Edina is a city in Hennepin County, an inner suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In the 1860s, Edina started as a small agricultural and milling settlement near Minnehaha Creek.
In 1888, it became one of Minneapolis’s first suburbs to be incorporated.
After many years as a streetcar community, Edina developed into a postwar suburb in the 1950s.
Today, Edina is a warm, affluent suburb that offers distinct and various shopping experiences, fine dining options, recreational opportunities, and more.
Edina is close to the airport, downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America, making it a convenient location within the Twin Cities region to stay with family or friends!
Enjoy your trip to Edina, MN, with this list of the best things to do there.
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Centennial Lakes Park has 24 acres of park space and an artificial pond on France Avenue South.
A ten-acre lake surrounded by 1.4 miles of walking trails, groomed landscapes, rest areas, fountains, and swinging seats, are among the park’s features.
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For a more laid-back activity and fresh perspective of the park, rent a paddle boat and take a leisurely cruise along Centennial Lakes.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy lawn bowling and a miniature golf course on the park grounds.
Centennial Lakes Park is also home to a jam-packed series of free summer concerts and the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market.
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The Edina Promenade, located near Centennial Lakes Park, is a greenway connecting many recreational amenities, retail, and residential areas.
The 80-foot wide promenade features 0.75 miles of bicycle lanes and pedestrians, designed as an extended section of Centennial Lakes Park.
To improve the beauty of the city’s public spaces, the Edina Public Art Committee was established to display two and three-dimensional art in the city plazas.
The Edina Promenade makes an ideal starting point for seeing and admiring various artwork.
See the Peacock Display by Jim Dehne, Rainbow Bridge by Sylvia van Norman, Three Trees by Kevin Komadina, and The Healing by John Carter, among others.
If you delight in seeing art, the Edina Promenade is something to look forward to when visiting Edina.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to feel limiting and boring.
At The Good Earth, you’ll enjoy a variety of your favorite dishes from breakfast to dinner, all made with the healthiest ingredients.
The Good Earth cooks in line with the seasons, guaranteeing freshness and variety daily.
From the farm to the garden and the sea, The Good Earth only uses ingredients from sustainable and local farms that raise animals free from hormones and antibiotics.
Not only does The Good Earth use ethically sourced and carefully prepared ingredients, but they believe they are better for the health and the environment.
Grab your bikes and see the beauty of Edina by journeying miles around several cities in Hennepin County.
The Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail rewards you along the entire trip.
Weave across 15.3 miles of paved trail passing Nine Mile Creek, as well as the forests and wetlands of Edina.
The trail connects Hopkins City and the Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail with the cities of Richfield, Minnetonka, and Edina.
Travel over a mile of wooden walkways and many miles of paved trails.
Each year, thousands of riders frequent the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail, making it a must-do within the Three Rivers Park District.
Hikers and runners can journey a segment of this trail within the Edina area, and perhaps your four-legged pals can join the fun too.
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Braemar Golf Course is ideally located in Braemar Park, southwest of Edina.
It’s only a 20-minute drive from downtown Minneapolis.
The park’s 500 acres comprise meandering hills, gorgeous lakes, and natural oak ridges, with a sense of tranquility despite its urban setting.
They built the driving range in 1963, and played the first game in 1964.
Since then, Braemar Golf Course has grown and evolved into a contemporary jewel in Edina.
The Braemar Golf Course is Minnesota’s first regulation 18-hole course in more than ten years.
Its layout features wide fairways and fewer hazards, allowing alternative strategies for players of different skill levels.
The PGA event 1969 Minnesota Classic, the 1979 U.S. Open, and other state tournaments have made Braemar Golf Course popular across the country.
Beat the summer heat at Edina Aquatic Center.
Enjoy the outdoor water park with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving boards, lap swimming lanes, a water playground, and more.
Experience the exhilarating ride on The Lost Wave Surf Simulator, the state’s first outdoor surf simulator.
Climb the Pirate’s Plunge tower and plummet down the 207-foot slide.
Launch yourself down a single, double, or triple tube along the 300-foot slide.
Go on board the Shipwreck Express, step into the plank, trapeze the ten-foot-high deck, and plunge into the six-foot-deep pool.
After more than 60 years in the business, the Edina Aquatic Center continues to bring joy and fun to the families and visitors of Edina.
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50th & France is the finest destination for sophisticated customers seeking a lovely village atmosphere.
