As a business attorney in Minneapolis, I regularly meet clients at locations throughout the Twin Cities. Over the years, I’ve compiled this directory of free and affordable meeting spaces for professionals who need a private or semi-private place to meet without the overhead of a dedicated office.

Whether you’re an attorney, consultant, real estate agent, or small business owner, these options can help you find the right setting for your next meeting. If you’re holding a formal board meeting or LLC member meeting, you’ll also want a plan for taking and maintaining meeting minutes—the space is just the start.

Public Libraries

Public libraries offer the most reliable free meeting rooms in the Twin Cities metro. Every system uses LibCal for online reservations, and most rooms include WiFi and basic AV equipment—making them a strong default choice for internal team meetings and planning sessions.

One important note for business professionals: Most library systems prohibit “commercial activities” in their meeting rooms. This generally means no sales presentations, fee-based consultations, or client transactions. Internal team meetings, planning sessions, and educational discussions are typically fine. If your meeting involves exchanging money or pitching services, consider a coworking space instead.

Hennepin County Library (Minneapolis and Suburbs)

Hennepin County Library is the largest system in the metro, with 37 locations offering meeting rooms, conference rooms, study rooms, and hybrid meeting rooms. The Minneapolis Central Library is the flagship, with rooms ranging from 4-person study rooms to Pohlad Hall (235 capacity). Full details on room types and policies are available on the Hennepin County Library meeting rooms page and the Reserving and Using Library Rooms Policy.

  • Cost: Free
  • Capacity: Study rooms (4-10), conference rooms (10-20), meeting rooms (21-195)
  • Book: Up to 90 days in advance at hclib.libcal.com
  • Limit: Once per month per individual or group
  • Tech: WiFi everywhere. Select branches have hybrid meeting rooms with cameras, mics, and wireless displays (North Regional, Oxboro, Ridgedale, Rockford Road, Walker). Video conferencing rooms available at 8 branches.
  • Restrictions: No commercial activities. Must be 18+ to reserve. Light refreshments only.

Anoka County Library

Anoka County Library has 6 locations with meeting rooms, many equipped with large monitors and kitchenettes—a useful combination when your session runs long.

  • Cost: Free during library hours
  • Capacity: 4-75 people depending on location. Largest: Centennial (75), Mississippi and Rum River (60 each, divisible into two 30-person halves)
  • Book: Up to 60 days in advance at anokacounty.libcal.com
  • Tech: WiFi, 65-inch monitors, projectors, whiteboards, wireless microphones at select locations. Centennial has the most complete AV setup.
  • Restrictions: No commercial activities. Must be 18+ to reserve. Bring your own laptop and cables.

Ramsey County Library (Suburban Ramsey County)

Ramsey County Library offers meeting rooms at 5 locations: Maplewood, Mounds View, Roseville, Shoreview, and White Bear Lake. Board rooms are particularly well-suited for smaller professional meetings with integrated AV.

  • Cost: Free for non-commercial use
  • Capacity: Board rooms (2-28), community program rooms (10-125). Largest: Roseville and Shoreview (125 each)
  • Book: Up to 60 days in advance at rclreads.libcal.com or call 651-724-6003
  • Limit: 2 bookings per person per month
  • Tech: Board rooms include sound bars, integrated cameras and microphones, wireless displays. Community rooms have projectors and sound systems.

Dakota County Library

  • Cost: Free for nonprofit, for-profit, and community organizations
  • Book: Up to 90 days in advance online. Maximum 10 active reservations.
  • Restrictions: No commercial use or celebratory events.

Scott County Library

  • Cost: Free
  • Book: Online or by phone. Ages 16+ during staffed hours, 18+ for after-hours.
  • Notes: Study rooms available first-come, first-served. Meeting rooms at most locations except Belle Plaine.

Saint Paul Public Library

Saint Paul Public Library has 10+ locations including the George Latimer Central Library, making it the primary option for professionals based in St. Paul. See the SPPL Facilities Use Policy and meeting room FAQ for current rates and rules.

  • Cost: Free for nonprofits and government. For-profit organizations pay $50/hour plus a $25 non-refundable reservation fee.
  • Capacity: Central Library has the largest rooms (up to 70). Smaller branches offer rooms for 6-50.
  • Book: 3-90 days in advance at sppl.libcal.com
  • Limit: 2 reservations per organization per month per location
  • Tech: HDMI/VGA projector connections, video call kits at most locations. Library card required for AV equipment.

