The Armory is a large concert venue in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, housed inside a former Minnesota National Guard armory completed in 1936. Designed by architect Philip C. Bettenburg in the PWA Moderne style, the building was among the costliest structures in the state funded by a Public Works Administration grant, and its cavernous drill hall was built for military drills, civic gatherings, and sporting events.
From the late 1930s through the 1970s, the drill hall doubled as a concert space that hosted acts including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and James Brown, along with the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers, who used it as a part-time home from 1947 and as their primary home court for the 1959-60 season, plus Golden Gloves boxing. After decades of decline and a stint as a parking structure, a Minneapolis development firm purchased the building in 2015 and converted it back into an events center, reopening in January 2018 as a modern concert venue known simply as The Armory.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 500 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Type: Historic armory converted to concert hall
- Opened: 1936 (reopened as concert venue in 2018)
- Capacity: About 8,400
- Architect: Philip C. Bettenburg
- Famous for: Minneapolis Lakers home court (1947-1960) and Prince’s 1982 ‘1999’ music video shoot
From Drill Hall to Concert Hall
The Armory’s drill hall, measuring about 140 by 270 feet, was originally designed for military exercises but quickly became one of the Twin Cities’ go-to spaces for large civic gatherings, including concerts, political conventions, and pro sports. The Minneapolis Lakers used it as a part-time home starting in 1947 before making it their primary venue for the 1959-60 season, and it also hosted motorcycle racing and Golden Gloves boxing tournaments through the 1970s.
The building fell into disuse as an events venue afterward, and in 1998 it was sold for use as a parking facility, with a preservation requirement attached to the deal. It sat in that reduced role for years despite its 1985 listing on the National Register of Historic Places, until a 2015 purchase by a local development group set the stage for its return to live entertainment.
A Downtown Concert Landmark Today
The Armory reopened in January 2018, timed to host events around Super Bowl LII, and has since become one of downtown Minneapolis’s largest indoor concert venues with a capacity of roughly 8,400 across the main floor and mezzanine levels. Early bookings included Imagine Dragons and Pink, and in 2019 the venue hosted free NCAA Final Four concerts headlined by Katy Perry, the Jonas Brothers, and The Chainsmokers after outdoor plans were rained out.
Beyond music, the restored building has hosted wrestling events and other large-scale entertainment, trading on its PWA Moderne architecture and history as the filming location for Prince’s 1982 ‘1999’ music video to give touring acts a distinctive downtown Minneapolis backdrop.
Explore more: more iconic music venues.
The Armory FAQs
What was the Armory originally built for?
It was built in 1935-36 as an armory for the Minnesota National Guard, with a drill hall also used for civic events, concerts, and sports.
What is the capacity of The Armory in Minneapolis?
The venue holds about 8,400 people in its current concert configuration.
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.
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Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) / CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.