The 50th & France district highlights more than 175 professional services and retailers.
Shop for children, men, women’s apparel, jewelers, specialty souvenir shops, salons, and spas.
Enjoy the wide range of restaurants, from casual to fine dining, bakeshops, cafes, and gastronomic delicacies.
50th & France is also home to the Edina Art Fair.
The Edina Art Fair, celebrating more than 50 years, draws 300,000 visitors to this annual three-day summer festival.
See the diverse collection of artworks from more than 250 artists and artisans from around the state and the country.
The Wooden Hill Brewing Company, owned by brothers James and Sean, broke ground in 2017 and opened its doors in 2018.
On James’ 21st birthday, Sean gifted him a homebrewing kit; the rest is history.
Fueled by a passion that led to the creation of nearly a hundred recipes for beer, James teamed up with Sean to realize his dream of starting a beer brewing company.
Together, they built Edina’s first brewery and taproom.
The brothers transformed the 9,000-square-foot warehouse into a brewery, taproom, and kitchen.
Enjoy distinct tap beer flavors, beertails, seltzers, non-alcoholic beers, snacks, and sides to go with the drinks, including a late-night menu available 30 minutes before closing.
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The Edina History Museum at Arneson Acres Park welcomes you to explore Edina through gathering, preserving, and sharing the city’s history.
The Edina Historical Society, formed in 1969, manages the Edina History Museum.
You can find the museum in the old home of Morton and Katherine Arneson, who dedicated the house and property, including the greenhouse, to the City of Edina.
They renovated the house and turned into a museum.
In 1988, they also added an expansion for exhibit space, thanks to the funds raised by the Edina Centennial Committee.
The land has become the 14-acre Arneson Acres Park, featuring the museum, the greenhouse, a fountain, a gazebo, vast formal gardens, and more.
Today, the Edina History Museum houses two exhibition rooms, a library for research, a gift shop, offices, and a storage room for collections.
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Braemar Arena is a three-sheet ice hockey arena with rinks named after their respective locations on the facility: West, East, and South.
The West rink has the most seating and is used for varsity games.
The East rink opens chiefly for figure skating.
Meanwhile, the South rink accommodates PeeWee League games and JV games.
Braemar Arena offers adult and youth hockey, open skating, figure skating programs, group rental, group skating lessons, and birthday party bookings.
In addition to the three indoor ice rinks, Braemar Arena includes a ballet room, an indoor track, conference, and meeting rooms.
It also has full concessions, and a seasonal outdoor rink with a fire pit to keep visitors cozy and warm.
Several hockey teams, leagues, and figure skating teams call Braemar Arena their home.
Watch teams such as the Edina Hornets Hockey Teams, the Edina Hockey Association, and the Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club.
Pinstripes mix fun and excitement with the casual style of a local bar and restaurant, serving American-Italian cuisine and games of bocce and bowling.
Pinstripes is a chain of restaurants with over ten locations across the country, including one in Edina.
Play games and devour good quality dishes made from scratch, from handcrafted pizzas and flatbreads to Chicago-style baby back ribs, to housemade gelatos.
They also carry a good selection of wines, craft beers on rotation from local breweries, and an assortment of handcrafted cocktails.
Relax at the outdoor fireplaces with views of Centennial Lake no matter the season.
This place is open every day of the week.
Pinstripes is the ideal place to go for a fun daytime gathering or a laid-back night out.
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The Edinborough Park is a 42,000-square-foot fully enclosed facility that opened in 1987.
It’s a terrific place for people of all ages to exercise and play.
This indoor park is always sunny because it maintains a 70-degree temperature.
It’s also open year-round.
The PlayPark, regularly ranked as the Twin Cities’ best indoor playground, has three distinct play areas.
First, you can go to the Adventure Peak, a 44 by 44 by 37-foot space for all ages.
Second, you can bring the toddlers to Little Peak.
Then, you can enjoy the multi-purpose 60 by 90-foot Great Hall for kids.
Located separately from the PlayPark is the indoor pool for lap swimming exclusively for adults.
The park also has an indoor track, fitness equipment, lockers, and showers.
Edinborough Park also houses an amphitheater for various shows and events.
All these features wind their way through landscaped interiors with over 6,000 flowers, plants, trees, and manicured pathways.
