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2300 East Upper Afton Road, Maplewood, MN 55119
Recreation Center, 75 Winthrop Street North, St Paul, MN 55119
651-748-2500 Regional Park; 651-501-6347 Rec Center
Admission: $0.00
Waterworks Park has Admission Fees
Hours of Operation:
Mon. 09:00 AM – 09:00 PM
Tue. 09:00 AM – 09:00 PM
Wed. 09:00 AM – 09:00 PM
Thu. 09:00 AM – 09:00 PM
Fri. 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Sat. 09:00 AM – 03:00 PM
Sun. Closed
Rec Center Hours Subject to Change. See St. Paul Website.

Battle Creek Regional Park is a large (750 acres) urban park close to downtown St. Paul but in most places has the feel of being tucked much farther way. While the park boundary spills into Maplewood, its recreation center is part of the St. Paul Park system. This expansive park runs along the Mississippi and offers opportunities for nature watching and hiking. According to the National Park Service, you might see deer, fox, herons, egrets or hawks during a walk through the park.

Battle Creek Regional Park Hours – A Bit Confusing

Battle Creek Regional Park is jointly run by Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul. The greater park area and the aquatic center are run by Ramsey County, while the recreation center is run by the City of St. Paul. Note that Ramsey County and St. Paul parks have different open hours, but it probably wouldn’t affect family outings.

Waterworks Family Aquatic Center

Playground Renovations – Completed

The main playground at Battle Creek was completely rebuilt in 2020. New equipment includes swirly slides, zip line swings, a fort building area, logs to balance on and a play stream. The play area is located near Battle Creek Waterworks waterpark.

Battle Creek Regional Park Main Playground includes swirly slides, zip line swings, a fort building area, logs to balance on and a play stream

Battle Creek Recreational Center

The recreation center offers open gym and tot-times. Hours change seasonally and are subject to change without notice, so watch our calendar or check the city of St. Paul’s website and call ahead to confirm if you are traveling far. It also hosts classes, camps and occasional family events. In the summer it is part of the Summer Meals program.

Tot Times at the Recreational Center

This park traditionally hosts a tot time for preschool-aged children. Tot Times are subject to change without notice and do change seasonally. We strive to keep our calendar up to date, but we are not affiliated with the park systems. Find an up-to-date tot times on the City of Saint Paul’s website.

Free Summer Meals for Kids

As a service of the school systems and parks, many Minnesota cities offer free summer meals to kids 18 and under. Many St. Paul recreation centers participate in the meals program. Follow the link for the most up-to-date information on dates and times of summer meals.

Greater Battle Creek Regional Park

Besides Waterworks, the Ramsey County portion of the park has plenty of parking and accessible restrooms. It has playground equipment and wide open spaces for running. It also has both lovely paved trails and mountain biking trails. There are 25 picnic tables and 8 grills spread throughout the park.

st paul bike trails

Battle Creek Dog Park

This pet-friendly park houses one of Ramsey County’s off-leash dog parks. You can find the rules for the dog park here. Unlike some municipal dog parks, the Ramsey County parks do not appear to require an additional license to use the area. Your dog does need to be licensed and vaccinated though.

Winter Recreation At Battle Creek Regional Park

Outdoor Skating Rinks and Warming House

Ice rinks in St. Paul parks are free and open during the winter months dependent on weather and ice quality. This park has a warming house that is open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays form 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find up-to-date information on St. Paul outdoor ice rinks here.

Sledding

Battle Creek Park has a recommended hill for sledding and the parks department characterizes the slope as “steep”. Sledding at St. Paul Parks is free. The city offers suggestions for safe sledding on its sledding hills web page. This hill is lit up until 9:00 p.m. when conditions allow.

Cross Country Skiing

Battle Creek Park has two cross country ski trails – an east trail and a west trail. The west trail is the only Ramsey County trail that allows skate skiing. A Minnesota Ski Pass is required on Ramsey County Park ski trails. For a list of rules, maps and conditions, see Ramsey County Park’s website.

Birthday Parties at Battle Creek Park

Battle Creek has options for renting birthday party space, including the recreation center, shelters and pavilion. The Recreation Center has various prices for different rooms. View a PDF of fees here. Note that there is a cleaning deposit for any rental.

The Recreation Center is booked through the City of St. Paul. Call 651-501-6347. The Shelter and Pavilion are rented through Ramsey County either in person at the Parks & Recreation office or by phone at 651-748-2500.

Battle Creek Water Works waterpark also offers birthday party packages.

How Battle Creek Park Got Its Name

If you have an interest in Minnesota History, it is worth reading this article from the City of Maplewood on the Battle of Battle Creek.

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