Minneapolis Skyway System

The Minneapolis Skyway System is an interlinked collection of enclosed pedestrian footbridges that connect various buildings in 80 full city blocks over 11 miles (18 km) of Downtown Minneapolis, enabling people to walk in climate-controlled comfort year-round. It is the longest continuous system in the world. The skyways are owned by individual buildings in Minneapolis, and as such they do not have uniform opening and closing times. The 11 miles of skyway are comparable to the Houston tunnel system, the systems in Canadian cities such as Toronto's PATH, Montreal's Underground City, Calgary's 11-mile +15 system and the 8-mile Edmonton Pedway system.The Minneapolis skyways connect the second and third floors of various office towers, hotels, banks, corporate and government offices, restaurants, and retail stores to the Nicollet Mall shopping district, the Block E Entertainment District, and the sports facilities at Target Center, Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium. Several condominium and apartment complexes are skyway-connected as well, allowing residents to live, work, and shop downtown without having to leave the skyway system.History and developmentThe city's first skyways were planned by real estate developer Leslie Park in the early 1960s. Sensing pressure from indoor shopping malls such as Southdale Center, Park wanted to create a similar environment in Downtown Minneapolis that would offer a climate-controlled space and a way for pedestrians to move from building to building. He built two skyways connecting the newly constructed Northstar Center building to the Northwestern Bank Building and the Roanoke Building. The skyway to the Northwestern Bank Building was built in 1962 and the skyway to the Roanoke Building followed the next year. The second skyway still remains in use today and is the system's oldest segment.