Let’s Explore West St. Paul

Go outside and explore these sites across the city. Discover something new and fun! Take a photo and enter our random drawing to win prizes throughout the summer of 2024.

How It Works

Explore: Visit any one of the 25 locations and take a picture.
Enter: Go online to share your photo and enter the contest.
Win: Every Friday throughout the summer we’ll do a random drawing and pick five winners.

The contest starts June 2 and runs through August 30. See rules below.

Enter Now

Prizes

65 lucky winners will get gift cards from local businesses, including: 5-8 Grill & Tap, Amore Coffee, Beirut Restaurant, BLVD Tavern, Dairy Queen, FoodSmith Bistro Pub, Jameson’s Irish Bar, Raising Cane’s, and Sarpino’s Pizzeria. Total value of all prizes is nearly $900. You’ll also get exclusive stickers and more:

Four variations of "I Explored West St. Paul" stickers

25 Locations to Explore in West St. Paul

Here’s the list of 25 locations throughout West St. Paul, plus more detail on each one. Check out the map below or download a PDF version that includes the full list.

40 Acres – The square notch at the top of a map of West St. Paul is known as 40 Acres, a historic quirk created in 1874 when Ramsey County annexed the West Side. Highlights in 40 Acres include Kennedy Park—named for park promoter James Kennedy—and the home of Phillip Crowley, the first mayor of West St. Paul.
Albert Park – The history of Albert Park is one of tragedy, typos, and tall tales. It claims to be the smallest park in the U.S., but it’s not. Currently isolated by roads on three sides, it will expand with the Smith/Dodd intersection realignment in 2025.
Harmon Park – With multiple sports fields, playground, and splash pad, Harmon Park is one of West St. Paul’s busiest parks. It’s also one of the oldest, with remnants from the 1930s. It’s formerly the home of Sibley Elementary School (torn down in 1964) as well as Sibley High School and Grass Junior High (torn down in 1998).
WPA Sidewalks – The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a major government jobs program during the Great Depression that employed 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. Remnants of WPA projects can be found in West St. Paul, including sidewalks. There are at least nine sidewalks slabs in West St. Paul bearing the telltale WPA stamp, most along Stryker Avenue between Annapolis and Bernard.
Heritage Gym – Built in 1952, the Heritage gym and Matson Field across the street are all that remains of Sibley High School. Once a sprawling educational complex stretched north of the gym all the way to Bernard Street and west with the Grass Junior High building. Except for the gym, these buildings were all torn down in 1998 after Heritage opened. Heritage’s name is an homage to this educational legacy.
Oakdale Park – Oakdale School once stood in this spot, but now all that remains is the school’s concrete sign and a historic marker. Torn down in 1990, the land was converted to homes and a 1.5-acre park with a picnic shelter, playground, and basketball court.
Art Park – This tiny pocket park came to life in 2020 with the mosaic sculpture “A Community Cairn” created by Lori Greene. The park also hosts a Little Free Library with sidewalk chalk, as well as occasional events including a back-to-back music concert and donut giveaway as well as a pad drive.
Haskell Park – With basketball and tennis courts, baseball field, hockey rink, and playground, Haskell Park’s four acres offer something for everyone. You can also hunt for the fairy door, which were hidden throughout all of the city parks in 2023. (Note: Fairy doors can go missing due to vandalism or other issues.)
Mud Lake Park – A hidden gem, this quiet park is a mecca for bird watching. You can use little known trails on the north and south sides to circle the entire lake. It’s one of our top five nature trails in West St. Paul.
Moreland Mural – Installed in 2024 and incorporating themes from students and the community, the mural spans the entire backside of Moreland Arts and Health Sciences Magnet School. Artist Greta McLain led the project, including students and community members painting more than 100 panels that made up the mural.
Poolside Park – The West St. Paul pool opened in 1956, with about 1,500 swimmers crowding into the pool on opening day. The surrounding Poolside Park includes a playground and picnic tables. Get the latest hours and pricing.
John V. Hoene Ice Arena – Originally built in 1971 and named for a local hockey coach, the John V. Hoene Ice Arena was renovated and expanded in 1997 and again in 2022. The city is redoing the parking lot in 2024. See current hours and pricing.
