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The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will begin work on the Minnehaha Regional Park Family Play Areas project the week of August 12th, 2013. This project will replace the playground in the Wabun Picnic Area with a new universal access playground and inclusive play areas. The playground at the North Plateau, near the bandshell and refectory, will be expanded and incorporate new equipment among the remaining historic pieces from the WPA era in the 1930s. The play areas will be closed through the fall and will re-open in spring 2014.
First steps include installation of safety fencing which will close off the area for the duration of the project. Work at the two playgrounds will be staggered, with the North Plateau beginning first and Wabun Play Area will be fenced off for work in September after Labor Day. During construction, trucks will also be hauling materials in and out from adjacent parking and staging areas. Parking may be limited and construction traffic will be moving in the area. For your safety, please pay attention to signage and stay away from work areas and construction vehicles.
Construction on the play areas will continue through the fall. Weather and construction schedules permitting, the playgrounds are to be complete and ready for use in spring of 2014.
Did you know Minnehaha Park once had a campground and a zoo?
The new play areas have distinct designs connecting to the history of the park. The Wabun Play Area tells the story of the “Auto Tourist Camp” which existed on the site from the 1930s through the 1950s. Custom features include a retro car and a teardrop camper which actually rocks. Tents and cabin forms are found throughout the play area, which has ramp access and rolling hills and net climbing. The North Plateau Play area taps on the existing retro play equipment and incorporates animals once found in the Longfellow Zoo. This play area has only free standing play pieces but has lots of them, for fun running around and trying different things. Classic features include slides, merry go rounds, see saws, balance beams, monkey bars and spring rockers. Links to the concepts can be found here:
This project is funded with much hard work by volunteers and many generous donors along with MPRB Capital Improvement Project funds. Details of funds raised and donor names can be found on our project page. Over $450,000 has been raised privately to enhance the Wabun Playground by the volunteer group, Falls 4 All, a committee of People for Parks.
Falls 4 All has spent several years raising funds and seeking grants to increase the accessibility of Wabun to make it a Universal Access Playground. While all MPRB playgrounds are built to meet ADA standards for accessibility, Universal Access raises this level to over 70% accessible. This has been achieved at Wabun, where the play areas are nearly 100% accessible! Even more exciting is that most of the elevated play features are accessible by ramps, so children can play independently, using their mobility devices, at the top of the playground and below it. Wabun will be the first universal access playground in the MPRB Park System.
Minnehaha Regional Park is named for the famed Minnehaha Falls and is where Minnehaha Creek meets the Mississippi River. It showcases awe-inspiring natural features, historic sites and a wide array of amenities for outdoor recreation, gathering and relaxation. Minnehaha Park is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its many historic features and beautiful historic designed landscape.
Minnehaha Park is a Regional Park which serves visitors from throughout the metro area and beyond. In 2012 the estimated visitor count for the park was 1,361,000 visits. Minnehaha is the 7th most visited park of the 96 parks and trails counted in the regional park system as reported by the Met Council in the 2012 Annual Use Estimate of the Metropolitan Regional Parks System.
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