Minneapolis City Hall

The 1906 Long and Kees Romanesque Revival building at 350 South Fifth Street, through daily operations, protests and the Derek Chauvin trial

Minneapolis City Hall — Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis City Hall stands at 350 South Fifth Street in downtown Minneapolis, a Romanesque Revival structure completed in 1905 after nearly two decades of construction. Designed by local architects Franklin B. Long and Frederick Kees, it was built from granite and sandstone quarried in Minnesota and Iowa and rises twelve stories to a clock tower 345 feet tall.

The building was conceived to serve both the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County under one roof, an arrangement that has continued without interruption since it opened. Its four clock faces, each roughly 24 feet in diameter and driven by a weight-powered mechanism, were among the largest in the world when installed, cast by the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston. A 22-ton bell still marks the hours over downtown. Inside, a central atrium contains a Carrara marble statue of Father Louis Hennepin, the Franciscan friar for whom the county is named, carved by Swedish-American sculptor Jacob Fjelde.

In 2021, the building was ringed with security fencing and its lower windows were boarded in advance of the Derek Chauvin murder trial, damage from heavy winds adding to the disruption during those weeks. The following year, protesters gathered inside the rotunda to deliver ethics complaints against Mayor Jacob Frey after the police shooting death of Amir Locke on February 2, 2022. The building remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to house Minneapolis city offices alongside Hennepin County courts and municipal administration.

Minneapolis City Hall's clock tower rises above North Loop rooftops near the C.J. Duffey Paper Company sign.
May 6, 2022 — Minneapolis City Hall opened in 1909 after a two-decade construction process, designed by the local firm Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Its clock tower rises 345 feet and once held the largest four-faced clock in the world when it was installed. The building has long housed Hennepin County District Court alongside city offices, a arrangement dating to the structure's earliest years. The C.J. Duffey Paper Company sign nearby marks a former warehouse in the North Loop, a district built up around Minneapolis's grain and milling trade in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Protesters gather inside Minneapolis City Hall to file ethics complaints against Mayor Jacob Frey following Amir Locke's police
February 11, 2022 — Protesters gathered inside Minneapolis City Hall to deliver ethics complaints against Mayor Jacob Frey, following the police shooting death of Amir Locke on February 2, 2022. Complaints followed the no knock warrant that lead to his killing.
Boarded Minneapolis City Hall with George Floyd graffiti during the Derek Chauvin trial.
April 2, 2021 — Minneapolis City Hall, a historic Beaux-Arts building completed in 1909, was boarded up during the 2021 murder trial of Derek Chauvin.
Boarded-up Minneapolis City Hall in downtown Minneapolis with plywood fencing around the entrance.
April 2, 2021 — Minneapolis City Hall, a Beaux-Arts style building completed in 1909, is seen here boarded up following damage from heavy winds. The building serves as the seat of government for the city of Minneapolis.
Snow and fencing around City Hall prior to Chauvin trial
February 17, 2021 — Minneapolis City Hall in downtown Minneapolis shown in February 2021. Security fencing going up around buildings in the area in preperation for the Derek Chauvin trial.
Fencing around city hall prior to Derek Chauvin trial
February 16, 2021 — Fencing and barricades begin going up around Minneapolis City Hall. The layers of fencing and barriers are going up with 20 days remaining before jury selection begins in the George Floyd Trial.
Oromo protesters gather outside Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis.
July 10, 2020 — Oromo protesters gather outside the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. The crowd fills the plaza around the central fountain, with people carrying Oromo and American flags and signs.
Closeup photo of Minneapolis clock tower at night
May 8, 2020 — The clock tower of Minneapolis City Hall glows at night, its illuminated faces visible across downtown. The landmark’s Romanesque architecture remains a defining feature of the city’s skyline.
Minneapolis City Hall and a skyway in downtown Minneapolis at night
February 14, 2020 — Minneapolis City Hall rises behind a skyway in downtown Minneapolis at night. The historic building’s green roof and stone façade are lit against nearby apartment and office buildings.
Minneapolis City Hall stands in heavy snow with outdoor market tents and pedestrians in the plaza below.
January 17, 2020 — Minneapolis City Hall, formally the Hennepin County Courthouse and City Hall, opened in 1905 after nearly two decades of construction, designed by Long and Kees in Romanesque Revival style. The building rises twelve stories and is topped by a clock tower with a 15-foot minute hand, once among the largest four-faced clocks in the world. Its granite exterior came from Minnesota quarries, and the interior features a large central atrium with a statue of Hennepin County namesake Father Louis Hennepin carved from Carrara marble by Swedish-American sculptor Jacob Fjelde. The building continues to house Minneapolis city offices as well as Hennepin County courts and government functions.
Turrets and green roofline of Minneapolis City Hall in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
November 4, 2019 — The Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse building stands at 350 South 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Completed in 1905, the Romanesque Revival structure was designed by architects Long and Kees. It houses offices for the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, including courtrooms and municipal administration.
Minneapolis City Hall Clock Tower lit at night above downtown Minneapolis
June 5, 2019 — Minneapolis City Hall’s clock tower rises above downtown Minneapolis at night. The historic building was completed in 1909.
Clock tower and corner turret of Minneapolis City Hall stand near scaffolding on a building under construction downtown.
November 24, 2018 — Minneapolis City Hall, at 350 South Fifth Street, was built between 1888 and 1906 to a design by architects Franklin B. Long and Frederick Kees in the Romanesque Revival style. Its tower rises 345 feet and carries four clock faces, each about 24 feet in diameter, driven by a weight-powered mechanism installed when the building opened. The clock has long been cited as one of the largest four-faced, chiming clocks in the country. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still houses Minneapolis municipal offices along with Hennepin County government functions.
Minneapolis City Hall's clock tower with green copper roof at sunset, surrounded by downtown buildings.
June 21, 2015 — Minneapolis City Hall occupies the block bounded by 4th and 5th Streets and 3rd and 4th Avenues South, completed in 1905 after more than a decade of construction. The Romanesque Revival building, designed by Long and Kees, was built from granite and sandstone quarried in Minnesota and Iowa. Its clock tower rises 345 feet and once housed the largest four-faced clock in the world, cast by the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston. The building serves as the seat of Hennepin County government and Minneapolis city offices, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 22-ton bell, cast for the tower, still marks the hours over downtown.
Minneapolis City Hall at sunset, surrounded by downtown office towers
June 21, 2015 — Minneapolis City Hall stands in downtown Minneapolis beside surrounding office towers at sunset. The historic Beaux-Arts building, completed in 1909, is the seat of city government and features a central clock tower with a green copper roof.

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis