Water Power Park

Minneapolis, MN

Water Power Park sits within the St. Anthony Falls hydropower facility at the north end of Hennepin Island. As part of their hydroelectric re-licensing agreement, Xcel Energy developed this park and opened it to the public in 2007.

Carmen Simonet Design LLC was the landscape architect on a multidisciplinary team lead by Barr Engineering to design and implement a park master plan. The design process centered on close interaction with the client and an advisory group, to find the balance between creating a park and maintaining the site as a hydropower facility.

The park features overlooks of Saint Anthony Falls, the Minneapolis skyline, historic mills, bridges and contains a series of interpretive signs telling the story of harnessing water power.

See the Water Power Park interpretive signs project.