Wabun. I feel like everyone in this part of Minneapolis (and even those strange folk across the river) likes it. And for good reason! For once, I’ve got no complaints, which I suspect will be a surprise to some. Let’s get down to it.
Wabun is the picnic area within Minnehaha Falls Regional Park, specifically the area just north of the Veterans Home perched high above the Mississippi River that makes the eastern border of the park (not counting the lock and dam on the river bank). The picnic area has many large picnic shelters, a large bathroom building, a circular zero-depth entry pool/splash pad, and a large multi-area playground.
The whole park sits where there used to be a camping grounds, and the playground harks back to that time with a “log cabins and tents” theme. I personally haven’t seen other parks with these kinds of structures (particularly the “tents”), so it is pretty neat to have them here.
The 5 to 12 year old playground sits against an artificial berm, with a sidewalk ringing the edge and providing a path to a few different ramp entries. This makes it feel very accessible to those with mobility impairments and easy for parents to follow along. Similarly, the entire surface is poured-in-place rubber (PIP) with the obvious exception of the shaded sand play area between the older and younger play sets.
The younger 2 to 5 year old play structure also has ramp access, and an inclusive platform rocker styled like an older style “tin can” camper trailer. There are also a few freestanding pieces like an old 1940s style car, a 4 person spinner, and a “rolling conveyor” that has never made much sense to me but kids seem to find fun.
Wabun also has a good set of swings, including a couple baby buckets, an inclusive seated swing, and a handful of strap seats. Again, here the surface is also PIP, so the swings are never too high or low depending on surface fill. The swings also spend most of their day in the shade.
In the summer, on those hot days, before the shade starts to come in the afternoon, Wabun is a great place for young ones to get into the water. A zero-depth entry means a gentle ramp into the water on one half of the pool, up to maybe 14 or 16 inches deep. Wabun also has a decorative arch that mimics the fresh water spring at Coldwater Spring south of the Minnehaha Dog Park.
Wabun is the kind of park that is really nice for a lot of reasons, the only downside is that you go there so many times you start to wonder if you should be checking out other parks (I’ve heard that some people don’t ask this question, though). The wider Minnehaha Park also has a beautiful waterfall and creek and trails, a pavilion with the Sea Salt restaurant, a sandwich shop, and an ice cream window serving Sebastian Joe’s ice cream. If you are able, taking a bike is the way to visit this park so you don’t need to worry about parking (free up by the Wabun picnic area, paid down by the Falls and Sea Salt). Bring a lunch and a swim suit and you could easily be here all day.
