Minnehaha Falls

State: Minnesota. Type: 53-foot waterfall inside Minnehaha Regional Park, Hennepin County, Minneapolis. Park spans roughly 167-170 acres, managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and lies within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Falls and surrounding land purchased by the Park Board in 1889; the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1969. Estimated 2024 visits: 2.3 million, making it one of Minnesota's most-visited and most-photographed sites.

Minnehaha Falls is a 53-foot cascade on Minnehaha Creek, a short distance before the creek empties into the Mississippi River in south Minneapolis. The falls sit at the center of Minnehaha Regional Park, a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board property landscaped in 1883 by Horace W.S. Cleveland, and the whole area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The Dakota name for the falls, commonly translated by non-Dakota sources as "laughing water," more precisely combines the words for water and curling or falling water. The site's fame owes much to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who never actually visited but named a character Minnehaha in his 1855 poem "The Song of Hiawatha" after reading earlier accounts and seeing an 1852 daguerreotype of the falls; a bronze "Hiawatha and Minnehaha" sculpture by Jacob Fjelde has stood in the park since 1912. Beyond the waterfall itself, the park holds several historic structures, including the 1875 Minnehaha Depot and the relocated 1849-50 John H. Stevens House, plus gardens, picnic areas, an off-leash dog area, and bike trails, making it a year-round destination, including for viewing the falls frozen in winter.

The falls and park are located in south Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, close to where Minnehaha Creek meets the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling. The park is served directly by the METRO Blue Line light rail's 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station.

Minneapolis has a continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters; specific temperature data was not pulled from the sources used for this entry. The falls' flow varies seasonally with rainfall and snowmelt, and in cold winter months the cascade can partially or fully freeze, which is itself a popular sight for visitors.

Spring, when snowmelt swells Minnehaha Creek, and summer, when the park's gardens are in bloom, are generally the most popular times to see the falls at their fullest and enjoy the park's other features. Winter visits are worthwhile for those wanting to see the falls frozen, though creek flow (and sometimes the falls themselves) can be reduced or stopped by ice and low water at that time of year.

European settlement of the area began in 1805 when the U.S. Army purchased land that would become Fort Snelling, built 1820-1824 nearby. The name "Minnehaha Falls" was in common use by 1855, the same year Longfellow published "The Song of Hiawatha," which brought the falls national fame despite the poet never visiting. The Minneapolis Park Board purchased the falls and surrounding land in 1889, and landscape architect Horace W.S. Cleveland had laid out the park's design in 1883. The John H. Stevens House, built 1849-50 near St. Anthony Falls as the first wood-frame dwelling west of the Mississippi and the site where Hennepin County and Minneapolis were organized, was relocated to the park in 1896 by a procession of 10,000 schoolchildren over four miles; it was damaged by three arson incidents in 2022. The Minnehaha Depot, a former Milwaukee Road stop built around 1875, once handled up to 39 round trips a day and was transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society in 1964. The park and falls area was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1969.

Visitors walk down paved paths and stairs to viewing platforms at the base and top of the 53-foot falls, and can follow trails along Minnehaha Creek toward the Mississippi River and Fort Snelling State Park. The park's Pergola Garden, Longfellow Gardens and Song of Hiawatha Garden offer a quieter, planted counterpart to the falls themselves. An off-leash dog park, picnic areas, playgrounds and a wading pool make it popular with families, and the former Milwaukee Road right-of-way provides a bike route toward Fort Snelling. The historic Minnehaha Depot is open to visit on summer Sundays, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Key features include the 53-foot Minnehaha Falls itself, the bronze "Hiawatha and Minnehaha" sculpture by Jacob Fjelde (1912), the historic Minnehaha Depot (built c. 1875), the relocated John H. Stevens House (1849-50), and the Longfellow House, a 1907 building designed to resemble the poet's Cambridge, Massachusetts home, which now houses a botanical art school. The Pergola, Longfellow and Song of Hiawatha gardens add planted landscape features near the falls.

The park is directly served by the METRO Blue Line light rail's 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station, making transit a convenient option from downtown Minneapolis or the airport. Drivers can reach the park via Minnehaha Parkway or Hiawatha Avenue in south Minneapolis, and the former Milwaukee Road right-of-way also offers a car-free bike route in from Fort Snelling State Park.

Minnehaha Regional Park itself is open year-round with no general admission gate; the historic Minnehaha Depot within the park keeps limited hours, open only on summer Sundays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Exact daily park hours were not specified in the sources used for this entry, so confirm current signage or the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's site before visiting outside daylight hours.

Admission to Minnehaha Regional Park and the falls is free. The Minnehaha Depot's summer Sunday openings are run by the Minnesota Historical Society; any admission fee for the depot itself was not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Most visitors spend one to two hours viewing the falls, walking the immediate gardens, and taking photos; adding a longer creek-side or trail walk toward Fort Snelling can extend a visit to a half-day.

The park sits within south Minneapolis, a residential area, so most visitors stay in hotels in downtown Minneapolis or near the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, both a short light-rail or drive away via the Blue Line corridor. No specific on-site or immediately adjacent lodging was identified in the sources used for this entry.

The Minnehaha Falls area has long featured casual dining near the park entrance, and the broader Longfellow neighborhood along Minnehaha Avenue offers a range of casual restaurants and cafes within walking or short driving distance. Specific current restaurant names were not verified from the sources used for this entry.

Fort Snelling and Fort Snelling State Park are directly connected to the park via the former Milwaukee Road bike trail. The wider Mississippi National River and Recreation Area corridor, of which Minnehaha Park is a part, links to other Minneapolis riverfront parks and historic sites, including downtown's Stone Arch Bridge area further north along the river.

The 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station on the METRO Blue Line light rail sits directly at the park, connecting to downtown Minneapolis and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on the same line. Bicycle access is also available via the former Milwaukee Road right-of-way toward Fort Snelling State Park.

Stick to marked paths and railings near the falls and gorge, since rocks can be slippery, especially when wet or icy in winter. Keep a close eye on children near the viewing platforms and stairs. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable, grippy footwear is useful for the stairs and paths near the falls, particularly if visiting in wet or icy weather. A camera or phone for photos, water, and weather-appropriate layers (given Minnesota's temperature swings) are all worth bringing.

Visiting on a weekday or early in the day helps avoid the crowds that build on summer weekends, when the park is at its busiest. Riding the METRO Blue Line directly to the 50th Street/Minnehaha Park station avoids the need for parking. Pairing a falls visit with the connecting bike trail to Fort Snelling State Park is a popular way to extend the trip for cyclists.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For general park information, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board can be contacted through its official website; a specific dedicated phone line for this park was not confirmed in the sources used for this entry.

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board - https://www.minneapolisparks.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.