Coffee Shops with Meeting Rooms

Coffee shops rarely offer enclosed, fully private rooms—but the options below come closest and work well for informal meetings that don’t involve sensitive or confidential discussions.

Bordertown Coffee

315 16th Ave SE, Minneapolis (Dinkytown)

  • Cost: Free
  • Room: “Library Room” for groups of 4+
  • Reserve: Call (612) 379-7277. Available 7-11am and 1pm-close (open seating 11am-1pm)
  • Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am-6pm, Sat 8am-4pm, closed Sundays

Quixotic Coffee

769 Cleveland Ave S, St. Paul

  • Cost: $10/hour, but you receive a $10 gift card per hour booked (effectively free)
  • Capacity: Up to 8
  • Reserve: Book at least 4 hours in advance at quixoticcoffee.com or call (651) 699-5448
  • Note: The room is not fully enclosed (no door), so expect ambient cafe noise. Not ideal for confidential discussions.

Dunn Bros Coffee

Multiple Twin Cities locations. Some locations have informal meeting areas or upstairs spaces, though there’s no standardized meeting room program. Contact individual stores to ask about availability.

Restaurants

Davanni’s

Multiple Twin Cities locations

  • Cost: Free with food purchase
  • Capacity: Party rooms seating 10-60 depending on location
  • Reserve: Contact individual locations
  • Notes: A practical option when meeting over lunch. Available across the metro.

Grocery Stores

Lunds & Byerlys

Multiple Twin Cities locations

  • Cost: Free
  • Capacity: Approximately 25
  • Reserve: Book at lundsandbyerlys.com or contact individual stores. Recommend booking at least one month in advance.
  • Notes: Enclosed community rooms separate from the retail area. Availability may vary by location.

Banks

Star Bank

250 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie

  • Cost: Free (primarily for nonprofits, but other meetings may be considered)
  • Capacity: Up to 74
  • Reserve: Call (952) 358-2265. Pick up key before the bank closes.
  • Amenities: Adjacent kitchen

Coworking Spaces (Pay-Per-Use)

Coworking spaces are the best option when you need a professional, private setting for a client meeting and don’t want a membership. Several Twin Cities coworking spaces offer on-demand meeting room rentals by the hour—useful for meetings where a library room won’t work due to commercial-use restrictions. These are also appropriate venues for annual meetings and corporate formalities when you need a polished setting.

WeWork

Capella Tower (225 S 6th St) and North Loop (729 N Washington Ave), Minneapolis

  • Cost: From $10/seat per hour (no membership required)
  • Book: Via WeWork app or website
  • Notes: Professional downtown setting. Capella Tower is skyway-connected.

Regus

Multiple Minneapolis locations

  • Cost: $29-65/hour depending on room and location
  • Book: Online, by phone, or via the Regus app
  • Amenities: Videoconferencing, whiteboards, AV equipment, on-site support, catering available

IDS Executive Suites

222 S 9th St, 9th Floor (IDS Center), Minneapolis

  • Cost: $40-50/hour
  • Capacity: Rooms for 4-12 people
  • Amenities: Receptionist, Polycom speaker phones, downtown views. Very professional for client-facing meetings.

Local Collective HQ

523 Jackson St, Downtown St. Paul

  • Cost: Day pass from $25; meeting rooms bookable hourly
  • Amenities: Printers, whiteboards, TV monitors, complimentary coffee and tea

OffiCenters

6 Twin Cities locations (St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Bloomington, St. Paul, and more)

  • Free one-time day pass at any location for coworking access
  • Book: officenters.com
  • Notes: Meeting rooms available for a fee beyond the free day pass. Good way to try a space before committing.

On-Demand Booking Platforms

These platforms let you search and book meeting rooms across multiple venues without a membership.

  • Peerspace — Wide variety of unique spaces. Average $68/hour in Minneapolis, as low as $25/hour. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be about 19% cheaper.
  • LiquidSpace — Free signup, real-time availability across many coworking venues. Book and pay online.
  • Deskpass — App-based booking for coworking desks and meeting rooms across multiple venues.

