Lyndale Farmstead Park, Minneapolis
Lyndale Farmstead Park has family friendly amenities that include a playground and tot lot, paths for walking and biking (plus a bike pump), and sports courts and fields. This park also has restroom facilities. In the winter MPRB maintains an outdoor ice rink.
Located on a scenic hillside, Lyndale Farmstead Park was once the headquarters of a farm that covered most of Lake Harriet it also was the home of former park superintendent, Theodore Wirth, and his family.
Lyndale Farmstead Recreation Center - Closed until Spring of 2020
The small rec center houses a community kitchen, a craft room and a multi-purpose room. The building closed in August of 2019 and is expected to remain closed until Spring of 2020. During the period while it is closed, MPRB will add air-conditioning and a new furnace, update the accessibility of the restrooms, add a new meeting room and building addition and update the lobby and reception area.
During this rehabilitation period, MPRB recommends these nearby rec centers:
- Bryant Square Recreation Center - seven blocks north, at 31st St./Bryant Ave. S.
- Painter Recreation Center - five blocks north and two blocks east, at 34th St./Lyndale Ave. S.
The park, including the playground and sports fields, will remain open during the rec center construction. Restrooms will either be accessible through the exterior access or MPRB will provide portable facilities during the project.
Birthday Parties at Lyndale Farmstead Park - On hold until Rec Center Reopens.
Winter at Lyndale Farmstead
During the winter months, the park maintains an outdoor ice rink with warming house at this location. Rinks are dependent on the weather, but usually open from mid-December to mid-February. MPRB does not expect the ice rink or warming house to be affected by the 2019/2020 rec center closure.
The Theodore Wirth House at Lyndale Farmstead
According to the Minneapolis parks department, the Theodore Wirth house was built for the Wirth family as an incentive for Theodore to accept the job as park superintendent in 1906. He remained in the position until 1935 (but his family remained in the house until 1946), making him the longest-tenured superintendent in Minneapolis park history. The house was not completed until 1910, at which time the upper level was used as the family's home and the lower level was used for office and design space. 2002 because of Wirth's impact on Minneapolis parks and its influence in planning for municipal, state and national parks across the country
Tucked into a hillside in Lyndale Farmstead Park, The Wirth Home and Administration Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is furnished with period artifacts, including some that were owned by the Wirth family. The house is not generally open to the public, but is on occasion for special events. To find more historic homes, check out our Museums & Historic Sites page.