Located in a building that was once a covenant of Incarnation Catholic Church, The Center for Performing Arts became an arts center in 1995. Currently the center offers numerous youth and adult dance classes. Students can take piano, cello, guitar, percussion and strings lessons. There are a number of health arts practitioners in the building who offer classes in Tai Chi, body work, yoga, movement integration and more. The Center for Performing Arts also rents space to artists for rehearsal.
On the north side of the building, The Center for Performing Arts is home to the Kingfield Community Garden, where 35 people from the surrounding area garden the 12 raised beds.
The Lake Harriet Bandshell is located on 67 acres of land and offers a place for summer concerts as well as a beautiful backdrop for weddings and special events. The band shell is available for wedding ceremonies from May until September and offers great views of the lake as well as plenty of room for parking and seating for guests and spectators.
Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts has an art gallery featuring local, metro and state-wide artists, a gift shop selling locally based works, art and writing classes for all ages, special events, writing groups and and more. The Banfill-Locke Center is nonprofit and visits to the gallery as well as most events are free, but certain groups require membership. Come and enjoy the art as well as the surrounding Manomin County Park, which is full of flowers in spring and summer. A full listing of events and classes is available on the Web site and also on the center's Facebook page.
Lake Harriett Bandshell is located on Lake Harriet, a 300-plus-acre body of water. On the 50 acres of land sits the bandshell, which is used for jazz, folk and rock concerts in the summer. It also can be rented for private parties and weddings.
Whether you're visiting the Twin Cities for a weekend, or you've lived in the Twin Cities your entire life, Minnehaha Falls is for you. This park features walking trails, surrey rentals at Wheel Fun Rentals, seasonal seafood restaurant: Sea Salt Eatery, sweet treats, hiking areas and of course the gorgeous waterfall. Whether you're looking for a workout and want to hike through the ground around the waterfall, or you're looking for a relaxing day of laying in the sun, Minnehaha Falls has got what you're looking for.
Parking and Public Transportation at Minnehaha Falls
Parking at Minnehaha Falls is simple. There's a large, main parking lot for the area with very inexpensive hourly rates. There is usually spots available in the main lot. During peak busy times in the summer, fall-goers can park on the street where there is metered parking just blocks from the falls.
Best and Worst Time to go to Minnehaha Falls
If you're looking to have a meal while visiting Minnehaha Falls, then you'll want to go during summer months. Sea Salt Eatery is open April through October. If you're just looking to spend a day at the falls, weekdays tend to be less crowded than weekends.
Admission to Minnehaha Falls
One of the many great aspects about Minnehaha Falls is that it is completely free to the public. Just show up and you're in.
Must See/Do at Minnehaha Falls
There's a small bridge that crosses over right in front of the falls. When visiting, it's always fun to take a photo on that bridge with the waterfall as your all-natural background.
Other Places to Visit Near Minnehaha Falls
What's the best thing after spending a day in the sun? Ice cream of course! Luckily for you, Bridgeman's Ice Cream is just a block away from the waterfall, right on Hiawatha Avenue. If ice cream's not your thing, there's many other attractions in the area, including: Fort Snelling, Lake Nokomis, Hiawatha Statue and the Longfellow House and Gardens.
Insider Tips for Visitors to Minnehaha Falls
If you're looking to rent a surrey from Wheel Fun Rentals, right in Minnehaha Park, look online for deals before you head over. There's often coupons and deals on surrey rentals online.
Author's Bio: Jessica Vaysberg is a journalist and Twin Cities native who is always up for exploring the city and capturing her adventures in writing.
Fuller Park is a community area and two-acre park. It is open year round and offers a range of facilities, including a wading pool and recreation center. Other amenities include a basketball court, drinking fountain, playground as well as picnic area. It also has a garden and restroom facility. Check the main department website for details on the park or for information on upcoming events.
Lions Park offers the usual amenities you'd find at a neighborhood park, but one thing that stands out about this park is its vast open spaces. People use the open spaces for soccer, games of catch, or just lounging around in the sun. Other things offered at Lions Park include walkways and trails, playground equipment, grills, a basketball court, two tennis courts, four softball fields, a soccer field, game squares, skating rinks in the winter for hockey and general use, and a warming house. The park also offers two parking lots -- one with 76 spaces, the other with 66 spaces.
Wood Lake Nature Center, which is generally called the Nature Center, is a park preserve and Richfield's largest park. The preserve is nearly smack-dab in the middle of the city. It was opened in the early '70s as one of the first nature education facilities in the Midwest. Students of all ages often find themselves here on field trips to study the wildlife, insects and plants.
The park is also a recreational destination that offers three miles of walking paths and adult activities such as Nordic pole walking, make your own snowshoes and environmental book club.
Birthday parties are also held at the Nature Center and are led by a naturalist to provide a fun, educational experience for youth. Kids can explore critters, do a treasure hunt, meet live snakes and more.