Theodore Wirth Park

History

The park that became known as Theodore Wirth Park was established in 1889 with an initial acquisition of 66 acre, initially called Saratoga Park and named Glenwood Park in 1890. In 1908, MPRB folded the garden into Glenwood Park and began further expansion to the north and west, using authorization from the Minnesota Legislature to expand into Golden Valley. In 1938, the park was renamed for Theodore Wirth, who was superintendent of Minneapolis parks for 30 years from 1906 to 1936.

The park currently occupies 759 acre, which is 90% of the size of New York City's Central Park at 843 acre.

Events

The pool at the park hosted the Aqua Follies during the annual Minneapolis Aquatennial summer festival from 1940 until 1964.

The park was the venue for the 2024 Stifel Loppet Cup international cross-country ski competition.

Features

A geographic marker at one corner of the park grounds, at Wirth Parkway and Golden Valley Road, marks the 45 degrees latitude line, exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole. The badly weathered plaque was refurbished around 2006.

Golf course

In the northern portion of Wirth Park sits a golf course, including one 18-hole course and one 9-hole par 3 course. The golf course was established in 1917 and its clubhouse constructed in 1923. In 2011, disc golf was added to the par 3 course. In the winter, much of the park is repurposed to cross country ski trails.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary

In 1907 Eloise Butler, John Greer and others petitioned the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for space in Glenwood Park to establish a botanical garden. The park board granted the request and set aside three acres of bog, meadow and hillside for the Wild Botanical Garden, the first public wildflower garden in the United States. The garden was renamed after Butler, also the garden's first curator, in 1929.

Gallery

File:45thParallelMinneapolis.jpg|45th Parallel marker File:TheodoreWirthParkway.jpg|A sign along the Parkway File:Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary ferns.jpg|Ferns File:Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary trillium.jpg|Trillium File:Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary boardwalk.jpg|Boardwalk File:Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary wild geraniums.jpg|Geranium maculatum File:Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary forest.jpg|Forest canopy

References

References

1. (May 5, 2015). "Theodore Wirth Regional Park Master Plan and Grant Request, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board". Metropolitan Council.
2. "Theodore Wirth Regional Park".
3. (January 18, 1967). "Services Set for Producer Al Sheehan". [[Minnesota Star Tribune.
4. Blount, Rachel. (February 19, 2024). "Jessie Diggins wraps up hometown World Cup weekend with third place in 10k race". [[Star Tribune]].
5. Bergstrom, Matt. (2025). "The 45th Parallel, Minneapolis, Minnesota".
6. "Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary".