Minneapolis COVID Shutdown

Nicollet Mall, Hennepin Avenue and surrounding blocks during Minnesota's spring 2020 stay-at-home orders

March 15, 2020 - December 18, 2020 — Minneapolis

Nicollet Mall went quiet almost overnight in March 2020, when Minnesota's stay-at-home order emptied the streets of downtown Minneapolis and shuttered bars, restaurants, music venues, and shops across the city. What had been one of the busiest pedestrian corridors in the Upper Midwest became a stretch of wet pavement and dark storefronts.

The closures arrived fast. Governor Tim Walz issued the statewide stay-at-home order on March 27, 2020, and within days transit platforms were nearly deserted, the Orpheum Theatre on Hennepin Avenue had posted a "Stay Safe, Stay Tuned" message on its marquee, and the Cabooze on Cedar Avenue in the West Bank was telling passersby that "it will get better." First Avenue kept its doors shut while its marquee urged people to vote. The Hilton Minneapolis arranged guest-room lights into the word "HOPE." These were not performances — they were a city trying to hold itself together through glass and signage.

The practical adjustments accumulated alongside the symbolic ones. The city disabled hundreds of pedestrian crosswalk buttons to reduce contact with shared surfaces, Minneapolis Parks closed parkways to vehicles and reserved them for foot and bicycle traffic, and retailers that remained open posted social distancing instructions at their entrances.

This period sits at the opening of a longer and more turbulent stretch for Minneapolis. The shutdown documented here preceded the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the unrest that followed — events that would reshape the city's politics, its built environment, and its sense of itself for years afterward. What these weeks capture is the city at a particular kind of stillness, before everything that came next.

City Hall train station in Minneapolis — *December 18, 2020* — Government Plaza station serves as a key transit hub for the Green Line and Blue Line light rail services in downtown Minneapolis. Opened in 2004, the station is situated beneath the plaza of the same name, connecting commuters and visitors to the heart of the city's business and government district. Pictured here during COVID-19 shutdowns.

Hennepin Ave bridge at night during covid19 — *May 4, 2020* — The Hennepin Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis, MN, is seen here during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walgreens social distancing sign in Minneapolis instructing customers to stay six feet apart during COVID-19. — *April 29, 2020* — A temporary A-frame sign outside a Walgreens in Minneapolis instructs customers to follow CDC social distancing guidelines and remain six feet apart while inside and outside the store. The sign was posted during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when pharmacies remained open as essential businesses and adopted distancing measures to manage customer traffic.

Barnes and Noble covid19 closure sign — *April 29, 2020* — A sign posted on the window of the Barnes & Noble Minneapolis-Calhoun store announces its temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice, issued at the request of public health officials, reflects a widespread public health measure that impacted retail operations globally in 2020 and 2021.

Bob Dylan mural by Eduardo Kobra beside Nicollet Mall station in downtown Minneapolis. — *April 27, 2020* — Eduardo Kobra’s Bob Dylan mural, titled “Face of Music,” covers the side of a building beside the empty METRO light rail platforms at Nicollet Mall station in downtown Minneapolis during COVID-10 closures. Completed in 2015, the large-scale work presents a multicolored portrait of Dylan, who was born in Minnesota, and is visible from the transit corridor along Hennepin Avenue.

Minneapolis parks coronavirus signage — *April 22, 2020* — During the COVID-19 pandemic, Minneapolis Parks implemented temporary measures to manage public access to its parkways and trails. This signage, affixed to a barrier, directs pedestrians and cyclists to designated paths, indicating that parkways were closed to vehicular traffic and reserved for non-motorized use. The directive aimed to provide safe outdoor spaces for recreation while adhering to public health guidelines.

Crosswalk button with COVID-19 notice in Minneapolis stating the walk signal turns on automatically. — *April 21, 2020* — A pedestrian crosswalk button in Minneapolis is covered with a notice stating that pushing the button is not required and that the walk signal will activate automatically. The temporary sign was part of the city’s COVID-19 response in spring 2020, when Minneapolis disabled hundreds of walk buttons to reduce contact with shared surfaces.

