Back in 1973 a friend and I crashed the grand opening ceremony and I recall walking away with a glossy multi-page booklet, a complementary hard hat (not remotely useable) and various other minor swag. The Philip Johnson designed IDS center seemed glittery, glamorous, exotic and impressive. I will admit to being a bit awestruck. Over the years I have innumerable fond memories whether entering at street level, walking in on the skyway level, sitting out on a balcony overlooking the Crystal Court or very occasionally parking below and taking in the scenery from the long lost observation level. In fact, at the risk of TMI I proposed to my late wife in 1978 while seated at a corner window table at the then still newish restaurant Windows on Minnesota (another casualty of change). Back in the day my father used to describe the IDS tower by slowly raising his middle finger. He dismissed it as "the box that the Foshay Tower came in." Well... that was then and this is now. My most recent memories are of of a tired, sparse, neglected and lonely place. Maybe an homage to glories past but one that has decidedly seen better days. Perhaps it is inevitable that as downtown Mpls has changed and become significantly repurposed structures such as the once inspiring IDS have lapsed into a rather sad reality. A veritable shadow of itself. I'm left with some great memories however! read more

The IDS center is the center of downtown Minneapolis. It is the hub of the skyways everything you need right downtown and the IDS is in the center of it very comfortable very inviting friendly environment. I love it. read more

We have to accept things change and will never be the same. Nostalgia aside when the IDS Center was a thriving, festive confluence of skyways and outside pedestrian traffic. Various shops from a high level men's clothing store, jewelry and balanced with a Woolworth. (For those not familiar, Woolworth was an everything variety store for many decades). Today there is yet another attempt at a restaurant on the floor in this quiet now plain ambience. read more

The Tallest Building in Minnesota. Rising above it all in downtown Minneapolis, the 729 feet high IDS (Investors Deversified Services, Inc.) Tower with 57 levels and 1.4 million-square feet of office and retail space is the tallest building in Minnesota. But just barely. This massive glass and steel skyscraper is only 15-feet taller than the nearby Capella Tower. There is a huge debate between the IDS Tower and Capella Tower on who is truly Minnesota's Tallest Building. What isn't debatable is that the IDS Center is the heart of the Minneapolis Skyway System and Downtown Minneapolis. It is more than a skyscraper. The IDS Center is a complex featuring the 57-level skyscraper, eight-story annex building, Marquette Hotel, two-story retail mall, and the Crystal Court. Unfortunately for the Minneapolis visitor, they will most likely not rise above it all. The tower is primarily a vertical privatized establishment for business. Unlike many skyscraper landmarks, there is no top of the world bar or restaurant here. Chances are that the visitor will be seeing the IDS Center from the street, retail mall, and Crystal Court. This is the way that I saw it. And the way that Mary Richard's saw it. If you are unfamiliar with Mary Richard's she was the main character on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show," which took place in Minneapolis. On the opening song "Love is all Around" there is the famous scene of her tossing her cap towards the building. As for me, I tossed more than one photo towards it. Unlike Mary Richard's I patronized the Starbuck's on the second floor in lieu of Basil's Restaurant. As you can see below, the vantage point of taking it the height of IDS Tower was from the Nicollet Transit Mall which runs through the Heart of Minneapolis. It is the centerpiece of the skyline. I spent the majority of my time here in the Crystal Court and not surprisingly in Starbuck's. The Crystal Court is an indoor park. The highlight of the park is the 105-foot tall cascading water fountain. Some people could describe it as an indoor rain forest. Throughout this indoor park beneath a glass enclosed roof in the shadow of the skyscraper are 18 olive trees and 68 benches. There is also a 29 foot interactive kiosk. Complimenting the indoor park is a gigantic American flag. In the heart of the hustle and bustle of Minneapolis this a tranquilizing indoor downtown space. Upstairs on level two, is the core of the skyway system. From the core of the skyway system four skyways radiate towards different areas of downtown. This is the zenith of the skyway experience. Looking down from the skyway level is a gorgeous view of the IDS Center Crystal Park which is one escalator ride below. It was here that I extended my moments in the tallest building of Minneapolis at the heart of the largest skyway system in America with a cup of Starbuck's. It was here that I'd continue along the skyway for more urban adventures. It was also here that Prince can be seen in "Purple Rain" looking at a shop. It is also here and downstairs in the Crystal Court where it is difficult to find a public restroom. When the need to use a restroom arrised I was left to utilize the one in the basement level of Nordstrom Rack by the Niccolet Transit Mall entrance. There you have it. Although the upper floors were off limits to me, the moments I exchanged seeing it from the street and inside its retail mall and Crystal Court were moments well spent. read more

