First Avenue

First Avenue sits at 701 First Avenue North in downtown Minneapolis, a black-painted concrete box that has functioned as the anchor of Twin Cities music culture since 1970. Originally opened as a Greyhound bus depot in 1937 before its conversion into a nightclub, the building has survived multiple name changes, a fire, and five decades of shifting musical trends to remain the region’s definitive rock venue. Its exterior wall of silver stars, each stenciled with the name of a performer who sold out the room, functions as an unofficial hall of fame that draws pedestrians and music pilgrims year-round, independent of whether a show is happening that night.

First Avenue is a 1,550-capacity independent music club at 701 First Avenue North in downtown Minneapolis, famous as Prince’s home stage and the filming location for Purple Rain (1984). Tickets typically run $15-$75 depending on the act; the building also houses the smaller 7th St Entry room. Arrive 30-60 minutes before doors, check the star-studded exterior, and book tickets directly through firstavenue.com to avoid resale markups.

At A Glance

Deep Origins, Architectural Evolution & Cultural Significance

The building at 701 First Avenue North began its life in 1937 as a Greyhound bus depot, a streamline moderne structure designed for transient travelers rather than concertgoers. Its low ceilings, sturdy concrete shell, and open floor plan proved unexpectedly suited to live music once entrepreneur Allan Fingerhut converted the space into a nightclub called The Depot in 1970, deliberately preserving the building’s transit-era bones rather than gutting them. The club rebranded as Uncle Sam’s in 1972, then Sam’s in 1979, before settling on First Avenue in 1981, a name that stuck through decades of ownership changes, a bankruptcy scare in 2004, and a community-led rescue effort that kept the club independently operated. The 7th St Entry, a smaller adjoining room with a capacity near 250, opened in 1980 and became the proving ground for touring and local acts too small for the Main Room, a model still in practice today.

First Avenue’s cultural weight is inseparable from Prince, who performed there dozens of times between 1981 and his death in 2016 and used the club as the primary filming location for Purple Rain, the 1984 film that transformed the venue into an international landmark. The Main Room’s stage, sightlines, and even its black-box aesthetic appear throughout the film, and the club leaned into that legacy rather than distancing from it, hosting an all-night tribute the evening Prince died that drew thousands of mourners to dance in the street outside. Beyond Prince, the venue’s stage has hosted early or pivotal shows by Nirvana, U2, R.E.M., The Replacements, Soul Asylum, and countless touring acts who used Minneapolis as a proving ground between Chicago and the West Coast. The exterior Star Wall, added in 1981 and continuously updated, now holds more than 500 stars honoring performers, a physical record of the club’s role in shaping American popular music that visitors photograph even when no show is scheduled.

Signature Highlights & Detailed Offerings

The Main Room holds roughly 1,550 people across a sloped concrete floor with no fixed seating, a small elevated area along the back wall for those wanting distance from the pit, and a horseshoe-shaped balcony added during later renovations that offers an elevated view of the stage without needing to fight for floor position. The stage itself sits low, roughly waist height from the front rail, a deliberate design choice that keeps the audience physically close to performers rather than distanced by a raised proscenium. The sound system has been rebuilt multiple times, most recently with a line-array configuration tuned specifically for the room’s concrete surfaces, which produce a harder, more percussive acoustic signature than carpeted arena venues.

7th St Entry, accessible through a separate entrance on 7th Street, functions as the club’s incubator room, booking emerging local bands, touring acts on their first Minneapolis stop, and DIY showcases that rarely appear on national tour calendars. Tickets here typically run $10-$25 and shows often sell out only day-of, rewarding spontaneous visitors. The Record Room, a small bar area near the Main Room entrance, displays rotating memorabilia including gig posters, ticket stubs, and photographs from five decades of shows, giving visitors a self-guided micro-museum experience before doors open. The Mainroom bar serves standard concert fare: canned beer $6-$8, well drinks $8-$10, and a limited snack menu rather than a full kitchen, so visitors planning a full dinner should eat beforehand.

Sensory & Spatial Walkthrough

Walking in from First Avenue North, the exterior’s flat black paint and star-covered facade create a deliberately unglamorous first impression, more industrial warehouse than concert hall, which locals treat as part of the club’s identity rather than a shortcoming. Inside, the Main Room’s low ceiling and dark walls swallow ambient light, so most illumination during a show comes from stage rigging, creating a tight, enclosed acoustic environment where bass frequencies reverberate off concrete rather than dissipating into open rafters. During the day, when the club opens for merchandise sales or private events, sunlight rarely penetrates beyond the lobby, keeping the interior in near-permanent twilight regardless of hour. Floor standing during shows means visitors should expect close body contact in the front third of the room, while the balcony and back walls offer breathing room and better vantage for photographs of the full stage without a phone screen overhead. The concrete floor, combined with a slight downward slope toward the stage, means footwear matters; flat, closed shoes are the practical choice given spilled drinks and standing for hours.