Thompson County Park – With several recent improvements including an accessible playground and more improvements in the works, Thompson County Park is a destination park in West St. Paul. Dakota Lodge hosts weddings and events, and the Thompson Park Activity Center welcomes older adults. The River-to-River Greenway trail runs through the park, along with other paved an unpaved trails throughout the park.
Weschcke Park – Named for Margaret Weschcke who opened her backyard pool to the community before the city pool opened, Weschcke Park features basketball and tennis courts, a playground, picnic tables, and more.
Wentworth Library – With books, computers, meeting rooms, events, and more, West St. Paul’s library is always active and busy. Opened in 1992, Wentworth Library is scheduled for a remodel with planning in 2024 and construction expected in 2025. See current hours.
Thompson Oaks Bridge – One of the newest features on the River-to-River Greenway trail is a bridge and wetland reclamation project that filters 25% of West St. Paul’s stormwater. The bridge creates a half-mile loop around the pond behind Wentworth Library.
Dodge Nature Center – When Olivia Irvine Dodge saw encroaching development in the 1960s, she bought up nearby truck farms and created Dodge Nature Center. Today there’s abundant nature, including miles of trails, a working farm, raptor mews, and bee apiary. Can you find the barn ruins? Or the abandoned farm implements? Don’t overlook the Marie Property south of Marie Avenue for even more trails. You could also venture beyond West St. Paul to complete Dodge’s 2024 Hiking Challenge with visits to the Lilly Property in Mendota Heights and Shepard Farm in Cottage Grove. Be sure to respect the visitor’s guidelines, including sunrise-to-sunset hours and no dogs and no bikes on nature trails.
Charlton Tunnel Mural – Constructed in 2015, the Charlton Tunnel is part of the River-to-River Greenway trail that runs past Dodge Nature Center and Garlough Environmental Magnet School. In 2022, artists Meg Erke and Megan Moore worked with Garlough students to create a mural along the entire 96-foot distance of the tunnel. Given the environmental focus of the neighbors, it’s fitting that the tunnel showcases different ecosystems through the seasons.
Garlough Park – Sharing a parking lot with Garlough Environmental Magnet School, Garlough Park is home to the West St. Paul’s disc golf course, the River-to-River Greenway trail, and a picnic shelter.
Marthaler Park – At 1,114 feet above sea level, the hill in Marthaler Park is the highest point in West St. Paul. No wonder it was once a ski hill. Recent improvements planned to open in 2024 include a new fishing pier, second playground, trailhead restroom, and picnic shelter. The park also includes the River-to-River Greenway trail and basketball and volleyball courts.
City Hall – Built in 1969, West St. Paul’s city hall houses local government, the West St. Paul Police Department, and South Metro Fire. Visit a City Council meeting or go next door and check out the West St. Paul Regional Athletic Center (the dome) with free walking most mornings.
West St. Paul Water Tower – Built in 1968, the West St. Paul water tower is 182 feet high and holds 500,000 gallons of water. While the tower is not open to the public, you can see pictures of the spiral staircase with 196 steps leading to a hatch and a platform with an incredible view.
Sports Complex – A 1984 vote paved the way for this 20-acre park, which features sports fields, a horseshoe pavilion, playground, trails, and more. Fun fact: The billboard in the far corner of the park is owned by the city and generates income for the public good.
Dakota County Northern Service Center – Opened in 2002, this government center gives residents of Northern Dakota County more convenient access to county services. The lobby features public art that highlights cities across Dakota County. Voters approved the center in a 1999 special election.
Southview Park – This 5.5-acre park is tucked next to the Southview Country Club and includes basketball and tennis courts, baseball field, playground, picnic shelter, and more. It was also the first park in West St. Paul to accommodate pickleball.

Enter Now

Rules

Weekly drawings will be held every Friday, from June 7 to August 30.
One entry per person per week. Enter as many weeks as you like, though priority will go to new winners.
Photos are the proof you visited each location and must be taken at that respective location. You don’t have to be in the photos if you don’t want to.
All locations are viewable to the public and most are public property, but some have specific hours, rules, or limitations that must be followed.
If people are included in the photo, be sure you have their permission to take and share the photos.
By uploading a photo you give West St. Paul Reader and the City of West St. Paul permission to share your photo online and in other promotion.