This is a staple in MPLS. I enjoy this skyway system because its a main passage through MPLS. Wonderful place to have a cup of coffee and have a meeting. Never been in the office space of IDS but even through a pandemic, it's busy. You'll find coffee, ice cream, sandwiches, and other foods for your lunch break. You can walk in every direction needed with the skyway system. Public transportation has quality lines traveling on all sides of the establishment. Highly secured and patrolled with security, IDS houses some of the biggest financial institutions in the US. A great classic visit. I'm coming back! read more

IDS Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The IDS center is a nice relaxing place to hang if your in the area and have some time to blow or if you work near the area. It's like sitting in an inside park and has a very calming effect. I love the water fall/fountain that falls from the ceiling. Lots of trees in planters surrounded by park benches. Also what's a little crazy but adds to the pleasantness there are birds flying from tree to tree. "Hey birds, how did you get in there"!! read more

IDS Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The five stars is for the Crystal Court, which is on the ground floor of the building. I like the tower of the IDS Center only because its a landmark and our skyline would look weird without it. However if you like all - glass skyscrapers this is one of the nicest ones I've seen. The Crystal Court is an amazing space. It's got a really unique terraced glass ceiling that almost appears to be floating (see my photos), and from outside looks like a piece of ice sculpture. Wish it was illuminated at night, man would that be spectacular. It's the largest public space Downtown and is smack dab in the middle of it. It's so centrally located that if you're taking the Skyways you'll have to go through it to get from one direction to another. It is a grand, but welcoming space that doesn't have an uncomfortable imposingness to it. There are tons of places to sit under the ceiling mounted waterfall, which is a great place to have some coffee, read, or chat. During the holidays there are really awesome decorations in here including a giant Christmas tree. That part hasn't changed a bit since I was a child, it's still magical. Wish they'd bring back all the great food kiosks that used to be in there though. read more

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I really enjoy the IDS center. It's one of the many skyway hubs where you can get to and from a lot of places. They have a variety of restaurants including Mission, Cosii, People's Organic, Starbucks, yogurt and sandwich shops. During the summer and winter months they also have events, exhibitions or performances in the center of the tower. For example, there have been floor murals and choirs for various holidays or celebrations. It's always fun to see what's going on in the IDS tower, and even without anything going on the water fountain and sky lighting is enough to make you sit down and relax. Which you can do on one of the many white benches they have available. IDS is a good spot and you should definitely check it out if you haven't already. read more

IDS Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is my all time favorite spot in DT Mpls. I have so many great memories here. It is our town square. You can get anywhere in the skyway by starting in the IDS Center. read more

I was sick and walking the Sky Way from my hotel to Target on a freezing fall/winter day. The Sky Way, is certainly an interesting concept. It's crazy how you can be in a mall one second and then in a random lobby of some place another. My favorite Sky Way experience was at the IDS Center. As I walked over a street, I approached a big expanse. It looked as though I was approaching an outdoor (dare I say tropical) scene. The big square was a beautiful park like square. What pulls your view though is liquid. Yes, falling from what appeared to be nowhere was a stream of rain. Drops of water fell from the sky down to a fountain below. The rain looked as though it was from the sky, but here the sky is covered by glass. So yes, this amazing fountain was several hundred of feet tall. The sound of splashing water could be heard in the cavernous area of this square. I could have curled up and just went to sleep here. I, of course, loved the water. I loved the open-ness. This place had a homey feel to it. This enclosed capsule of life could have been anywhere. It could have been in space. It's a biosphere for the public. The waterfall uplifted me and helped me make it to the drugstore for medicine. I think I made it because this place was its own medicine. read more