Hotels

Hotel lobbies and business centers work well for meetings with out-of-town visitors or when you need an upscale setting without booking a full event space. For smaller decisions that don’t require a formal gathering at all, board action by written consent is worth knowing about.

  • Hotel Emery (Downtown Minneapolis) — Pop-up office space with WiFi, AV, and 62″ flat screen. Private dining room on lobby level. Skyway-connected.
  • The Saint Paul Hotel — Archbishop Ireland Room directly off the lobby. Upscale setting for client meetings.
  • InterContinental MSP Airport — Lobby lounge for casual meetings. Convenient when meeting someone flying in.

Venues That Have Closed

Several meeting spaces commonly listed in older directories are no longer available:

  • Common Roots Cafe (Lyndale Ave, Minneapolis) — Closed December 2022
  • St. Clair Broiler (St. Paul) — Closed September 2017
  • Coffee Bene at Davanni’s on Grand (St. Paul) — Permanently closed
  • Toppers Pizza at 54th & Nicollet (Minneapolis) — Permanently closed

Tips for Choosing a Meeting Space

Choosing the right venue depends on the nature of your meeting—privacy needs, formality, and whether any commercial activity is involved. These considerations apply whether you’re meeting with a client, a co-owner, or your own board.

  • For confidential discussions, choose an enclosed room with a door. Library conference rooms and coworking spaces are generally better than coffee shops for privacy.
  • For client-facing meetings, consider a coworking space or hotel. The professional setting reflects well on your practice.
  • For internal team meetings, library rooms are hard to beat—free, well-equipped, and widely available.
  • For formal business meetings that require proper documentation, make sure you have a plan for documenting decisions and meeting minutes. Failing to maintain adequate records can have serious legal consequences. If all participants agree on a decision in advance, you may be able to act by unanimous written consent and skip the formal meeting entirely.
  • Book early. Library rooms and Lunds & Byerlys community rooms are popular. Reserve as far in advance as the system allows.
  • Bring your own cables and adapters. Most venues provide a screen or monitor but expect you to connect your own device.
  • Check the commercial use policy before booking a library room for any meeting that involves sales, fees, or client transactions.

This directory is updated periodically. If you know of a free or affordable meeting space in the Twin Cities that should be included, please let me know.

Are Twin Cities library meeting rooms free for business meetings?

Most Twin Cities library systems offer free meeting rooms, but they prohibit commercial activities—meaning no sales presentations, fee-based consultations, or client transactions. Internal team meetings, planning sessions, and educational discussions are generally fine. Saint Paul Public Library charges for-profit organizations $50/hour plus a $25 non-refundable reservation fee.

Where can I find a private meeting room in Minneapolis for a confidential client meeting?

For confidential discussions, choose an enclosed room with a door—library conference rooms and coworking spaces are better than coffee shops for privacy. Coworking options like WeWork, Regus, and IDS Executive Suites in downtown Minneapolis offer professional on-demand meeting rooms by the hour without requiring a membership. Hotel business centers such as Hotel Emery are another solid option.

How far in advance do I need to book a library meeting room in the Twin Cities?

Booking windows vary by system: Hennepin County Library and Dakota County Library allow reservations up to 90 days in advance, while Anoka County and Ramsey County allow up to 60 days. Saint Paul Public Library accepts bookings 3–90 days in advance. Popular rooms fill quickly, so reserving as far ahead as possible is advisable.

What is the cheapest pay-per-use meeting room option in the Twin Cities?

On-demand booking platforms like Peerspace offer meeting rooms starting around $25/hour in the Minneapolis area, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays running about 19% cheaper. Quixotic Coffee in St. Paul charges $10/hour but provides a $10 gift card per hour booked, making it effectively free. Local Collective HQ in downtown St. Paul offers day passes from $25.

Can I use a library meeting room for a board meeting or LLC meeting?

Yes—internal organizational meetings such as board meetings, LLC member meetings, and strategic planning sessions are generally permitted in library meeting rooms because they don’t involve sales or fee-based transactions. If your meeting involves formal corporate recordkeeping, you’ll want to prepare proper meeting minutes afterward. Most library systems require reservations at least a day in advance and limit bookings to once or twice per month per organization.