Insider Visitor Strategy & Pro Tips

• Buy tickets directly through firstavenue.com or the club’s official Ticketmaster page; third-party resale sites routinely mark up popular shows by 200% or more.
• Arrive 30-45 minutes before doors for general admission Main Room shows if front-row proximity matters; arrive at doors for balcony or back-of-room viewing.
• Bags are limited to small clutches or none at all for most shows; check the specific show’s bag policy on the website beforehand since security enforces strictly.
• Cameras without detachable lenses are generally permitted for personal use; professional camera equipment requires photo pit credentials arranged in advance with the artist’s team.
• The best photograph of the exterior Star Wall comes from across First Avenue North in late afternoon, when the setting sun angles light across the stars without glare.
• For 7th St Entry shows, check the door around 6:30-7pm; smaller shows sell walk-up tickets and rarely require advance purchase.
• December through March books slower touring seasons; May through October carries the heaviest concert calendar tied to festival season routing.

Curated Half-Day Neighborhood Pairing Itinerary

Begin at First Avenue itself around midday to photograph the Star Wall in daylight before crowds gather for evening shows. Walk two minutes east to Target Center and the adjacent Target Field concourse area, where sports memorabilia shops and quick-service coffee stands offer a caffeine stop; grab a drip coffee at Caribou Coffee’s downtown location on Hennepin Avenue, roughly a four-minute walk. From there, head south on Hennepin Avenue for eight minutes to the Hennepin Theatre District, home to the State Theatre and Orpheum Theatre, both ornate 1920s movie palaces now hosting touring Broadway productions; even without tickets, their marquees and lobbies (viewable through glass doors) make for a strong architectural contrast to First Avenue’s stripped-down exterior. Finish the loop with a ten-minute walk to Mill City Museum along the Mississippi riverfront, built inside the ruins of the former Washburn A Mill, where visitors can climb an eight-story freight elevator ride narrating Minneapolis’s flour-milling history for around $12 admission. The full circuit runs under two miles and fits comfortably into three hours, ending near enough to First Avenue to loop back for an evening show.

Practical Logistics & Universal Accessibility

Metro Transit bus routes 4, 6, and 12 all stop within a block of the venue along Hennepin Avenue or First Avenue North. The Nicollet Mall light rail station on the Green and Blue Lines sits roughly eight minutes away on foot, making rail the simplest option for visitors without a car. Drivers will find the Target Center Ramp and the 1st Avenue North Ramp both within a two-minute walk, with typical event-night rates between $10 and $20 depending on show demand; street parking after 6pm is metered but often available a few blocks north on Currie Avenue. The venue offers step-free entry through its main doors, and the Main Room floor is fully accessible without stairs; an accessible viewing platform is available near the soundboard for wheelchair users and companions, reservable by calling the box office in advance. Restrooms include accessible stalls on the main level. There is no formal dress code, though the club skews casual and dark clothing is common among regular attendees. Payment for bar purchases and merchandise is cash or card, with most transactions now card-only at the bars since 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is First Avenue the actual club from Purple Rain? Yes, the Main Room and exterior of First Avenue served as the primary filming location for Prince’s 1984 film Purple Rain, and the club still references this history throughout the venue.

What is the age policy for shows? Most shows are all-ages, though some are 18+ or 21+ depending on the artist and promoter; the specific age restriction is listed on each individual show’s ticket page.

Can I get a tour of First Avenue without attending a concert? First Avenue does not offer regular public daytime tours, but the exterior Star Wall and Record Room memorabilia can often be viewed when the box office or merchandise counter is open during business hours.

How do I find out which room a show is in, Main Room or 7th St Entry? The venue’s website and ticket listings specify the room for every show; 7th St Entry has its own separate entrance on 7th Street and its own smaller ticket allocation.

Is there food available inside the venue? First Avenue does not operate a full kitchen; expect bar snacks and drinks only, so eat at a nearby downtown restaurant before arriving.

What is the best way to buy tickets without paying inflated resale prices? Purchase directly through firstavenue.com, which links to the official Ticketmaster or club-run ticketing page, and avoid secondary marketplaces that list markups exceeding face value.