Some Sundays in Minneapolis are just Sundays. And then there is the second Sunday in September, when purple takes over downtown, a green-and-gold contingent rolls in from the east, and the whole city seems to lean forward at once.
On Sunday, September 13, 2026, the Minnesota Vikings open their home season against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium — kickoff 3:25 p.m. CDT, on CBS. It is the oldest rivalry on the schedule, the first home game of the year, and one of the few weekends when downtown rooms disappear early.
Which is exactly the argument for staying somewhere that is not a hotel.
The main event: Vikings vs. Green Bay, Sunday, September 13
The matchup is confirmed on both the Vikings 2026 schedule and the U.S. Bank Stadium event page: Week 1, 3:25 p.m. CDT at 401 Chicago Avenue, with doors opening at 1:25 p.m.
Two practical notes that save people real grief at the gate. First, the stadium runs the NFL clear bag policy — clear bags no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″, or a one-gallon freezer bag, plus a small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″. No backpacks, no camera bags, no purses beyond that clutch. One 32-ounce factory-sealed plastic water bottle, or an empty reusable one, is allowed per person at Vikings games. Second, U.S. Bank Stadium is fully cashless, so bring a card or a phone.
It is a milestone season for the building, too: the stadium marked ten years downtown in July 2026.
A rare double-header weekend: baseball, then football
Here is the part most visitors miss. The Minnesota Twins are home that same weekend, hosting the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field on Friday, September 11 (7:10 p.m.), Saturday, September 12 (3:10 p.m.), and Sunday, September 13 (1:10 p.m.) — see the Twins September schedule.
Read those Sunday times again. First pitch at 1:10, kickoff at 3:25, and the two ballparks sit at opposite ends of the same walkable downtown. Catch a few innings under an early-autumn sky, then head to the football game. There are not many cities where that afternoon is even possible.
Getting there from Loring Park
300 Clifton sits in Loring Park, on the quiet green edge of downtown — close enough that game day never involves a freeway. U.S. Bank Stadium and Target Field are both short rides across downtown, and plenty of guests make an afternoon of the walk when the weather cooperates, which mid-September in Minnesota usually does.
Light rail serves both venues. Metro Transit’s summer Blue Line reconstruction is scheduled to wrap well before this weekend, but transit work has a way of shifting, so it is worth a glance at Metro Transit rider alerts the morning of the game.
And when you would rather not move at all, Loring Park is right across the street, with its pond, its paths, and the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge over to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
Cannot wait until September? There is a preseason game first
If you want a lower-key look at the new season, the Vikings host the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game on Saturday, August 22, at 12:00 p.m. — same stadium, same short trip from the mansion, considerably easier tickets.
Why a mansion beats a chain hotel on game weekend
300 Clifton is the Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion — a National Register house often called the finest Georgian architecture in Minnesota, with hand-painted murals, carved fireplaces, and English gardens that feel a long way from a stadium concourse.
The rooms run from the Crystal Mansion to the Grand Edwardian, the Georgian Room, and the Estate Rooms. The two things guests talk about afterward, though, are the four-season garden hot tub — genuinely the right ending to a long day on your feet — and Gertrude’s Cistern, the speakeasy and video lounge downstairs, where heated reclining seats and a big screen make a very good home for the early games before you head to kickoff.
The mansion also has a reputation for being haunted, which is either a bonus or a bug depending on your temperament.
Make a weekend of it
Add a Minneapolis Trolley Tours ride on Saturday morning — the vintage trolleys cover the city’s Gilded Age mansions, riverfront, and true-crime history, and there is a whole list of things to do in Minneapolis to build the rest of the day around. For an evening with more atmosphere than a sports bar, the Pillsbury Club pours themed drinks inside another National Register mansion. Staying longer than a weekend, or bringing a crowd? Oakland’s on 9th has furnished downtown studios by the month.
Planning further ahead: we have written up Gopher football’s September home games, FinnFest USA the following weekend, and an earlier Twins and Vikings stretch in August.
Book the home opener
Rivalry weekends fill the mansion faster than most. See what is open, and what is included, on our specials and packages page, or call and we will help you pick the right room. Bring the purple. We will keep the hot tub warm.
Keep reading: National Geographic just named Minneapolis one of the world’s best food destinations, and we rounded up where to eat while you are in town.
Keep reading: Where to Stay Near the Minneapolis Institute of Art — Mia’s free fall exhibitions, and the mansion owner who helped found the museum.