Lyndale Park is located along the Minneapolis Parks’ Chain of Lakes between Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet and is made up of four distinct types of gardens. The park has walking paths that make it a nice place to visit for a family stroll. The gardens include a flower garden with both annuals and perennials, a butterfly and hummingbird garden, a peace garden, and a rose garden. Along your walk, you can visit the decorative fountains and view public art. Nestled among the garden is The Thicket — a nature play structure made from woven willow branches. Lyndale Park is essentially part of Lake Harriet Park, but is worth its own visit. However, if you want to mix the two, you can walk less than one mile — along the east shore of Lake Harriet through the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary — to the Lake Harriet Amphitheater, where you can see outdoor concerts throughout the summer. The Phelps Fountain is the accent of this perennial flower garden full of plants and shrubs hardy enough to survive Minnesota winters. Children love this fountain because the water is sprayed out of the mouths of bronze turtle sculptures. The garden is made up of two long perennial borders around six annual flower beds and is beautiful from early spring to early October (sometimes later). Who doesn’t love to sit quietly and watch hummingbirds, bees and butterflies? This garden’s plant life peaks in mid-June until the first frost. So, it makes a fun anytime summer destination. This garden is the site of the annual Pollinator Party in July. Follow the Pathway of Peace to the Peace Garden. Cross the zigzag Peace Bridge and examine the rock garden for prehistoric fossils. The rocks in this garden pre-date the dinosaurs and have fossils of snails, clams, and other shells. The rose garden is 1 and a half acres of roses in the form of rose trees, rose shrubs and both wild and cultivated roses. It’s one of the oldest rose gardens in the U.S.  It is the home of the Heffelfinger fountain, which has cherubs dancing around on it. As the first municipal rose garden and the second oldest public rose garden in the United States, the Rose Garden was awarded a grant from the Lawrence Family Foundation in 2023. Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board (“MPRB”) is in the planning stage of a restoration of the Garden. Planned updates include: Watch for these updates and more in the coming years. Roberts Bird Sanctuary is a woodsy area with a boardwalk path. April and May are good months to visit to see the migratory birds.
Related Articles:
Lyndale Park Annual-Perennial Garden
Lyndale Park Butterfly and Hummingbird & Perennial and Border Gardens
Lyndale Park Peace Garden
Lyndale Park Rose Garden
Roberts Bird Sanctuary
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