Theodore Wirth Regional Park is the largest park in the Minneapolis park system and features natural treasures and year-round activities. It may be best known for its winter recreation area.
The Trailhead
The long-awaited Trailhead officially opened in July of 2018. This facility, run by the Loppet Foundation, is intended to serve as a jumping off point for full slate of year-round, world-class outdoor recreation. In the summer, the Loppet Foundation offers outdoor adventure camps. Highlights of the building's features include:
- An indoor gathering space that can seat 250
- An outdoor patio with a view of the trails and tubing area
- A shop where visitors can rent bikes or skis and get repairs; find information, directions and maps; purchase outdoor gear.
- A restaurant - Cajun Twist - serving authentic New Orleans cuisine, with both an indoor and an outdoor counter service.
- Club Trailhead: Members receive access to locker rooms, showers and fitness studio open hours.
- Indoor/outdoor ticketing counter serving Theodore Wirth Par 3 Golf Club and Snow Tubing
- The Loppet Foundation offices
- Free outdoor bike wash and repair station
- Public restrooms
The Trailhead is located at 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway and is open daily 7 am-9 pm.
Theodore Wirth Park Beach
Wirth Lake Beach is one of MPRB's guarded beaches. You can find up-to-date information on all MPRB beaches here. See our Splash Happy guide to swimming for more beaches, splash pads, pools and water parks.
Nature Exploration Station program
Visitors to Wirth Beach during the summer of 2021 can visit a Nature Exploration Station on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Stop by the Station to chat with a Naturalist and participate in some fun nature activities.
Theodore Wirth Disc Golf Course
The park has a 18-hole, par 3 disc golf course on its golf course that offers tees for beginner to intermediate players along a tree-lined fairway with rolling elevations. Download a course map here. This is not a free course. Find rates and rules on MPRB's disc golf page. If you are looking for free places to play, Fun With Dad: Disc Golf in the Twin Cities.
Archery at Theodore Wirth Park
The archery range is found across the parking lot at Plymouth Avenue and Theodore Wirth Parkway. Use is first come, first serve. Equipment and targets are not provided, but hay bales are provided. Find more archery ranges in the Twin Cities.
Gardens & Sanctuaries
The JD Rivers' Children's Garden is located North of Glenwood Avenue in the Eastern part of the park. It offers youth programs, but provides walking paths if you would just like to visit. Garden Hours: Dawn to Dusk from late May through late September.
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary is a lovely, peaceful respite located near the south end of the park. It hosts family wildflower walks, children's programs and other self-guided activities during the temperate months. A brochure of offerings can be found here.
The Quaking Bog, across from Eloise Butler, contains a short boardwalk loop hike through a tamarack bog right in the middle of the urban Metro.
Theodore Wirth Park's Rockwood Oak
Families who like to search for treasures could add the "Rockwood Oak" to their list of things to hunt. Located on Theodore Wirth Parkway between Hwy. 55 and Glenwood Avenue there is an oak tree growing between the path and Wirth Lake that is over 55 feet tall with a 76 foot canopy and may be the oldest living thing in Minneapolis. Read more about this ancient tree on MPRB's Facebook post about it.
Public Art in Theodore Wirth Park
While on your "treasure hunt" look for the Aqurbane sculpture by Christopher Harrison. This 15-foot archway serves as a northern gateway to Theodore Wirth Regional Park. Check out the Minneapolis Public Art Tour to find and interactive map with this and several other nearby pieces.
Birthday Parties at Theodore Wirth Park
The pavilion holds 100 people and is available to be reserved for birthdays and other events between April 15th and October 15th. Permits are available by the half day (9-3 or 4-10) for $300 or for a full day for $600. Reservations can be obtained by calling 612-230-6400 during business hours, online or in person.
See the Wirth Winter Recreational Area Listing for Winter Birthday options.
Related Posts: