Nicollet Mall

Street life, transit, retail, and National Guard deployments along downtown Minneapolis's pedestrian corridor

Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

Nicollet Mall runs roughly twelve blocks through the center of Minneapolis, from Washington Avenue south to Grant Street, and has served as the city's main downtown pedestrian and transit corridor since the city closed it to general traffic in 1967. The street is lined with office towers, retail buildings, restaurants, and bars, and is connected to the broader downtown skyway network.

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Patrons sit at the bar inside Barrio Tequila Bar on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.View full post: Tequila Bar Sign at Barrio on Nicollet Mall
April 8, 2025 — Barrio is a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.
Three people converse on a downtown Minneapolis street near a Butter Cookies For Days vendor cart.View full post: Conversation Near a Cookie Cart in Downtown Minneapolis
October 17, 2024 — A street vendor, identified by the "Butter Cookies For Days" sign on their cart, operates in downtown Minneapolis.
Target's flagship store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis with pedestrians crossing in the plaza.View full post: Target Store on Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis
October 17, 2024 — The Target store on Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis. The store is the flagship store of Target Corporation which has it's headquarters down the road.
Cyclist rides past The Local restaurant's outdoor patio on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.View full post: Cyclist Passes The Local’s Patio on Nicollet Mall
September 26, 2024 — A Thursday evening on Nicollet Mall. Biker passes by The Local restaurant patio at 10th Street.
Skyway at Target HeadquartersView full post: Skyway at Target Headquarters
August 2, 2024 — Skyway between Target Plaza North and Target Plaza South. The buildings are home to the headquarters of retail giant Target.
Metro Transit Bus at Nicollet Mall July 2024View full post: Evening Commute Along Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis
July 31, 2024 — A Metro Transit bus travels along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Nicollet Mall.
Full patio at The Local in Downtown MinneapolisView full post: Evening Diners Fill The Local Irish Pub’s Patio on Nicollet Mall
July 9, 2024 — A full patio at the Local Irish Pub in Downtown Minneapolis. The restaurant is located on Nicollet Mall.
Pedestrians and a scooter user on Nicollet Mall at sunset in downtown Minneapolis, with the Target flagship store visible across the street.View full post: Crossing Nicollet Mall at Sunset Near Target’s Flagship Store
June 19, 2024 — Pedestrians and a scooter at sunset on Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis, across from Target's flagship store.
Blue chairs line a wooden deck at Peavey Plaza overlooking a still pool surrounded by mature trees and modern downtown Minneapolis architecture.View full post: Peavey Plaza’s Reflecting Pool in Downtown Minneapolis
June 5, 2024 — Peavey Plaza is a public plaza in downtown Minneapolis, next to Orchestra Hall on Nicollet Mall. It opened in 1975 and was rebuilt in 2019, keeping its signature reflecting pool as a central feature.
Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis features a water feature with blue Adirondack chairs, mature trees, and modern skyscrapers in the background.View full post: Downtown Skyline Reflected in Peavey Plaza’s Pools
June 5, 2024 — Peavey Plaza, located in downtown Minneapolis, is a public space designed by M. Paul Friedberg and opened in 1975.
Roxys cabaret shoe in downtown MinneapolisView full post: Roxy’s Cabaret 24/7 Diner, Downtown Minneapolis
May 13, 2024 — Roxy's Cabaret, also known as Nicollet Diner, stands in Downtown Minneapolis. This establishment operates as a 24/7 diner.
Police car parked outside Target headquarters on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis at night.View full post: Police Vehicles Outside the Target Store on Nicollet Mall
March 1, 2024 — Minneapolis police officers are visible inside the flagship Target store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis at night.
Diner sign with large shoe at Nicollet DinerView full post: Roxy’s Cabaret on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis
November 15, 2023 — Roxy’s Cabaret on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis occupies the upper level above The Nicollet Diner, whose vertical 24-hour sign marks the street-facing entrance below. The venue and diner are part of a mixed-use downtown entertainment and restaurant property on Nicollet Mall, one of Minneapolis’s main pedestrian-oriented commercial corridors.