The Edina Art Center is a community art space on 64th Street that offers lessons in ceramics, drawing, painting, fibers, metals, and more for people of all ages and skill levels.
The center features two gallery areas with various free exhibits.
One of which is the Margaret Foss Gallery, featuring multiple works by regional and international artists.
Likewise, the center provides you with several ways to explore and develop your skills.
Join youth summer programs to, painting classes to workshops in comedy and poetry.
Classes are conducted at the Art Center, Senior Center, Arneson Acres Park, and at parks throughout Edina.
Don’t forget to visit the gift shop, where you can find a good selection of artwork, including pottery and wearable art pieces by local artists.
One of Edina’s top sporting venues in the Twin Cities is Braemar Field.
It’s also the best field sports complex open year-round.
The field’s dome–spanning 400 feet long, 250 feet wide, and 75 feet high–was built to accommodate multiple sports.
During winter, it becomes one of the largest domes in Minnesota.
The dome is removed for activities during spring and summer.
When there are no baseball and lacrosse practices and games, the turf track surrounding the turf field opens to the general public.
The joint efforts of the Edina Baseball Association, Edina Football Association, Edina Lacrosse Association, and Edina Soccer Club helped make Braemar Field possible.
Edina’s recreational activities and community programs cater to everyone.
The Edina Senior Center caters not only to children and adults but to seniors as well.
The center regularly offers trips, special events, health and wellness, educational, and recreational programs for people 55 years and older.
With around 1,500 members, the center brings senior members of the community together for assembly, engagement, learning, and socialization.
The Edina Senior Center is in the same 36,000-square-foot structure as the Edina Community Library.
The center opened in 2002.
Today, it has become the home to one of the liveliest and most successful programs in the Parks and Recreation Department of Edina.
Every January, Edina has something special to offer to its residents and tourists.
One of these is the Candyland Trail.
This route takes you and your family out into a sweet-covered trail full of interactive games you can play.
Though only started in 2022, this festival has become a huge hit for children aged 3-8.
Register your spot as early as possible!
The Candyland Trail runs along Centennial Lakes Park on France Avenue South.
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In Edina, birdwatching is a common hobby.
And one of the best places you can do that is at Bredesen Park.
This public park specializes in several hiking and biking trails that crisscross the area.
These trails offer glimpses of flora and fauna, as well as water vistas, and extend to about two miles long.
Its bike path connects to the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail, so the fun continues even if you go beyond the park’s borders.
So, pack your binoculars and get ready for a day out with the birds.
The 200-acre Bredesen Park is on Olinger Boulevard.
Get your much-needed outdoor break when you come by Walnut Ridge Park.
This public park spans 44 acres.
It features less than a mile of a walking path, an ice rink, and a baseball backstop.
One of the key highlights of this park is a small pond that’s a sanctuary for many wildlife.
For the little ones, there is also playground equipment.
There are shelters available for rent, too, if you’re coming by with a large group.
You can get to Walnut Ridge Park via Londonderry Road.
When it comes to colorful gardens in Edina, Arneson Acres takes the top spot.
This public park was a donation from Morton and Katherine Arneson sometime in the late 70s.
Several years later, this 13.2-acre property has 28 gardens you are free to explore.
There’s a woodland garden brimming to the full with noxious weed buckthorns.
The daylily garden is also worth a visit if you want to walk through vibrant arrays of color.
The perennial borders are a good spot to keep an eye on songbirds.
Arneson Acres is also home to the City of Edina Greenhouse and the Edina Historical Society.
To get to this garden, drive along West 70th Street.
Keep your adventure along Edina meaningful and art-centered when you come by during the Edina Fall into the Arts Festival.
This annual event gathers over 200 artists into the heart of Edina for an art fair unlike any other.
But aside from supporting local art, this event aims to help raise money for the Edina Crime Prevention Fund.
Browse through a multitude of booths featuring all sorts of art mediums—from mixed media and sculptures to gourmet food and jewelry.
This is a culmination of art unlike you’ve never seen before.
The Edina Fall into the Arts Festival takes place in Centennial Lakes Park on France Avenue South.
Fun knows no age in the City of Edina.
This city features events and programs that entertain people of all ages.
Edina is an upscale but more laid-back destination.
It will surely win your hearts with its broad and pleasant mix of recreation, retail, and restaurants.
It’s also an excellent getaway to shop, stay, and play.
Book your Edina trip today!
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