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Location/Parking

Large version of map.

Aerial sat map of area

The Garden is located within Theodore Wirth Park which is on the western edge of Minneapolis.

If you are driving, parking is available at a small lot and on designated places along the entrance road near the front entrance but is crowded on certain weekends. There are steps from the parking lot down to the gate and also a hillside path without steps. A much larger parking lot (Wirth Beach on map) is located at Wirth Beach and is a short walk to the back gate of the Garden. Lock your car and do not leave valuables in your car exposed to sight!

City Buses travel on Glenwood Ave. where the Wirth Beach parking lot is located. Buses travel on some nearby streets. Check the Metro Transit web site for routes.

Limited Handicap Access

The Garden is maintained, in accord with its original charter, in a wild natural state similar to 1900. Access to the Garden from the front gate parking area is not directly wheel chair accessible due to steps. There is a maintenance path without steps at the south end of the parking lot that slopes down to the Garden entrance. Also be aware that most paths in the garden are covered with a natural mulch and when the mulch is fresh, it may provide difficulty for certain wheel chairs or push type walking devices. The Shelter has two entrance steps. Back Gate Alternative: There are not any steps on the path from the large, free, Wirth Beach Parking Lot to the back gate of the Garden. There is one moderate hill on this path and the path has sections that are compacted gravel and sections that are paved. In the map above, the path labeled "Alternate" is fairly level, all paved, but old, with the slopes moderate. Either alternate path is about 400 yards from the parking lot to the back gate. From inside the back gate the paths of Violet Way and Geranium Lane are fairly flat, but narrow, until they near the Shelter - then there is an uphill section on each path to reach the Shelter. The boardwalk in the wetland is flat, four feet wide and lies between and is connected to, Violet Path and Geranium Lane. The Shelter has steps for entry - no ramp. Rustic restrooms are near the front entrance and require two steps.

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