Walk & Talk Series < Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Walk & Talk Series

Minneapolis Parks Foundation > News & Events > Events > Walk & Talk Series

Walk & Talks are popular small-group guided tours led by local subject-matter and parks enthusiasts who share their insights into intriguing places throughout Minneapolis Parks. New Walk & Talks will be planned seasonally, highlighting Minneapolis parks in every season!

Started in 2018, this sell-out series includes monthly walks during the summer that offer even the most devoted Minneapolis parks-goer something new to explore. In 2020, we introduced printable and digital self-guided versions of these tours that extend the opportunity to a larger audience. This year, we will produce both in-person Walk & Talks, as well as our self-guided tours.

2024 Walk & Talks

Lakewood Cemetery, Tuesday, October 22.

DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1871, Minnesota’s Lakewood Cemetery is recognized as a local treasure and industry pioneer, serving families and the community as an independent non-profit organization, that make memorialization more accessible and inviting for new audiences. This walk explores the burial places, and lives of, the instrumental park supporters who laid the foundation for the parks and green spaces we love and cherish today.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy, 2.5 miles, mostly paved trails with some gradual incline.
DOWNLOAD: Lakewood Cemetery Walk & Talk Self-Guide
ONLINE: Lakewood Cemetery Digital StoryMap

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, Wednesday, August 21.

DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1907 by its namesake and other local schoolteachers, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is one of Minneapolis’s botanical treasures. This tour winds its way through the 15-acre Garden’s collection of over 600 native plant species, displayed in a variety of habitats which support a wide array of birds, insects, and other wildlife. Guided by Garden curator, Susan Wilkins, you’re sure to be captivated by the natural beauty of this secluded parkland.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate, mostly natural trail with some steps and unpaved climb. Sturdy shoes are recommended.
DOWNLOAD: Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden Walk & Talk Self-Guide
ONLINE: StoryMap: A Summer Stroll Through Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

North Commons Park, Wednesday, May 1.

DESCRIPTION: This Walk & Talk explores the history of North Commons Park and the $35 million renovation plan that will transform the park’s future. One of the oldest and most iconic parks in Minneapolis, North Commons serves one of the youngest, densest and most diverse neighborhoods in the region–including nearly 12,000 kids who live within walking distance. Opened in 1908, this park has served more than five generations of North Side families with big celebrations and ball games, art classes and after-school homework help, computer labs and youth coaching—all the things our parks make possible.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1.5 mile round-trip walk on paved park trails.
DOWNLOAD: North Commons Park (PDF)
ONLINE: North Commons Park StoryMap (external link)

North Mississippi Regional Park, Saturday February 3rd.

DESCRIPTION: This one and a half mile journey features lovely sights along the banks of the Mississippi River, highlighting information about the Kroening Nature Center, the new outdoor Nature Playscape, Paddle Share program, and the diverse ecosystem that inhabits this area. The walk starts and ends at the Kroening Nature Center and will take you along the surrounding wooded trails and prairie landscape. We are thrilled to partner with The Great Northern Festival for this Walk & Talk.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1.5 mile round-trip walk on paved park trails. This walk is wheelchair accessible.
DOWNLOAD: N orth Mississippi Regional Park (PDF)
ONLINE: North Mississippi Regional Park StoryMap (external link)

Thank You to Our 2024 Sponsors
Barr Engineering and MPR News

Become a Walk & Talks Sponsor!

Contact Madeleine Koski,
mkoski@mplsparksfoundation.org

Previous Walk & Talks

Minnehaha Falls to the Mississippi River

DESCRIPTION: This two-mile journey features historic sights, such as the Longfellow House and the old Ard Godfrey Mill site, along with wooded trails and natural sights. The walk will start and end at the Longfellow House and will take you along the Minnehaha Falls Lower Glen Trail. Please note, this walk includes a considerable about of concrete steps, as you descend and climb alongside the Falls. This walk was created and guided by the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s very own, Matt Karl, Business and Administrative Director and long time Minneapolis park explorer.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2 mile round-trip walk on unpaved park trails and concrete steps
DOWNLOAD: Minnehaha Falls (PDF)
ONLINE: Minnehaha Falls StoryMap (external link)

Minneapolis Central Riverfront Walk & Talk

DESCRIPTION: This Walk & Talk featured historic sights, landscapes, and new park features along the Minneapolis Central Riverfront. The walk followed park paths from Water Works at Mill Ruins Park, across the Stone Arch Bridge, through Father Hennepin Bluff Park, and across the Hennepin Ave Bridge. Our amazing guides included Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s: Executive Director, Tom Evers, Chief Development Officer, Jennifer Downham, and Communications Director, Janette Law. This walk showcased the historic significance of the area and its beautiful landmarks, both old and new.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2.5 mile round-trip walk on city sidewalks and park trails.
DOWNLOAD: Water Works at Mill Ruins Park and the Central Riverfront (PDF’s)

