Filmed from the west-facing playground beach at Excelsior Commons overlooking Gideon Bay which is part of Lower Lake. Historically this smaller beach was known as the children’s beach. The main beach is north-facing, and I filmed a bit from it too because there was a gorgeous cloud at the back of the sunset.
The weather was still warm enough for a swim this evening. Lots of people were out enjoying the park and boating. It wasn’t windy, but the boats created enough waves to make the ambient sounds more interesting.
This park features a newer bandshell, concession stand, and fire pits, and its baseball field has been around since at least the 1920s (all shown at the end of the video). Since I love highlighting CCC and WPA projects, it’s worth mentioning that the tiered seating at the baseball field was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. While the seating has been updated with new materials, the original location and design remain the same.
The Excelsior Commons Master Plan presents a comprehensive vision for enhancing the park. Planned improvements include upgrading playgrounds, installing a boardwalk around the scenic knoll, revitalizing the beach areas, and boosting winter activities with ice skating on the lake and a warming house. The plan also covers shoreline restoration, modernized bathrooms, and improved accessibility.
www.communityforthecommons.org/master-plan.html
Big Island Amusement Park, located on an island, was a unique attraction built by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT) to increase weekend streetcar ridership. The park featured classic early 20th-century attractions, such as a roller coaster, carousel, and a music casino. Known as one of TCRT’s most ambitious leisure projects, Big Island Amusement Park became a popular destination for day trips before closing in 1911.
The streetcar station once stood at Excelsior Commons, where it connected passengers to ferries-large steamboats that carried visitors across the lake to the amusement park. These ferries, known for their distinctive yellow and red streetcar-like design, were crucial in ferrying large crowds to the park, offering a scenic and leisurely trip across the lake.
Here’s a cool historical aerial view of the area and Big Island, featured in this digitally restored promotional brochure. I doubt it’s geographically correct, but it’s fun to look at:
www.lakeminnetonkahistory.org/store/p56/Canvas_Print_of_1907_Big_Island_Amusement_Park_Brochure.html
better view of the image (desktop size): www.lakeminnetonkahistory.org/uploads/4/1/3/7/41376427/s599677200870261967_p56_i5_w9012.jpeg?width=2560
10:11 islands
A portion on the right is part of the island where Big Island Amusement Park was.
10:17 pretty cloud
at the back of the sunset viewed from the north-facing main beach
19:50 muskrat surfaces
41:35 jumping fish
52:00 heron
56:01 loon call
1:02:12 dinner cruise boat
1:04:26 360°
1:05:26 balancing rocks
Balancing rock on a rock topped with half a plastic Easter egg-must be left over from the Easter egg hunt in the spring. Nine days later, it was toppled and the Easter egg was not in sight.
1:05:44 bandshell
1:05:49 concession stand
1:05:59 fire pit
one of two fire pits running on gas
1:06:04 baseball field
1:06:14 tiered seating
1:06:19 old beach house
This photo is in a display on the old ticket booth in the park. It shows a bath house on the main beach. I love these old beach structures that extend over the water.
1:06:24 Big Island
where the Big Island Amusement Park was, off the north-facing beach
🍽️food photo from Coalition, Excelsior, MN🍽️
I’ve eaten here before: ua-cam.com/video/Sk9S_ciuKMk/v-deo.htmlsi=KQH7Y94SMPF8R6N0&t=4458
1:06:38 burrata Calabrian
Calabrian pepper & olive tapenade, pine nuts, basil, ciabatta
Sept 25 2024