Long before it hosted headline tours, The Armory was where Minneapolis went for civic spectacle: military drills, election-night rallies, Golden Gloves cards, and pro basketball. Today that same cavernous drill hall pulls in touring acts like Imagine Dragons and Katy Perry, running on the bones of a 1936 Public Works Administration project.
If you’re trying to figure out how big the room is, where to park, what you can bring inside, or how the Armory went from National Guard headquarters to one of downtown Minneapolis’s largest concert halls, here’s the complete picture.
Quick Answer
The Armory is an 8,400-capacity concert venue at 500 South 6th Street in downtown Minneapolis, built in 1935-36 as a Minnesota National Guard armory and reopened as a live-event space in January 2018. It has an on-site parking ramp, a bag policy limiting bags to 12x6x12 inches, and a box office that typically opens about two hours before showtime for will call and any remaining tickets.
From National Guard Armory to Historic Landmark
The Armory was built in 1935-36 by C.H. Peterson & Co. and Paul Steenberg Construction, designed by architect Philip C. Bettenburg in the PWA Moderne style, with its bold geometric facade and integrated sculpture reflecting the Public Works Administration funding that helped pay for it. The project cost roughly $1 million at the time, a substantial sum for a state building during the Depression.
The centerpiece is the drill hall, a barrel-roofed space measuring about 140 by 270 feet with a 210-foot roof span supported by three hinged-arch trusses, engineered for military exercises but flexible enough for basketball courts, boxing rings, and concert stages. The building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and was named an official Minneapolis landmark in 2017. In between, a 1993 court ruling blocked an attempt to demolish it, preserving the structure through the years it spent as a parking facility after a 1998 sale.
Home Court for the Minneapolis Lakers and a Concert Hot Spot
Before they were the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise played part-time at the Armory starting in 1947 and made it their primary home court for the 1959-60 season, their final year in Minneapolis before relocating to Los Angeles. The drill hall’s original seating capacity was about 4,200, rising to roughly 8,000 for basketball configurations.
The same room built a reputation as a concert destination from the late 1930s through the 1970s, hosting Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and James Brown, plus Golden Gloves boxing tournaments and, from 1968 to 1980, indoor professional motorcycle racing during winter months. Political conventions and other large civic gatherings also filled the hall regularly during that era.
The Armory’s Return as a Concert Venue
A Minneapolis development group bought the long-dormant building in 2015 for about $6 million and converted it back into an events center, reopening in January 2018 in time to host programming around Super Bowl LII. Early bookings included Imagine Dragons and Pink, and in 2019 the venue hosted free outdoor-turned-indoor NCAA Final Four concerts headlined by Katy Perry, the Jonas Brothers, and The Chainsmokers after weather forced the shows inside.
The Armory also carries pop-culture cachet as the filming location for Prince’s 1982 music video for “1999,” a detail current bookers and event producers still lean on when marketing shows in the historic hall.
Capacity and Seating
In its current concert configuration, The Armory holds about 8,400 people across the main floor and mezzanine levels, making it one of the larger indoor venues in downtown Minneapolis outside the arena tier. Floor setups vary by show: some events run general-admission standing room on the drill hall floor with reserved seating in the mezzanine, while others add premium reserved sections closer to the stage.
Because configuration changes per event, the exact seating map (sections, row counts, and sightlines) is published separately for each show through the venue’s ticketing partners rather than as one fixed chart, so check the specific event listing before you buy if seat location matters to you.
Planning Your Visit: Parking, Bag Policy, and Box Office
The Armory operates its own on-site parking ramp with entrances off 5th Avenue South and 5th Street, letting concertgoers park and walk directly upstairs into the show rather than crossing outdoor plazas; downtown Minneapolis street parking and nearby paid garages fill in on busier nights. The venue’s bag policy permits a small purse or bag under roughly 12 by 6 by 12 inches, and staff will search any bag brought inside, so the venue recommends bringing as little as possible.
The box office sits at the corner of 6th Street and 5th Avenue South and typically opens about two hours before showtime for will call and any remaining day-of tickets. Because hours, exact pricing tiers, and current parking rates shift by event and season, check the official Armory Minneapolis site for the specific show you’re attending before you head downtown.
Getting Tickets
Tickets for Armory shows are sold through the venue’s official ticketing partners linked from its event calendar, as well as major resale and ticketing platforms. Pricing follows standard concert-industry tiers, general admission floor versus reserved seating, with premium and VIP packages offered for select tours, so compare the official listing against secondary marketplaces before purchasing if you want the best face-value price.
The Armory Minneapolis FAQs
What was The Armory originally built for?
It was built in 1935-36 as an armory for the Minnesota National Guard, with its drill hall doubling as a venue for civic events, sports, and concerts almost from the start.
What is the capacity of The Armory in Minneapolis?
The venue holds about 8,400 people in its current concert configuration across the main floor and mezzanine.
Did the Minneapolis Lakers play at The Armory?
Yes. The Lakers used the Armory as a part-time home starting in 1947 and made it their primary home court for the 1959-60 season, their last in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles.
Is there parking at The Armory?
Yes, the venue has its own on-site parking ramp with entrances off 5th Avenue South and 5th Street, in addition to downtown street parking and nearby paid garages.
What is The Armory’s bag policy?
Small purses or bags under about 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed and will be searched at entry; the venue recommends bringing as little as possible.
When does the box office open on show days?
The box office, located at 6th Street and 5th Avenue South, typically opens about two hours before showtime for will call and remaining tickets; check the official site for the specific event.
Get More from The Armory Minneapolis
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate The Armory Minneapolis, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.