Lake Nokomis

DESCRIPTION: Our July Walk & Talk showcases the wonders of Lake Nokomis. You’ll learn about the park’s history, landscape, and wetland ecosystem, as well as a vision for its future and the work already being done as we adapt to a changing climate. Led by a member of Friends of Lake Nokomis.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2.5 mile round-trip walk on park trails.
DOWNLOAD: Lake Nokomis (PDF)
ONLINE: Lake Nokomis StoryMap (external link)

Hall’s Island Restoration

DESCRIPTION: Our June Walk & Talk will highlight the 2018-2019 restoration of Hall’s Island, located in the Mississippi River just north of Boom Island. This multi-partner project brought a rich source of habitat and natural environment back to the Mississippi River corridor. Led by two project experts, Michelle Kimble and Marcy Bean from Barr Engineering.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1 mile round-trip walk on park trails, grass, and some stairs
DOWNLOAD: Hall’s Island Restoration Tour (PDF)
ONLINE: Hall’s Island Restoration StoryMap (external link)

Farview Park to the Overlook at 26th Ave N.

DESCRIPTION: The Overlook at 26th Ave N has emerged as a vital connection from Minneapolis’s Northside to the Mississippi River. Stemming from the only protected off-street walking and biking trail across I-94 in North Minneapolis, the Overlook has created the first opportunity in nearly a generation for this neighborhood to connect with one of our state’s most important natural resources.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1.5 mile round-trip walk on city streets, with a slight incline on the return. Option to walk up the large grassy hill at Farview Park.
DOWNLOAD: Farview Park to the Overlook at 26th Ave N Tour (pdf)
ONLINE: Farview Park to the Overlook at 26th Ave N StoryMap (external link)

Water Works at Mill Ruins Park

ACTIVITY LEVEL: ADA accessible half-mile meander with some sloping sidewalks and/or stairs.
GOOD TO KNOW: This tour starts at the Mill Ruins Park parking lot, which has hourly parking. There is additional on- and off-street parking in the Central Riverfront/Mill District area. You can also reach the park by the city’s bike trails.
DESCRIPTION: Water Works is a complex site with multiple levels, trail connections, and programmed features, all layered with historical, contemporary, and natural elements that are designed to help us tell our shared stories, old and new.
DOWNLOAD: Water Works at Mill Ruins Park Tour (pdf)
ONLINE: Water Works StoryMap (external link)

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy to moderate, mostly natural trail with some steps and unpaved climb
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Check daily Garden hours on its Minneapolis Parks page; seasonally, the Garden is open April-October
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1907 by its namesake and other local schoolteachers, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is one of Minneapolis’s botanical treasures. This self-guided tour, written by Garden curator Susan Wilkins, wends its way through the 15-acre Garden’s collection of over 600 native plant species, displayed in a variety of habitats which support a wide array of birds, insects, and other wildlife.
DOWNLOAD (pdf): Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden Walk & Talk Self-Guide
ONLINE (external link): StoryMap: A Summer Stroll Through Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden (with bonus stops and photos!)

Minnehaha Creek

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate 3.5-mile roundtrip on mostly paved trail
GOOD TO KNOW: Park in one of the bays on Minnehaha Parkway (or arrive by foot or bike); this stretch is east bound only and is accessed via the parkway traveling east or from northbound 2nd Ave S.
DESCRIPTION: The Minnehaha Parkway Regional Trail area has a long history as part of the lands of the Dakota, followed by industrial and recreational use tied to the development of Minneapolis and St. Paul. This self-guided tour starts just east of I-35W and goes to Lake Nokomis; along the way, you’ll take a look at the past, present, and future of this storied waterway that receives more than 1.3 million visits annually.
DOWNLOAD (pdf): Minnehaha Creek – 35W to Lake Nokomis Self-Guided Tour
ONLINE (external link): StoryMap: Minnehaha Creek – 35W to Lake Nokomis Self-Guided Tour

Central Riverfront Tour

ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2 mile loop on sidewalks and paved trail with flights of stairs.
GOOD TO KNOW: This tour starts and ends at the Nicollet Island Parking Lot, where there is hourly parking.
DESCRIPTION: Explore the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park and showcase some of the most visionary parks-building efforts in generations. Sights you’ll see include Nicollet Island, the Stone Arch Bridge, St. Anthony Falls, and the Water Works park project.
DOWNLOAD: RiverFirst: Central Riverfront Tour Guide (pdf)
ONLINE: NEW! RiverFirst StoryMap (external link)

Winchell Trail Tour

ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2 miles round trip. Trail is unpaved and uneven and has some climb.
GOOD TO KNOW: Tour begins at W. River Parkway between Lake St. and 32nd. There is on-street parking nearby. Look for an unmarked trailhead off of the street-level walking path. You will head north on the trail and return either by retracing your steps or via the paved walking path.
DESCRIPTION: For as long as people have lived this area, there’s likely been a trail running along the Mississippi River from Saint Anthony Falls the convergence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. This tour covers the northern half of what is today called the Winchell Trail.
DOWNLOAD: Winchell Trail Tour Guide (pdf)

Highlights from Past Walk & Talks

From Shingle Creek to the Winchell Trail, past Walk & Talk tours have brought together Minneapolis Parks lovers interested in exploring more about our parks. Take a look at this photo gallery to see some highlights from past events.