. The Skyway connection makes arriving completely stress-free in winter — fans gather at Brit's Pub, the Warehouse District bars, and the First Avenue corridor before heading in via the Skyway. Inside, the lodge aesthetic, local food programme (Parlour burgers, walleye sandwiches, Surly beers), and updated concourse social spaces make Target Center one of the NBA's most authentically local arena experiences.

Target Center's public tour programme is currently suspended during ongoing renovation and upgrade works. When the programme resumes, tours cover the Timberwolves and Lynx locker rooms, player tunnel, court-level access, premium suites, the glass atrium, and the arena's sustainability features (green roof, movable floor). Check targetcenter.com for updates. Timberwolves ticket office: 612-673-1234.