For nearly 200 years, Minnehaha Falls has been the most popular place to visit in Minneapolis. I live near the falls, and when I started researching its history, I was shocked by how much I didn’t know. 

It was an adventure to rediscover it, and now I’ve finally published the research in the form of an audio walking tour, which you can find here: Minnehaha Falls Walking Tour: History and Heritage in Minneapolis’ Crown Jewel

Highlights include:

“Rowdy, lawless indulgence” at the “Minnehaha Midway”
The hermits of Minnehaha Glen
The city’s love affair with Longfellow
The meaning of “Minnehaha”
The two zoos of Minnehaha Park
The falls’ famous visitors
Why Little Crow’s eyes are empty

If you’re interest in more, you can also order Karen Coopers book, When Minnehaha Flowed With Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls, which is a much deeper look at the falls colorful past.

Some more postcards from the past: