Target Center Game Day Guide
Minnesota Timberwolves · Minneapolis, MN
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Permitted bags must be no larger than 5 x 9 inches; diaper bags and medical bags are allowed after entry screening.
Strollers are not permitted inside Target Center.
- Bag storage
Target Center does not offer item check or storage for rejected bags and prohibited items.
Leave noncompliant items at home or in a vehicle before entering.
- Gate opening
Door times vary by Timberwolves game; check the specific Target Center event page before attending.
Current game listings may open doors 60 or 90 minutes before tipoff depending on the event.
- Mobile tickets
Timberwolves tickets display as rotating mobile barcodes in the team app and may be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for entry.
The barcode changes every 30 seconds, so ticket screenshots will not scan. Adding tickets to a phone wallet before arrival provides the quickest entry.
- Re-entry
Target Center does not allow re-entry after a guest exits during an event.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include bags larger than 5 x 9 inches, weapons, pocket knives, chemical sprays, large umbrellas, glass or metal drink containers, outside food or drinks, pets, strollers, large signs, poles and selfie sticks, lasers, noisemakers, video cameras, tripods, suitcases, and wallet chains.
The list is not exhaustive and may change. Medical food, infant milk or formula, service animals, medication, and small reusable plastic drinkware with a lid are permitted.
- First aid
First aid facilities are on the lower concourse near Section 120.
Ask the nearest usher, security officer, or event staff member for medical assistance.
- Nursing and lactation
A mother's room is outside Section 120 next to a women's restroom.
Larger medical-supply bags for a portable electric breast pump are permitted after screening. The room does not provide refrigeration.
- Family restrooms
Single-user family restrooms are located near Sections 216, 226, and 232.
Feminine hygiene products are available free in family restrooms and from Guest Services at Sections 116 and 216.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 24 months may attend without a ticket if they remain on a ticket holder's lap; children age 24 months or older need a ticket.
- Guest services
Guest Services offices are on both concourses at Sections 116 and 216.
During an event, text 952-592-5520 for assistance. The offices handle accessibility resources, child wristband registration, lost and found, and other guest needs.
- Service animals
Task-trained service animals are welcome and must remain leashed or harnessed in the handler's seating area.
An animal may occupy an adjacent seat only when that seat has been ticketed. Pets and emotional-support animals are not permitted.
- Smoking and vaping
Target Center prohibits cigarettes, vaping, lighters, and electronic cigarettes throughout the building.
Guests cannot exit to smoke because re-entry is not allowed.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Target Center, hour by hour.
Arrive in the Warehouse District
Park in a nearby ramp or take the Blue/Green Line. Explore the Warehouse District bars and restaurants along 1st Avenue and Hennepin.
Pregame dining
Grab dinner at the Freehouse, Brit's Pub, or one of the North Loop restaurants. Try a Juicy Lucy if you haven't.
Doors open
Enter the arena via the Skyway (in winter) or street entrance. Explore the concourse and the Wolves team store.
Find your seat
Settle in for the Wolves' howling intro and player introductions. The arena has improved its game-day production significantly.
Game time
Wolves games have grown from a library-quiet reputation to genuinely loud since the 2024 playoff run. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for a Juicy Lucy burger or Minnesota craft beer from Surly or Summit.
Post-game scene
Walk to the Warehouse District bars on 1st Avenue or the North Loop for post-game drinks. Use the Skyway in winter to stay warm.
Tips & Fan Reports
The team store outside the ticket lines is always empty compared to the one on level one that gets packed before tip. Shop outside first. Some food has to be ordered on the app then you pick it up.
Minneapolis skyway system connects downtown parking ramps to near Target Center without going outside in winter.
Halftime food lines are shorter in the upper-level concourse.
In winter, use the Minneapolis Skyway system, enclosed walkways connect ramps, hotels, and near-arena buildings.
First Avenue (legendary music venue from Purple Rain) is literally next door to Target Center.
Dress warm for the walk from parking, Minneapolis winters are no joke. Negative wind chills are common.
Target Field (Twins) is one block away. Check the schedule for same-day doubleheader opportunities in summer.
Downtown holds nearly 25,000 spaces across 38 facilities if the closest ramps fill.
The 5 by 9 inch bag limit is among the smallest on this site, smaller than a tablet.
Both published entrances are on the skyway level, so a cold night need not involve the street at all.
Before the Game
Target Center's bag limit is 5 by 9 inches, among the smallest anywhere, with diaper and medical bags permitted subject to search, and the arena publishes no tailgating policy. Entry is through the Main Skyway Level entrance or the South Skyway entrance near Ramp A, which is a genuinely useful detail in a Minneapolis winter since the skyway system means you need not go outside. Parking is downtown's 25,000-odd spaces across 38 lots and ramps, with Ramps A, B and C the closest and each reached by its own turn off Washington Avenue.
Where to Go Before the Game
Ramp A, and the South Skyway entrance
Ramp A is reached by turning left on 1st Avenue North then right on North 7th Street, and the South Skyway entrance sits beside it, so you can park and walk in without going outdoors.
Known for South Skyway entrance beside it · Left on 1st Ave N, right on N 7th St
Ramp B and Ramp C
Ramp C is reached by turning left on 3rd Avenue North then right into the ramp; Ramp B by 3rd Avenue North, left on North 5th Street, then right on 2nd Avenue North.
Known for Both off 3rd Ave N · Short walk to the arena
The 38 downtown lots and ramps
Nearly 25,000 spaces across 38 lots and ramps in downtown Minneapolis, most a short walk or a bus or light rail connection from the arena.
Known for ~25,000 spaces · 38 facilities · Bus and light rail links
The Main Skyway Level entrance
The arena's primary way in, on the skyway level rather than the street, the reason a Minneapolis winter need not be part of the trip.
Known for Skyway level · Primary entrance · Indoors
Pregame Rules
What Target Center allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Permitted bags must be no larger than 5" x 9". Diaper bags and medical bags are permitted but subject to search on entry.
- Guests should enter through the Main Skyway Level entrance or the South Skyway entrance near Ramp A.
- From I-35W south, take the Washington Avenue exit and turn right on Washington Avenue. For Ramp C, turn left on 3rd Avenue North and right into the ramp. For Ramp B, turn left on 3rd Avenue North, left on North 5th Street and right on 2nd Avenue North. For Ramp A, turn left on 1st Avenue North and right on North 7th Street.
- There are nearly 25,000 parking spaces across 38 lots and ramps throughout downtown, most a short walk or a bus or light rail connection from the arena.
Weather
Target Center is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NBA season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 56°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 8°F. April is the wettest month at 3.3 inches and January the driest at 0.9 inches.
That January low ranks 1st coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and April here ranks 22nd wettest.
October
3.0 inchesDecember
1.3 inchesJanuary
0.9 inchesMarch
1.6 inchesApril
3.3 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and drinks are generally prohibited, with exceptions for medically necessary foods or juices and milk or formula for infants.
- A card or a phone wallet
Target Center concessions and merchandise are cashless, and concession stands accept Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 8°F between the lot and the door at Target Center.
- A poncho for the walk in, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on Target Center's prohibited list, and April averages 3.3 inches of rain.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Door times vary by Timberwolves game; check the specific Target Center event page before attending.
- Pregame
Target Center official site: Getting Here, Parking, and Arena Policies & FAQ
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Target Center and Minnesota Timberwolves policy, accessibility, ticketing, parking, and concessions guidance reviewed for Timberwolves policies.