History

The Minneapolis Armory was built to replace earlier, inadequate National Guard facilities in the city. Federal PWA funding made the scale of the project possible: the programme, administered by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, had by the mid-1930s produced hundreds of major civic buildings across the United States, from courthouses and post offices to libraries, schools, and military installations. In Minneapolis the PWA contribution was directed toward an armory that could function simultaneously as a military training facility and as a major public assembly space — a dual mandate that shaped both the scale and the character of the design.

Completed in 1936, the Armory served Minnesota National Guard units throughout World War II and the postwar decades. Its enormous drill hall, convertible for spectator events, meant the building was from the beginning used for purposes beyond its military function: boxing matches, political rallies, trade shows, and basketball games all took place in the hall during the mid-twentieth century. The Minneapolis Lakers, who became the Los Angeles Lakers after moving in 1960, played games in the Armory before moving to the Minneapolis Auditorium.

As National Guard priorities changed and newer facilities were built, the Armory’s military function diminished. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, recognising its architectural quality and civic history. In the twenty-first century it was renovated and reopened as a major concert and event venue under the name The Armory Minneapolis, with a capacity of approximately 8,500 for standing concerts. Its interior now hosts major touring music acts; its exterior remains one of the finest examples of PWA Moderne civic architecture in Minnesota.