This is the tallest building that we have here. Its the blue glass one. Just in case you're confusing it with the Wells Fargo. No, this is the IDS. Its purdy, it has a big fountain. And security guards. Lots of them, maybe I just look suspicious, but there are always there. Its 57 stories high, and you can rent out the top floor for your special celebrations. The view is incredible and the carped, yep, there is carpet there is funky. But yeah, the view is great, you can see over the other buildings and its amazing. There is also a Starbucks and Godiva in there. Within ten steps of each other. Cant beat that. read more

Extremely professional and comfortable setting with plenty of seating. It has that cool waterfall from the ceiling and the only downside is that there are no public rest rooms unless you pay money at cosi. read more

IDS Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Three stars for being such a beautiful building, for having a small farmer's market on the lobby floor, and for having shop after shop on the second floor. I liked that people congregated there as a seeming morning ritual to relax with a snack and beverage. On the outside they have some kind of very nice bicycle rental station. All in all, it was nice, just need to work on bringing the friendliness quotient higher. read more

Hey IDS security guards, I get you don't want homeless people sleeping in the upscale lobby area. But, sternly telling my 9 year old son to sit up while sitting on your bench is ridiculous! Besides, there is no posted "rule" you can't lay down on the bench. I see why there is only 3 people here today. Beautiful lobby, jerk security guards. read more

NEVER RETURNING! Ridiculous! Overpriced and no way to get your parked car out without walking down the ramp you drove down at certain times.

Nice place in Downtown Minneapolis to just sit back & enjoy a coffee. eateries & shops all around. Theres a touch screen information center which is really cool & a fountain of water falling from the ceiling. Relaxing, yes. read more

Gorgeous. So many things about Minneapolis made me want to move there, and this was no exception. I recently visited this building, where on the ground floor there is shopping, several pretty fountains, a "mall" feel. We were guests of a Groom's Dinner here, the day before some friends were married. They rented out the very tippy-top of this, the tallest building in Minneapolis, for the event. After about a dozen of us scrambled out of the elevator (it went about a floor per second, I swear) we were spewed out into a lovely lobby type area, where coats were hung on several racks. We deposited ours there and meandered in. It was breathtaking. And really, I do not do well with heights, but this was spectacular. We could practically see over the Wells Fargo building. As far as the food went, they had little h'ors doeuvres laid out for us to help ourselves, and they were all tasty as can be. The line for the bar was gaining members rapidly, so we jumped in there, to be greeted by a bartender (who I would later become better acquainted with) named Jim. Great guy! I tend to be drawn to the people working the parties, more so than the guests, and Jim made it so easy. His White Russians were divine, he did not scoff at us or anyone else for drinking a lot of Slivovitz (a traditional Serbian 100 proof plum brandy, provided specifically for this occasion), and he let me go on the honor system for tipping later (which I did!) Dinner was set up buffet style over 3 different locations. One station was for fajitas, one for stir-fry, and one for pasta. Everything I tried was excellent... and the fajitas were my particular stand-out. After dinner, I would be asked to stand up and make a speech for the bride and groom (unexpectedly) which I would stammer nervously... so back to Jim to numb my pain of having the worst speech. Then, we sang songs. We sang nothing too memorable... just testing out who knew what... mostly songs from movies. (Just for clarification, this was not a flirty thing- others were present, and I am no wait-staff picker-upper floozy.) All in all, fantastic night! Beautiful location, wonderful food, and most of all a happy bride & groom to be. read more

First kiss. First apartment. First architectural marvel. Yes, thank you Mr. Philip Johnson for my beloved IDS building. All these firsts are glorious memories, filed away in the scrapbook of my mind. Standing 57 stories tall, this chiseled blue glass edifice will always be the star of the Minneapolis skyline. From Mary Tyler Moore lunching on the mezzanine to my first Bennetton store. From the endless miles of skyway commuting to the revolving doors spilling out onto the infamous Nicollet Mall. And the sky high restaurants and bars. To be so young and feeling like a million bucks high atop my Minneapple, well, it puts a lump in my throat. Since it's erection (c'mon, I had to say it) in the early 70s (oddly enough when I had my first erection), the IDS building has championed Minneapolis into a respected and beloved city. And the hotel in the IDS....fantastic!!! A must stay for any visitor or resident. Thanks for the memories IDS....I hope we have many more. read more