The architectural and sports curious still have options for getting passage into U.S. Bank Stadium for either a preview or a behind-the-scenes tour.
Tickets for the $19 guided tours went on sale Thursday and moved briskly. Those tours begin Aug. 24 and run through Nov. 24.
Those are the only tours available right now to the general public. Paying guests will take 90-minute guided tours that include places most ticket holders never get to visit, including the Minnesota Vikings' locker room, the field itself and the press box.
Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) Chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen said although early weekend dates filled up, most weekday appointments remain open. "I do think it will become kind of a tourist attraction," Kelm-Helgen said.
The tickets can be purchased either online (ticketmaster.com) or by phone (612-371-2000) through Ticketmaster.
Another way in the building: Groups of 20 or more can book their guided tours directly, securing their own appointment, through stadium operator SMG at 612-777-8776.
The MSFA open house is another option for the general public. The event takes place July 23-24. Tickets for the open-house tours will be free, but there will be no guides and visitors will be confined to the main concourse. MSFA has not released information on when tickets will be available.
Don't expect to bump into quarterback Teddy Bridgewater or running back Adrian Peterson at the public open house.
Neither the paid tours nor the open house involves the Vikings, the stadium's main tenants. The Vikings sent a note to season-ticket holders last week, explaining the team's plan to get fans familiar with the new building.
The team will host three free orientations for season-ticket holders in late July or early August. The Vikings expect to announce the dates within the next couple weeks. These tours are not open to the general public.
The exclusive tours will be self-guided. Fans can sit in their new seats, check out club spaces and tour the team's locker room.
The Vikings' season-ticket holders contributed more than $100 million toward the construction of the stadium. For the ability to purchase a season ticket, fans first had to buy a stadium-builder license for their seat. The money went to the team owners who paid for more than half the cost of the $1.1 billion building.
The Vikings play their first preseason game in the building on Aug. 28. The first regular season home game is Sept. 18 vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747
Twitter: @rochelleolson
