A Raucous Ramble Around Minnehaha Falls

The history of Minnehaha Falls includes dance halls, secret saloons, wild behavior, lawsuits, and whiskey. Join us for a one-mile walk where the mayhem occurred: crooks, landowners, hoteliers, and saloon owners went to the Falls to turn a profit or to raise a little ruckus.

Karen Cooper, whose work 'When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls' won the 2023 Minnesota Book Award for Nonfiction, gives participants further background on the people and places that shape this remarkable story. Through colorful anecdotes and thorough documentation, she helps us picture the Minnehaha Falls area in a new light, and helps us understand how this history formed the park we know and love today.

This tour begins at the picnic table in front of the Longfellow House, 4800 S Minnehaha Dr, Minneapolis, and is approximately one mile on uneven ground. Please wear comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen/protective clothing, dress for the weather, and bring your own water to stay hydrated. Please register in advance.

You may also like the following events from Hennepin History Museum:

• This Sunday, 5th October, 01:00 pm, Grave Matters: The Story of a City as Told Through its Cemetery in Minneapolis
• Next Saturday, 11th October, 11:30 am, Exhibit Opening for Winston: A Woman’s Fight for Freedom in Minnesota in Minneapolis
• Next month, 13th October, 10:00 am, Third Annual Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ Water Blessing in Plymouth

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Minneapolis.