Casino Teepee of Light.

Casino Teepee of Light

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community opened the Mystic Lake Casino in 1992, Minnesota's first (and largest) gambling hall. Encouraging gamblers to "follow the lights," the casino installed a dozen high-powered searchlights, angled upward and inward to form a ghostlike teepee. The lights were originally so bright that the FAA forced the Sioux to lower the wattage, fearful that they might blind airplane pilots and passengers that passed through them.

From miles away the light-pole beams become invisible, but when there's a thin deck of clouds at night they form a circle of dots in the sky, which has led to a number of reports of UFOs.

Casino Teepee of Light

Mystic Lake Casino

Address:: 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd, Prior Lake, MN
Directions:: Mystic Lake Casino, southwest of Minneapolis. US Hwy 169, exit south onto Canterbury Rd, which becomes Mystic Lake Blvd.
Hours:: Visible at night. Local health policies may affect hours and access.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Sever's Corn Maze, Shakopee, MN - 4 mi.

Giant Purple Face of Prince, Chanhassen, MN - 10 mi.

Minnesota Vikings Ship, Eden Prairie, MN - 10 mi.

In the region:

Vikings, Beach Dude, Gorilla, Hampton, MN - 24 mi.

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