Target Center
The
Target Center is an arena in downtown
Minneapolis, Minnesota sponsored by
Target Corporation that is home to the
National Basketball Association's
Minnesota Timberwolves and
Women's National Basketball Association's
Minnesota Lynx. In
1996 it was home to the
Arena Football League team
Minnesota Fighting Pike. The City of Minneapolis has owned the arena since
1995, although management has changed hands a few times. Most recently, the management was changed in
May 2004 from
Clear Channel Entertainment to Midwest Entertainment Group, a joint venture of the Timberwolves and
Nederlander Concerts. The Timberwolves originally built and owned the arena in
1990.
In 2004 Target Center underwent a major renovation that saw the replacement of all 19,006 of its original seats plus the addition of nearly 1,500 new seats as well as the reconfiguration of the lower bowl to make the arena more fan-friendly. In addition the arena's original scoreboard was replaced with a new state-of-the-art 9-by-16 foot video screen and state-of-the-art LED signage, LED signage on the upper deck fascia, a new luxury lounge (Club Cambria) and improved access for fans with disabilities. Today Target Center seats 20,500 for basketball and from 13,000 to 19,000 for end-stage
concerts, 19,500 for center-stage concerts and 17,500 for
ice hockey.
The Target Center has been the host of the
Minnesota State High School Boy's and Girl's State
Basketball tournament.
Target Center is one of three NBA arenas with
parquet floors, including
TD Banknorth Garden in
Boston, and
TD Waterhouse Centre in
Orlando. It hosted the 1994
NBA All-Star Game, WWF
SummerSlam 1999,
WWE Judgment Day 2005 and the
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
RAW and
SmackDown! Super Show, which became a tribute show to
Eddie Guerrero.
Target Center can convert into a 3,000-to-7,500-seat theater known as the U.S. Bank Theater. The Theater contains a moveable floor-to-ceiling curtain system that allows the venue to by transformed based on specific show needs. In addition to concerts, the U.S. Bank Theater can also be used for family and Broadway shows.
Target Center is a block away from the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue terminus of the
Hiawatha Line. The arena is also across the street from the well-known Minneapolis nightclub
First Avenue and an entertainment complex known as
Block E.
