MSP Airport to build sensory rooms to alleviate travel stress

Two sensory rooms are planned for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — “calming spaces” for stressed-out travelers who may be experiencing “sensory overload.”

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates MSP, announced the new rooms on Tuesday and said in a news release that it will partner with Fraser, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit, to design the sensory rooms as part of two terminal expansion projects slated for completion by 2028.

“This is another major step to create a more accessible and inclusive airport experience, to help passengers with sensory sensitivities, or those who just need a quieter space to decompress before a flight,” MAC CEO Brian Ryks said in a statement.

Sensory or quiet rooms are an increasingly popular amenity at airports. More than a dozen airports across the country feature them as air travel surges post-pandemic. Condé Nast Travel called the sensory room at Houston’s George Bush International Airport an “airport dreamscape, complete with plush lounge chairs, calming teas, and neck warmers to melt away any tension from the TSA line.”

At MSP, one of the new sensory rooms will be part of the Terminal 2 North Expansion project opening in early 2027. A second sensory room will be added the following year during the renovation of Concourse G at Terminal 1, between gates G8 and G18.

The MAC said the sensory rooms will feature dimmable lighting, comfy seating and “sensory-friendly furnishings.” The MAC didn’t specify how much the rooms would cost to build.

Fraser already works with MAC as a partner of the Navigating MSP program, which aids travelers with special needs, and the organization participates on the airport’s Travelers with Disabilities Advisory Committee.

“We are so honored to partner with MSP Airport to bring sensory friendly spaces to individuals who need a different experience at the airport in order to travel,” Fraser President and CEO Diane Cross said in a statement.