Spectator Sports in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley

Cheer for hometown teams and take in exciting spectator sporting events throughout St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, and the surrounding area.

Show Your Team Spirit

Minnesota’s Sweet Spot is an excellent base for supporting six professional sports teams, semi-pro teams, and numerous college programs. There is no shortage of ways to enjoy the energy of game day.

St. Louis Park and Golden Valley put you close to the region’s major sporting venues: Target Center and Target Field are 8 minutes away, U.S. Bank Stadium is 12 minutes away, and Allianz Field is 16 minutes away. From activities before the game to celebrations afterward, the area makes it easy to enjoy the full experience. All of our 9 hotels also offer ample parking, either free or at low cost.

Sports fans can find current team stats and ticket-purchasing information through the team resources featured on the source page. The area also offers sports bars and restaurants where you can watch all the games.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are Minnesota’s professional football team, competing in the National Football League as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the Vikings began playing the following year. Their name pays tribute to the Vikings of ancient Scandinavia and reflects the region’s local culture.

Home games take place at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, where visitors can see the Viking ship positioned at the stadium entrance.

Fans who prefer not to drive can take the SKOL Shuttle from JJ’s Clubhouse in Golden Valley to every Vikings home game. Roundtrip tickets cost $20/person and come with a $8 food coupon for use at JJ’s on gameday. Passengers may also bring a beverage onto the bus. Space can be reserved by calling 763-595-8771.

Golden Gophers

The main campus of the University of Minnesota extends across the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Its college athletics programs are called the Golden Gophers, and their games and meets attract many fans.

The football team hosts its games at Huntington Bank Stadium, a 50,805-seat outdoor venue on the Minneapolis campus. Williams Arena, also in Minneapolis, is home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The arena is widely called The Barn, while its student section is known as the Barnyard.

Additional fan favorites include men’s hockey at Mariucci Arena, women’s hockey at Ridder Arena, men’s baseball and wrestling, plus women’s soccer, softball, and volleyball. Other team sports include cross-country, gymnastics, golf, rowing, tennis, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are the area’s major league baseball team and compete in the American League (AL) Central Division. Their home is Target Field, located only 5 miles from St. Louis Park’s West End.

The franchise began in 1901 in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Senators. It moved to Minnesota at the beginning of the 1961 season and adopted the name Minnesota Twins in recognition of the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Target Field has served as the Twins’ home ballpark since April 12, 2010. The team mascot is TC Bear.

St. Paul Saints

The Saints are the region’s minor league baseball team. They compete in the Triple-A East and serve as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

The club operated independently from its founding in 1993 through 2020. Games are played at CHS Field, a 7,500 seat ballpark in St. Paul. The team’s mascot is a pet pig whose name is selected by fans each season.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are Minnesota’s professional hockey team. The club plays at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, formerly the Xcel Energy Center. The Arena 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 team was founded on June 25, 1997, and played its first game during the 2000-01 season.

Minnesota Frost

The Professional Women’s Hockey League held its inaugural season in 2024. The league currently has 6 teams – Minnesota, Ottowa, Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York.

Minnesota won the 2024 PWHL Finals and became the first team to claim the Walter Cup. The trophy takes its name from Mark Walter, the billionaire owner of the LA Dodgers and the single financial backer of the PWHL.

The season runs from January through May. Minnesota’s home games are held at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, a 30-min drive from St. Louis Park / Golden Valley.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are Minnesota’s men’s professional basketball team. They play in the NBA as part of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division.

Founded in 1989, the team arrived after Minnesota had been without an NBA franchise since the Minneapolis Lakers left for Los Angeles in 1960. The Timberwolves were one of four new expansion teams at that time.

The team has played home games at Target Center in Minneapolis since 1990. The club is commonly known as The Wolves.

Minnesota Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx are Minnesota’s women’s professional basketball team. They compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association within the Western Conference.

The franchise was established before the 1999 season and has won more Western Conference championships than any other franchise. The Lynx have a record ten consecutive playoff appearances and captured the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Home games are played at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United FC is Minnesota’s professional soccer team and competes in the North American Soccer League. The club started play in 2017 as the league’s 22nd club.

Based in St. Paul, the team began playing at Allianz Field in the spring of 2019. Its nickname is The Loons.

Minnesota Aurora FC

Minnesota Aurora FC is a semi-professional women’s soccer team competing in the USL W League. The league serves as the premier pre-professional league in the country, developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field while bridging the gap between college and professional soccer.

The Aurora began its inaugural season in May of 2022.

Minnesota Roller Derby

Minnesota Roller Derby (MNRD) is a women’s flat track roller derby league. The Donnelly sisters established the organization in 2004 under the name Minnesota RollerGirls.

In 2006, MNRD became one of the first 30 members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The league now has over 80 skaters competing across four home teams and an All-Star team. Since its inception, the All-Star team has qualified for the WFTDA Playoffs every year.

MNRD holds its events at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, a venue that can accommodate up to 4,000 spectators.

North Star Roller Derby

The North Star Roller Derby (NSRD) is a women’s flat track roller derby league founded in 2006 and affiliated with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

Its four home teams are the Banger Sisters, Delta Delta Di, Kilmores, and the Violent Femmes. The league also fields two traveling teams, the Supernovas and the Northern Lights, made up of skaters from all four league teams.

The league competes at the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, a 5,785 indoor arena on the MN State Fair grounds in St. Paul.