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"Attention: Do not feed the pigeons" sign in a parking lot in South Minneapolis.

Do Not Feed The Pigions Sign

"Attention: Do not feed the pigeons" sign in a parking lot in South Minneapolis.

Pigeons, Sign
Minnesota BCA investigating the officer involved shooting death of Tekle Sundberg on July 14th, 2022

Photos: Tekle Sundberg Death (July 14, 2022)

Minneapolis Police, Tekle Sundberg
Storm clouds roll through Minneapolis on July 12, 2022.

Photos: July 2022 Minneapolis Thunderstorm

Storm, Thunderstorm, Weather
A bright magenta-and-red “PARK” marquee glows above 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis, its arrow pointing toward one of the city’s long-running parking ramps. The large mirrored surface on the right captures a full duplicate of the sign, emphasizing the heavy neon presence that once defined the downtown entertainment and retail district. Signs like this were installed in the mid-20th century as automobile traffic surged and developers converted older commercial buildings into multi-level garages to serve Nicollet Mall, the Gateway renewal area, and the growing high-rise core. At street level, the rows of construction barrels and lane closures reflect Minneapolis’s ongoing cycle of roadway and transit upgrades — a pattern familiar in this part of the city as utility work, sidewalk rebuilds, and streetcar-era infrastructure get modern replacements. Even with the constant change, the surviving neon parking signs remain some of the most recognizable visual anchors of the nighttime downtown streetscape.

Reflected Neon “PARK” Sign on 5th Street, Minneapolis

A bright magenta-and-red “PARK” marquee glows above 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis, its arrow pointing toward one of the city’s…

Neon, Park, Sign
A classic vertical “PARK” marquee glows in red and magenta neon, marking one of downtown Minneapolis’s older parking structures that date back to the mid-20th century. These illuminated signs were once a staple of the city’s core, guiding drivers through the dense commercial grid before digital wayfinding and modern garages became standard. Many of these vintage markers survive as quiet architectural artifacts, attached to early high-rise buildings constructed during the postwar retail boom. Their hand-bent tubing and heavy steel housings reflect a period when neon craftsmanship was central to the city’s nighttime identity, especially along corridors near Nicollet Avenue, Hennepin Avenue, and the warehouse district.

Vintage Neon “Park” Sign in Downtown Minneapolis

A classic vertical “PARK” marquee glows in red and magenta neon, marking one of downtown Minneapolis’s older parking structures that…

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Neon Sign
The long time private Minikahda Club gold course in Minneapolis.

The Minikahda Club Golf Club

The long time private Minikahda Club gold course in Minneapolis.

Golf, Golf Course, Minikahda Club, Minneapolis
Perched along a bend of the Mississippi River north of downtown Red Wing, the historic Northern States Power (NSP) steam plant stands out with its twin rust-colored smokestacks and the familiar “NSP” lettering still mounted between them. Built in the mid-20th century as a coal-fired generating station, the facility once fed electricity into the regional grid and played a key role in the expansion of Northern States Power’s service territory across southeastern Minnesota. The long enclosed conveyor stretching from the riverfront marks where coal deliveries once arrived by barge, a reminder of how closely the plant’s operations were tied to the Mississippi’s working waterfront. Although the plant has been retired for years, the structure remains an important industrial landmark—visible from Memorial Park high above the river—and sits near the broader Prairie Island energy complex that includes transmission infrastructure and the nearby nuclear generating station. Surrounded by forested riverbanks and the bluffs that define Red Wing’s geography, the site reflects a layered history of energy production, transportation, and landscape along this stretch of the Upper Mississippi.

NSP Power Plant Above the Mississippi River

Perched along a bend of the Mississippi River north of downtown Red Wing, the historic Northern States Power (NSP) steam…

Northern States Power, NSP, Power Plant, Red Wing, Xcel Energy
The large yellow “NSP” letters seen here belong to the historic Northern States Power Company generating station in Red Wing, Minnesota. Perched along the Mississippi River just north of downtown, the plant was once a key part of the regional electrical grid operated by NSP—now Xcel Energy. Although much of the facility has been retired or repurposed, the tall brick stacks and the weathered rooftop lettering remain some of the most recognizable industrial features on Red Wing’s riverfront. Built in the mid-20th century, the station reflects an era when coal-fired plants lined major waterways to take advantage of cooling capacity and barge-delivered fuel. The surrounding corridor, including the nearby railway and grain terminals, has long formed one of Red Wing’s primary industrial zones. Today, while the plant no longer plays the role it once did, the NSP letters survive as a visual marker of the city’s energy-production past.

NSP Power Plant Landmark, Red Wing, Minnesota

The large yellow “NSP” letters seen here belong to the historic Northern States Power Company generating station in Red Wing,…

Minnesota, Neon Sign, NSP, Power Plant, Red Wing, Xcel Energy
The twin concrete containment domes pictured here belong to the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, located along the Mississippi River just northwest of Red Wing, Minnesota. Operated by Xcel Energy, the facility houses two pressurized-water reactors that began commercial operation in the early 1970s. The domed structures serve as reinforced containment buildings, designed to house the reactor vessels and critical safety systems. Set against the river and surrounded by dense tree cover, the plant sits adjacent to the Prairie Island Indian Community, whose proximity has been central to public discussions about nuclear safety, spent-fuel storage, and long-term energy planning in Minnesota. The low evening light in this image highlights the muted textures of the domes and the teal-panel cladding of the turbine and support buildings, offering a clear view of one of the state’s most prominent pieces of energy infrastructure.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant at Sunset

The twin concrete containment domes pictured here belong to the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, located along the Mississippi River…

Minnesota, Nuclear Power, Power Plant, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
Boaters on the Mississippi River driving towards the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. Treasure Island Resort & Casino, which is just past the plant, lit off it's annual 4th of July fireworks at dusk.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, 4th of July

Boaters on the Mississippi River driving towards the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. Treasure Island Resort & Casino, which is…

Boating, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nuclear, Power, Power Plant, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Red Wing, Sunset
A lone coyote stands alert in the tall summer grass just beyond an NSP Management – No Trespassing sign near the Prairie Island area north of Red Wing, Minnesota. This stretch of river valley and utility-owned land forms a surprisingly rich habitat corridor, where deer, foxes, coyotes, and bald eagles move freely between the Mississippi River floodplain and the wooded bluffs nearby. Despite the industrial footprint of the nearby power infrastructure, the surrounding fields and wetlands remain largely undeveloped, giving wildlife space to thrive. The coyote’s appearance at the edge of restricted property underscores how tightly human operations and natural ecosystems overlap along this section of the river.

Coyote Near NSP Property Line

A lone coyote stands alert in the tall summer grass just beyond an NSP Management – No Trespassing sign near…

Coyote, No Trespassing Sign, NSP Power Plant
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