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Stone beehive fireplaces from a 1930s roadside park, a museum full of vintage radios and televisions and a nature center ringed by marsh all sit within the borders of St. Louis Park, a first-ring suburb directly west of Minneapolis. The city of about 50,000 grew up around a railroad junction in the 1880s and boomed after World War II, when new houses filled its farm fields almost overnight.
That postwar suburb shaped a remarkable list of natives, including filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, who set A Serious Man in a neighborhood like the one they grew up in, and columnist Thomas Friedman. Today the city mixes mid-century bungalows with newer districts such as Excelsior and Grand and the West End, where apartments sit above restaurants, shops and a cinema.
Green space is close at hand: Westwood Hills Nature Center and Bass Lake Preserve offer quiet trails, Wolfe Park hosts the summer Parktacular festival, and the Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail carries cyclists straight to the Minneapolis lakes.
A city nature preserve of marsh, woods and restored prairie with a boardwalk across the wetland, trails and a modern interpretive center with live animals and exhibits. Deer, turtles and waterfowl are common sightings. Naturalists run family programs and snowshoe outings in winter, and entry is free.
A small city preserve around Bass Lake in St. Louis Park, with grassy trails, wetland edges and restored native plantings that attract songbirds and butterflies. It is a peaceful spot for an early morning walk or a picnic away from busier parks. Bring insect repellent in early summer.
A roadside park created in the 1930s along Lilac Way, the landscaped stretch of Highway 100 built by the Works Progress Administration, with rare stone beehive fireplaces and picnic tables that have been carefully restored. Signs tell the story of the old highway. It makes a charming picnic stop.
A museum of radio and television history with a large collection of antique receivers, early televisions, broadcast equipment and memorabilia from Minnesota stations. Volunteers often demonstrate working pieces, and kids can try a mock studio. Check the opening days before visiting, as hours are limited.
A compact mixed-use district along Excelsior Boulevard with apartments above restaurants, coffee shops and small stores, built in the early 2000s as a walkable town center for the city. It hosts summer events and a farmers market nearby. Park in the ramp behind the buildings and stroll the block.
An outdoor shopping and dining district off Interstate 394 with a multiplex cinema, national retailers, restaurants and bars around a central street. It draws crowds on weekend evenings for dinner and a movie. Parking ramps are free, and the shops are a short drive from the Minneapolis lakes.
The city's recreation complex with two indoor ice arenas, an outdoor aquatic park with water slides, diving boards and a shallow play pool for younger children. It is a hub for public skating in winter and swimming in summer. Check the online schedule for open skate and swim times.
A central park with a small lake, walking paths, an amphitheater, playground and picnic shelters, next to the city hall area. It is the home of Parktacular, St. Louis Park's summer festival with a parade and concerts. On ordinary days it is a pleasant loop for a walk or a run.
A paved regional trail along an old rail corridor through St. Louis Park, popular with commuting cyclists and weekend riders heading east toward Cedar Lake and the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes or west toward Hopkins. The path is mostly flat. Rent a bike nearby and allow time for detours.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: August Schwerdfeger, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Tony Webster, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster from San Francisco, California, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: William Wesen (Appraiser at English Wikipedia), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Paul2520, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: McGhiever, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Heritage Preservation Department - MNHS, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