Crowds eating on Nicollet Mall in the summerView full post: Nicollet Mall Restaurants Open Patios Downtown Minneapolis
May 4, 2023 — Restaurant patios line Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, a pedestrian mall that has served as a central public space and commercial corridor since its establishment in 1967.
Minneapolis Police squad cars parked in front of Target on sidewalkView full post: Minneapolis Police Cars on Nicollet Mall Sidewalk
April 15, 2023 — Minneapolis Police squad cars are parked on the sidewalk of Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis in April 2023.
Buses are currently not in service at Alice Rainville PlaceView full post: Alice Rainville Place Bus Stop, Minneapolis: Buses Not In Service
June 26, 2022 — A digital display at the Alice Rainville Place bus stop in Minneapolis indicates that "Buses are currently not in service." The stop, located in downtown Minneapolis, serves Metro Transit routes.
Chess on Nicollet Mall Downtown Minneapolis May 2022View full post: Chess and Games on Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis
May 12, 2022 — Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis is a pedestrian promenade designed to foster public activity and community engagement. The mall, originally conceived in the 1960s and redesigned multiple times since, serves as a central gathering space for residents and visitors. This image shows people playing chess and other games on the mall, highlighting its function as a place for leisure and social interaction.
Metro Transit bus goes by Brits PubView full post: Metro Transit Bus Passes Brit’s Pub on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
April 4, 2022 — A Metro Transit bus travels along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, passing Brit's Pub. Nicollet Mall, established in 1967, is a pedestrian-friendly street designed to revitalize the city's core and promote public transit.
Man walks down a snowy Nicollet MallView full post: Snowfall on Nicollet Mall with Illuminated Art Spheres, Minneapolis
December 4, 2021 — Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis is shown during light snowfall in December 2021, with a pedestrian walking past storefronts and seasonal lighting installations. The transit-and-pedestrian corridor was redesigned in the 1960s to prioritize foot traffic along one of the city’s main commercial streets and later rebuilt in the 2010s.
Metro Transit cameras on Nicollet MallView full post: Metro Transit Surveillance Unit on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
July 28, 2021 — A Metro Transit surveillance unit is positioned on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, outside a Target store and a Wine & Spirits shop. These mobile surveillance units, often referred to as "Tippy Cams," are deployed by law enforcement to monitor public spaces, particularly during events or periods of heightened security concern.
Nicollet Avenue Seating at Night, Downtown MinneapolisView full post: Nicollet Avenue Seating at Night, Downtown Minneapolis
July 28, 2021 — Chairs on Nicollet Mall seen in July 2021.
The Daytons Project on Nicollet Mall MinneapolisView full post: The Dayton’s Project on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
July 28, 2021 — The Dayton’s Project at 700 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis occupies the former Dayton’s department store building in the city’s retail core. Opened as Dayton’s in 1902 and later operated as Macy’s, the property was redeveloped as a mixed-use complex with office, retail, and restaurant space. The project retained the historic department store identity in its branding while adapting the long-standing Nicollet Mall site for new commercial tenants in the early 2020s.
Empty Nicollet Mall pedestrian street at night in downtown Minneapolis, with an enclosed skyway bridge overhead.View full post: Nicollet Mall and Skyway Bridge, Downtown Minneapolis
July 28, 2021 — Nicollet Mall runs about twelve blocks through downtown Minneapolis, from Washington Avenue to Grant Street. The city closed it to general traffic in 1967, turning it into a transit and pedestrian corridor reserved for buses, taxis, and bikes. A $50 million redesign by James Corner Field Operations reopened the street in 2017 with new lighting, seating, and a single traffic lane for buses. Enclosed skyways link many of the office towers and retail buildings along the route, letting people move between blocks without going outside.
Cyclists and pedestrians move through downtown Minneapolis's Nicollet Mall, where plywood boards cover ground-floor storefronts.View full post: Boarded Storefronts Along Nicollet Mall
November 3, 2020 — Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis with plywood covers on many ground-floor storefronts in the months after the unrest that followed George Floyd's killing in May 2020.
Look down at Nicollet Mall from aboveView full post: Crystal Court Roof, IDS Center, Downtown Minneapolis
October 12, 2020 — An aerial perspective reveals the distinctive glass-pyramid roof of the Crystal Court, a prominent indoor public plaza located within the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Flagship Target store boarded up on Nicollet MallView full post: Boarded Flagship Target Store, Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
October 4, 2020 — The Target Flagship Store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis stands with its entrance boarded with plywood.
Minneapolis police officers and mounted unit patrol Nicollet Mall at South 7th Street downtown.View full post: Mounted Police Unit Crossing Nicollet Mall at 7th Street
September 25, 2020 — Minneapolis Police officers, including a mounted unit, patrol Nicollet Mall at South 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis on September 25, 2020.
Target World Headquarters storefront at 1000 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis boarded with plywood at night.View full post: Boarded Entrance at Target Headquarters on Nicollet Mall
September 10, 2020 — Target World Headquarters at 1000 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis is seen at night with its ground-floor windows and entrances covered by plywood.
Minnesota National Guard vehicles outside Daytons in MinneapolisView full post: Minnesota National Guard vehicle, Nicollet Mall by Dayton’s, August 2020
August 28, 2020 — A Minnesota National Guard vehicle is positioned on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis in August 2020. This deployment occurred in response to civil unrest that followed false rumors of a police shooting, which led to property damage in the city center. The vehicle is seen near the historic Dayton's Project building, a significant architectural and commercial landmark.
Minnesota National Guard Humvee on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis during unrest in June 2020.View full post: National Guard Humvee, Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 2020 Unrest
June 1, 2020 — A Minnesota National Guard Humvee is parked on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, beneath the city’s skyway system near 7th Street South. The photograph was taken on June 1, 2020, during the period of unrest that followed the May 25 killing of George Floyd. Storefronts along the pedestrian corridor are covered with plywood, and the otherwise empty street shows the security presence in the central business district.
Boarded storefront of Nordstrom Rack at the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.View full post: Plywood Along Nordstrom Rack at the IDS Center After Unrest
May 30, 2020 — Nordstrom Rack occupies ground-floor retail space at the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. The IDS Center, completed in 1972, rises as Minnesota's tallest building and anchors this stretch of the mall with offices and shops. Plywood now covers the storefront's windows in the early hours of May 30, 2020, after protests and unrest followed the killing of George Floyd.
Boarded Target store at Nicollet Mall and 9th Street South in downtown Minneapolis during early morning hours.View full post: Target Store Boarded, Downtown Minneapolis, George Floyd Unrest
May 29, 2020 — This Target store sits at Nicollet Mall and Ninth Street South in downtown Minneapolis, its glass rotunda entrance topped with the company's bullseye logo. Plywood covers the ground-floor windows and doors here in the early hours of May 29, 2020, as businesses across the city boarded up amid the unrest following George Floyd's killing by police.
Target's flagship store illuminated at night on Nicollet Mall at South 9th Street in downtown Minneapolis.View full post: Target Store on Nicollet Mall at night
May 5, 2020 — Target's downtown Minneapolis store sits at the corner of Nicollet Mall and South 9th Street, its curved glass corner marked by the company's red bullseye logo. The flagship location anchors this stretch of the pedestrian mall, with a skyway overhead linking it to neighboring blocks.
Millennium Hotel on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis with one lit window among darkened guest rooms during COVID-19 lockdown.View full post: Only One Light on at Millennium Hotel on Nicollet Mall
March 23, 2020 — The Millennium Hotel stands at 1313 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, a 14-story tower near the Minneapolis Convention Center. Nicollet Mall, the street it fronts, opened in 1967 as downtown Minneapolis's main pedestrian and transit street. Only one window lit up during COVID-19 lockdown.
Sushi Train restaurant entrance at 1200 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on a snowy evening.View full post: Sushi Train on Nicollet Mall on a Snowy Night
February 14, 2020 — Sushi Train is a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant at 1200 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. The conveyor-belt format, where plates circle the dining counter for customers to pick up, began in Japan in the 1950s and later spread worldwide.
Knitted figures with a purple banner quoting Prince's "Purple Rain" hang from a downtown Minneapolis fence.View full post: Yarn-Bombed Gnomes with “Purple Rain” Quote on Nicollet Mall
February 12, 2020 — Fiber art installed on a fence in downtown Minneapolis on February 12, 2020 includes a stitched quotation from Prince’s “Purple Rain.”
A temporary Ferris wheel illuminates Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four fan festival.View full post: Tip-Off Tailgate Ferris Wheel Near the WCCO Sign
April 2, 2019 — Nicollet Mall is downtown Minneapolis's main shopping street, a pedestrian and transit mall that opened in 1967 and was rebuilt in 2015–2017. A temporary Ferris wheel stands on the mall in April 2019 as part of the Tip-Off Tailgate, a fan festival tied to the NCAA Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Illuminated Ferris wheel installed on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four.View full post: A Ferris Wheel Lights Up Nicollet Mall for the Final Four
April 2, 2019 — Nicollet Mall is downtown Minneapolis's main shopping street, a pedestrian mall that opened in 1967 and was rebuilt in 2015–2017. A temporary Ferris wheel stands on the mall in April 2019 for the NCAA Final Four.
A colorful illuminated Ferris wheel stands on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis during the 2019 NCAA Final Four.View full post: A Ferris Wheel Lights Up Nicollet Mall for the 2019 Final Four
April 2, 2019 — A Ferris wheel was set up on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis for the 2019 NCAA Final Four, part of the fan festivities held around the men's basketball championship that April.
Illuminated Ferris wheel with blue neon spokes installed downtown Minneapolis for the 2019 NCAA Final Four tournament.View full post: Ferris Wheel on Nicollet Mall During Final Four Weekend
April 2, 2019 — A temporary Ferris wheel was set up on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis for Final Four Fan Fest events tied to the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four. The tournament's championship games were played at U.S. Bank Stadium that April, with related fan activities held throughout downtown.
Illuminated downtown Minneapolis office and residential towers rise above a still water feature near Nicollet Mall at night.View full post: Minneapolis Skyline Reflected in a Water Feature Near Nicollet Mall
March 26, 2019 — Downtown Minneapolis's towers rise near Nicollet Mall, including Capella Tower and the Fifth Street Towers, among office buildings and residential high-rises built up in the 2000s and 2010s.
Aerial view of the former Dayton's department store rooftop and surrounding downtown Minneapolis buildings at night.View full post: Rooftops of the Former Dayton’s Building Above Nicollet Mall
October 15, 2018 — The former Dayton's department store building occupies a full block along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, between Seventh and Eighth streets. Dayton's opened the flagship store in 1902 and operated there for decades before the chain became Macy's, which closed the location in 2017. The complex has since been redeveloped for offices and retail under new ownership.
A construction barrier banner on downtown Minneapolis's Nicollet Mall announces "The New Nicollet" redevelopment project opening November 2017.View full post: “The New Nicollet” Construction Banner at Night
June 11, 2017 — Nicollet Mall is downtown Minneapolis's main street, rebuilt between 2015 and 2017. A banner on the construction fencing promised the finished project, called "The New Nicollet," would be done by November 2017.
Westminster Presbyterian Church expansion under construction on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, with tower crane and surrounding high-rise buildings.View full post: Westminster Presbyterian Church Addition Under Construction in Downtown Minneapolis
May 22, 2017 — Westminster Presbyterian Church stands at 12th Street and Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, a stone sanctuary dating to 1897. In 2017 the church built an underground addition and garden next to the historic building, with a tower crane rising over the construction site.
Nicollet Mall under construction at dusk in downtown Minneapolis, with the IDS Center tower illuminated in the background.View full post: Construction Along Nicollet Mall Near the IDS Center
May 21, 2017 — Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis during the COVID-19 shutdowns.

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