Loews Minneapolis Hotel beside the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis at night during April 2020. — *April 4, 2020* — The Loews Minneapolis Hotel and the Target Center are shown in downtown Minneapolis at night. The hotel, which opened in 2000, stands beside the arena as part of the same downtown entertainment complex. Photographed in April 2020, during the early COVID-19 shutdown period, the image shows the illuminated hotel tower and the Target Center signage on the arena facade.

Hilton Minneapolis in downtown Minneapolis with “HOPE” and a heart lit in hotel windows during COVID-19. — *April 3, 2020* — The Hilton Minneapolis in downtown Minneapolis is lit at night with guest-room windows forming the word “HOPE” and a heart on April 3, 2020. The hotel stands among office towers and the nearby Westminster Presbyterian Church during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when shutdowns had reduced activity across the city center.

Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis with lit rooms during the early coronavirus pandemic. — *April 3, 2020* — Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, with rooms lit during the early coronavirus pandemic. The hotel is part of the downtown skyline near Nicollet Mall and neighboring office and apartment towers.

First Avenue and 7th St Entry in downtown Minneapolis with a VOTE 2020 marquee during COVID-19 shutdowns. — *April 2, 2020* — First Avenue and the 7th St Entry in downtown Minneapolis are shown on April 2, 2020, during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The music venue’s marquee displays “VOTE 2020,” while the streets around the corner building are largely empty.

Hard Times Cafe with boards on door during covid closures — *April 1, 2020* — The Hard Times Cafe, located at 1823 Riverside Drive in Minneapolis's Cedar Riverside neighborhood, was boarded up during the COVID-19 pandemic closures.

Empty Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis at night during the stay-at-home order. — *March 28, 2020* — Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis on the first night of Minnesota's stay-at-home order. The street, typically bustling with activity, is deserted as businesses close and residents are advised to remain indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sneaky Petes during covid19 stay at home orders — *March 28, 2020* — Sneaky Pete’s Bar at 14 N. 5th St. in downtown Minneapolis stands dark beside a METRO light rail platform on March 28, 2020, the first night of Minnesota’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

Nicollet Mall train station during covid19 stay at home orders — *March 28, 2020* — Nicollet Mall Station in downtown Minneapolis is shown on a rainy night in late March 2020, the image shows the station during the early COVID-19 stay-at-home period, when transit facilities and downtown streets were markedly quieter than usual.

Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis during Stay At Home Orders — *March 27, 2020* — Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis is seen during Minnesota's COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

The Cabooze marquee says It Will Get Better — *March 24, 2020* — The Cabooze marquee on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis’s West Bank neighborhood displays the message “IT WILL GET BETTER” on March 24, 2020. The music venue, identified on the sign as “917 on the West Bank,” was closed during the early weeks of Minnesota’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

Orpheum Theatre marquee reading Stay Safe Stay Tuned — *March 24, 2020* — The Orpheum Theatre marquee on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis displays the message “Stay Safe, Stay Tuned” above “HennepinTheatreTrust.org” on March 24, 2020. The sign was posted during Minnesota’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order, when theaters and other performance venues were closed to the public.

Rainy night at an empty Speedway Gas in Loring Park — *March 23, 2020* — A Speedway gas station and adjacent strip mall in Minneapolis’s Loring Park neighborhood sit largely empty on a rainy night in March 2020.

Hyatt Regency and other hotels on Nicoillet Mall in the rain — *March 23, 2020* — Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis appears nearly empty on a rainy night in March 2020, during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking down S 8th Street during COVID19 on rainy night — *March 22, 2020* — South 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis is seen on March 22, 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The street, typically bustling with activity, are empty.

Rainy night outside CIty Center on Nicolelt Mall in Minneapolis. — *March 22, 2020* — Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis is reflected in the wet pavement on a rainy night in early 2020, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairs on Nicollet Mall during a rainy early COVID19 night — *March 22, 2020* — Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis is seen on a rainy night during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daytons and IDS Center on Nicollet Mall in the rain — *March 22, 2020* — The Dayton's Project and the IDS Center stand on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dayton's building, a historic landmark in the city's retail landscape, was a prominent fixture on the mall for decades.

Single bus on Nicollet Mall during COVID19 — *March 15, 2020* — A mostly empty Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis at dusk in March 2020, during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minneapolis COVID Shutdown

Minneapolis Photographer