Fort Snelling's Later Uses

After more than a century as a military outpost, Fort Snelling was decommissioned by the U.S. Army following World War II and transferred to the Veteran's Administration in 1946. Some Upper Post buildings were used for medical care, with the Hospital serving as an annex for the nearby Minneapolis Veteran's Hospital and providing an additional 200 beds for patients, while others became administration buildings for VA staff. Many buildings, including those along Officers' Row, housed VA staff, doctors, and their families in a non-traditional neighborhood known as "VA City" or "Tower Town," named for the prominent Round Tower at the Lower Post, now Historic Fort Snelling. Residents used amenities such as the swimming pool, fieldhouse, and golf course, formed social clubs, planted gardens, and gave tours of the Round Tower. Because Fort Snelling was not part of either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, residents had their own governing board, a mayor, and independent police and fire departments. In the 1960s the U.S. Army Reserve began using parts of the Upper Post for administration and training facilities. In 1971 the increasingly vacant site was transferred to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, but the Veteran's Administration continued using the site throughout the 1970s and the U.S. Army Reserve remained at the Upper Post until 1997. In 2023, after a long renovation project, the Upper Post Flats opened to house new residents.

Minnesota · United States