MBS invites our fellow ERA members to join our Fall 2026 Motor Bus Society Convention in Minneapolis. The convention will be held from Thursday, Octorber 1st to Saturday, October 3rd in Minnesota, USA.

Convention Headquarters

The host hotel for the convention will be the Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Airport, 7901 34th Avenue South, Bloomington, MN, 55425. The hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the Metro Transit American Blvd./34th Avenue Blue Line light rail station. The hotel is a short distance from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). The hotel offers complimentary airport shuttle service. The hotel has free high-speed Wi-Fi internet access and a business center.

The special MBS room rate is $154 per night for a standard King room or $174 per night for a standard room with two Queen beds. The room rates do not include applicable state and city taxes (currently at 16.025%, subject to change). A block of rooms has been put aside for MBS members from Wednesday, September 30th to Saturday, October 3rd. There is a $15 charge for on site parking per day, plus applicable taxes.

Breakfast and an evening reception (light snacks and beverages) are included in the MBS room rate. Wolley's Bar & Kitchen - American Steakhouse, located onsite, offers American cuisine to guests in a relaxing atmosphere.

The hotel is also located a short distance from the Mall of America, which is serviced by the Metro Transit Blue Line LRT. Many other eating establishments are available at the Mall of America which is the largest mall in the United States.

Please note that hotel reservations must be made by Wednesday, September 9th, 2026. The hotel room space and rate cannot be guaranteed after that date. All hotel reservations must be made by visiting the Embassy Suites by Hilton website at this link. Note that the dates default to the convention dates. Any bookings outside of the convention dates before/after the convention will have to be done separately. The phone number for the front desk of the hotel is (952) 854-1000. If booking this way, remember to mention the group name “Motor Bus Society” when booking by telephone.

The Motor Bus Society is currently in the planning stages for its Fall convention.There cannot be guarantees that we will be admitted to all the garages and maintenance facilities due to either health and security protocols or shortages of personnel to handle our visits. Some of the facility tours may require a safety vest. If you have one available, please bring it.

Registration

The MBS convention registration fee is $125 per person per day or $350 for all three days for MBS members. For non-MBS members, the registration fee is $145 per day or $410 for all three days. To assure that space will be available for the garage and facility tours, advance registration is strongly recommended. In case of any shortage of seat space on the tour buses, persons with reservations will be given priority. MBS is pleased to announce that online booking is available on its new website. The deadline for MBS convention registration is Tuesday, September 15th.

Logistics

Transportation Information:

Richfield Bus Company 1952 Mack C-50-DT

Richfield Bus Company 1951 Aerocoach P373

Greyhound Museum – 1936 Yellow Coach 719
Photos above are a sampling of possible restored vehicles that will be seen during the convention.

For autos, the hotel offers convenient access to I-494 at the 34th Avenue on/off ramps. The MSP Airport is located north of I-494 and the hotel to the south.

For all transit options, the hotel is a short walk from the American Blvd./34th Avenue Blue Line light rail station. The Blue Line services the Mall of America, MSP Airport and downtown Minneapolis.

Amtrak services the Union Depot Station in St. Paul. From the Union Depot Station, the hotel can be reached via the Metro Transit Green Line LRT to downtown Minneapolis, transferring to the Blue Line. An alternative is bus route 54 which provides an express bus ride between Union Station and the Mall of America where a transfer to the Blue Line would be necessary to reach the hotel.

From the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), follow the signs to the Metro Transit Blue Line station. Take the Blue Line LRT to the hotel.

The FLiXBUS stop is located 16 2nd Avenue North in downtown Minneapolis. The Target Field Blue Line LRT stop is a short walk from the bus stop.

Convention Activities: Registration and sign-in will take place in the Embassy lobby starting at 7:30 AM on all three days, with buses departing promptly at 8:00 AM each day.

Garage and Facility Tours: The itinerary has not been finalized and is highly dependent on whether properties are receptive to having visitors. Possible site visits are shown below. The final lists of stops will be posted on the MBS website and MBS Facebook page one week prior to the convention.

Itinerary

Thursday, October 1 – Greyhound Museum (Hibbing, MN) and Duluth, MN.

Friday, October 2 – Southwest Transit, Richfield Bus Company/Rochester City Lines, Busboys Collection (Cannon Falls, MN).

Saturday, October 3 – Jefferson Lines, Metro Transit, Minnesota Transportation Museum, Minnesota Streetcar Museum, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and the University of Minnesota.

Monday, October 5 to Wednesday, October 7 – The MBS Fall convention is earlier than normal to allow MBS members to travel (on their own) to the APTA (American Public Transportation Association) Expo in Chicago, IL.

Order Form

Click here for order form. Online ticket sales is available at this link.

Click here for online hotel registration with group discount.