In the heart of Minneapolis’s Mill District, Gold Medal Park is a 7.5-acre green interlude between the river and the city. Located at Second Street and 11th Avenue South, next to the Guthrie Theater and a short walk from the Mississippi River, the park opened in May 2007 and has become one of downtown’s most loved places to slow down, picnic and take in the skyline.
Its centerpiece is impossible to miss: a sculptural, 32-foot-high mound inspired by the mounds of the Dakota, who lived in this area long before the flour mills arrived. A spiral walkway climbs gently to the top, where seating among a grove of trees rewards visitors with panoramic views of the river, the historic Stone Arch Bridge, the Guthrie and the old milling district. The park’s name recalls Gold Medal flour, the product that helped make Minneapolis the flour-milling capital of the world.
Designed by landscape architect Tom Oslund, the park spreads a broad green lawn planted with more than 200 mature trees. Benches glow with blue LED light in the evening, adding a quiet magic after sunset. It is an easy stop to combine with the Mill City Museum, the Mill City Farmers Market or a riverfront walk.
Gold Medal Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to visit. Bring a picnic, climb the mound and enjoy Minneapolis from above.
Photo: Czbik / Wikimedia Commons
