The Gopher Way is a system of discontinuous

tunnels A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A Pipeline transport, pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used ...

and

skyway A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclo ...

s on the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

, Twin Cities campus which connects many buildings. The system is open during the normal business hours of the buildings it occupies, while some portions are open 24 hours a day. Access policies are posted at the entrances of connected buildings. It is one of three skyway/tunnel systems in the Twin Cities area. The other two occupy both downtown

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and downtown

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

. The system is segmented into eight parts: the West Bank; the Knoll and Mall areas; the Health and Gateway areas; and five smaller segments on the St. Paul campus.Campus Walking Guide
/ref> Parking structures are also connected to the Gopher Way. It is entirely possible for one to park, attend classes, eat lunch, and drive home without setting foot outdoors, but given the discontinuous nature of it, few people actually do.

References

Underground cities University of Minnesota Buildings and structures in Minneapolis Buildings and structures in Ramsey County, Minnesota Skyways {{Minnesota-struct-stub