parking tips for keith sweat at mystic lake casino hotel (prior lake, mn 01/31)

hey everyone, figured i'd share some parking advice for the keith sweat show on 01/31. since mystic lake is a casino and a major event spot, things can get crazy busy and backed up once you're actually on the property, especially right before the 8:00 pm showtime.

first thing’s first: if you honestly hate sitting in that final line of traffic, you should definitely check out Prked. the premise is you can rent private driveways or garage spots from people who live right off the main road leading into the casino property. it’s usually way cheaper than you’d think for a big event and you can pre-book a spot, which is clutch. the big win is that you can skip all the internal traffic getting into the massive lots and it’s a super short walk from a private spot.

now, for the main options: the great news is all the casino parking is free, which is awesome, so you don't pay a dime for self-parking or valet. there are tons of surface lots and a covered parking ramp that's connected by a skyway directly to the casino, which is perfect for a january night in minnesota.

the most important insider tip, especially since this show is likely in the mystic showroom or event center, is to **use the north entrance lot by the mystic lake center**. this lot has over 700 spaces and it’s a much, much shorter walk to the venue doors. if you use your gps, make sure you type in "mystic lake center" not just "mystic lake casino hotel" to be directed to the right spot. parking by the main casino entrance on the east side is a very long walk across the property.

valet parking is complimentary at both the hotel and casino entrances, but it's first-come, first-served, and the line to get your car back at the end of the night can be a mess. you should probably tip if you use it.

for timing, you really need to be parked and heading inside by 7:15 pm at the absolute latest. traffic coming in off highway 169 can get seriously backed up on event nights, so plan on arriving 45 minutes or so before the show to be safe and give yourself time to get through security screening.

if you don't want to drive at all, mystic lake has a free shuttle service that runs from the mall of america and a bunch of other places in the twin cities area. rideshare like uber or lyft is also easy, as they have a specific pickup and dropoff spot near the hotel entrance.

hope this helps everyone enjoy a night of great r&b without the parking headache!