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Bethune Park is a neighborhood park in Minneapolis’s Near North neighborhood. Family-friendly amenities include a wading pool, playground and tot lot, space to picnic and a basketball court. Restroom facilities are available at this park.

4 Ideas for Family Fun at Bethune Park

1. Play a game of one on one on the basketball court.
2. Pack a picnic. There is a grill near the picnic area.
3. Let the kids run out their energy on the playground
4. Cool off in the wading pool

Bethune Wading Pool

Bethune Park shares space with Bethune Community School; therefore, its wading pool opens after school release in early June and closes before the start of school in August. Wading pool hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily during the summer. This pool has a zero depth entrance and splash-pad like bubblers. There is no lifeguard on duty.

Bethune Park updated in 2016

In June of 2016, Bethune Park’s new playground and wading pool were finished. People for Parks funded new benches around the wading pool. Play bubblers were also added to the pool.

Mary McLeod Bethune

I’ve become fascinated with learning about the people that Twin Cities places are named after. This park’s name has an interesting history. It was originally Grant park, named after President Ulysses S. Grant, but in 1972, it was renamed Bethune Park after teacher and civil rights activist, Mary McLeod Bethune. There are several children’s books available about Bethune, but I’m a fan of historical fiction for learning history in a way that sticks, so I thought the book below would be a good introduction.

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