History
The Metropolitan Sports Center was built in about a year next to Metropolitan Stadium to secure an NHL expansion franchise for Minnesota. It opened on October 21, 1967, with a North Stars win.
The North Stars played their whole Minnesota history there, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1981 and 1991. The arena also held two ABA teams, indoor soccer and many concerts, including Prince and Michael Jackson shows in the 1980s.
Owner Norm Green moved the North Stars to Dallas in 1993, and no new tenant emerged. The empty arena was imploded on December 13, 1994, in a televised blast that initially failed, and the land later went to Mall of America parking and an IKEA store.
Why it matters: Minnesota's first NHL arena, whose emptying after the North Stars' departure became a symbol of the state's loss of the team.
Timeline
- October 3, 1966
Construction began next to Metropolitan Stadium.
- October 21, 1967
The North Stars beat the California Seals before 12,951 fans.
- January 13, 1968Bill Masterton injury[1]
North Stars center Bill Masterton suffered a fatal injury in a game against the Oakland Seals.
- March 10, 1993Relocation announced[2]
Owner Norm Green announced the team's move to Dallas.
- April 13, 1993
The North Stars lost to Chicago in their final home game.
- December 13, 1994
The arena was imploded on live television; the first charges failed to bring it down and three detonations were needed.
- 2004
After years as Mall of America overflow parking, the site's west end became an IKEA store.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | IKEA store (opened 2004) on the west end; American Boulevard rerouted through the east end[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Minnesota Muskies | ABA · 1967–1968 |
|---|---|
| Minnesota North Stars | NHL · 1967–1993 |
| Minnesota Pipers | ABA · 1968–1969 |
| Minnesota Kicks | NASL · 1979–1981 · tenant |
| Minnesota Strikers | MISL · 1984–1988 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Metropolitan Sports Center (1967–1982) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7901 Cedar Avenue South, near the former Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota[1] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis |
| Level | NHL, ABA, NASL, MISL |
| Opened | October 21, 1967[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | April 13, 1993[1,2] |
| Demolished | December 13, 1994[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 12,500[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 15,784[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | MNopedia: built for 12,500 (the NHL expansion minimum). Wikipedia final: 15,784 hockey, 16,000 basketball. |
| Architect | Pattee Architects, Inc.[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $5.8 million[1] |
| Owner / operator | Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission[1] |
| Closure | The North Stars relocated to Dallas in 1993 and the commission found no replacement tenant. |
Documented details
- The first implosion attempt left the building standing on live TV; three controlled implosions were ultimately used.[1]
Connected venues
Sources
- Met Center (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, teams
- Metropolitan Sports Center (Met Center), Bloomington, MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Demolition of the Met Center (photograph), MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Minnesota Strikers league: infobox MISL vs text MSL.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.