--- title: Free Climbing Raccoon Scales Minnesota Skyscraper description: The saga of a small mammal scaling a tower inspired art and introspection canonical: https://time.com/5310704/raccoon-climbs-minnesota-ubs-skyscraper/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-06-13T06:09:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T19:21:00.000Z og:title: Free Climbing Raccoon Scales Minnesota Skyscraper og:description: The saga of a small mammal scaling a tower inspired art and introspection og:url: https://time.com/5310704/raccoon-climbs-minnesota-ubs-skyscraper/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt45b50f2c2fe6fd62/698932ecab6d772b576b2f09/ap18163702029572.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Stranded Raccoon og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Free Climbing Raccoon Scales Minnesota Skyscraper twitter:description: The saga of a small mammal scaling a tower inspired art and introspection twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt45b50f2c2fe6fd62/698932ecab6d772b576b2f09/ap18163702029572.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Free Climbing Raccoon Captures Hearts and Minds Scaling Minnesota Skyscraper > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=d9b68fb0-805d-4e19-9caa-195156236936&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Free Climbing Raccoon Captures Hearts and Minds Scaling Minnesota Skyscraper [Watch (HLS stream): Free Climbing Raccoon Captures Hearts and Minds Scaling Minnesota Skyscraper](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fAC3TFD0.m3u8) (0:46)  _Published 2018-06-13. Internet-addicts among us may now have heard of #MPRraccoon, the creature seen climbing up the side of a 25-storey tower in St. Paul, Minnesota. The raccoon made it all the way up to a ledge on the twenty-third story of the UBS building Tuesday._ by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:21 PM UTCPublished: Jun 13, 2018 6:09 AM UTC  A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS Tower in St. Paul, Minn., on June 12, 2018. A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS Tower in St. Paul, Minn., on June 12, 2018. Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio—AP by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:21 PM UTCPublished: Jun 13, 2018 6:09 AM UTC Inspiration can strike from the most unlikely of places, and on Tuesday it was found in the form of a small, determined mammal on an improbable upward adventure. Internet-addicts among us may now have heard of #MPRraccoon, the creature seen climbing up the side of a 25-storey tower in St. Paul, Minnesota. After a nail-biting drama that lasted about 20 hours, the raccoon reportedly reached the building’s rooftop early Wednesday. > [](https://twitter.com/timnelson%5Fmpr/status/1006805559285354496) The raccoon was [originally stranded](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/06/12/st-paul-raccoon-scales-skyscraper-social-media-star) on a different nearby building Monday before escaping to a nearby roof and starting its unlikely ascent, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reports. Early rescue efforts by the St. Paul Fire Department and building workers, who fashioned a makeshift ladder, proved unsuccessful. Late Tuesday night, the raccoon began to [slowly descend](https://twitter.com/timnelson%5Fmpr/status/1006743697545924610) to the seventeenth floor, according to a reporter for MPR. The animal’s growing network of virtual cheerleaders watched in suspense as it crept onward toward an uncertain fate. Its travails captivated social media users. Before long, a [Twitter account](https://twitter.com/TheStPaulRacco1) for the climbing critter was created, and an Internet star was born. > [](https://twitter.com/TheStPaulRacco1/status/1006600693090865152) The saga struck a chord, inspiring both art and introspection. > [](https://twitter.com/timnelson%5Fmpr/status/1006731222398263296) > [](https://twitter.com/chrisgeidner/status/1006635941065318400) > [](https://twitter.com/ItsASwellLife/status/1006724311439118337) > [](https://twitter.com/eugenegu/status/1006728406241701890) > [](https://twitter.com/ErinMayeQuade/status/1006741127343452160) > [](https://twitter.com/mattritter1/status/1006783191456387077) > [](https://twitter.com/karalynum/status/1006628415867441152) Here’s to all your future adventures, MPRraccoon. For everyone’s sake, please stay safe. ## Transcript [ SOUND ] Keep moving. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] My god. There he is, he; s going. My god. Hes going for it. My god. He just made it up the [ UNKNOWN ]. [ LAUGH ] No. He's trying to make it to the top, come on buddy. You can do it Rocket. Come on man. Go, go, g. My god, I'm going Going to have a heart attack, I'm going to have a heart attack. [ SOUND ] We're gonna take a break, Take a break, take a breather. [ SOUND ] I wish somebody would open those windows. What are you gonna do with a loose rackoon in the office? 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