Kent Brun supported historic Graeser Park for years by clearing brush, pulling weeds and raising public awareness. He was the Cleanup Day Organizer. Graeser Park has been under the proud volunteer stewardship of the Robbinsdale Lions Club since 2008. As a Lion, Kent organized Graeser Park cleanup events from 2010-2018. His keen focus on saving…
Graeser Park’s Preservation Celebration was just perfect. This event showcased the completion of MnDOT’s recent major preservation and restoration project. Andrea Weber, Manager of MnDOT’s Historic Roadside Properties Program, spoke of the park’s history and its importance in the community. This wonderful event featured a concert by the Robbinsdale City Band under the direction of…
Join us to celebrate the completed restoration of Graeser Park! Free, open to all with a concert by the Robbinsdale City Band. Now that MnDOT’s Historic Roadside Properties Program has completed almost three years and $500,000 of detailed work, the community is ready to celebrate. Where: Graeser Park, West Broadway & Lakeland Avenue North, Robbinsdale,…
A summer 2023 Lilac Way tour is the perfect escape, and it’s free! Stop in at restored Graeser Park, Rock Island and renewed Lilac Park—all located on an 8-mile stretch of Highway 100. Bring a lunch, family and friends, and see the heroic preservation efforts of dedicated volunteers and MnDOT. These three Insta-worthy historic Depression-era…
MnDOT has brought treasured Lilac Way park back to life. In 2021, Program Manager Andrea Weber at MnDOT’s Historic Roadside Properties Program thoughtfully planned a three-phase project to preserve and restore Lilac Way’s Graeser Park in Robbinsdale, MN. With a keen attention to detail and adherence to the National Park’s Service’s Historic Preservation Standards and…
May 1, 2022. Graeser Park’s preservation project, launched by MnDOT in fall of 2020, will continue when spring arrives. It was a drizzly 43° when I visited on May Day. The average temperature is 64°, so we are quite a bit behind schedule. Already completed is initial preservation of the historic beehive fireplace and reconstruction…
October 2, 2021. At 80 years old, Graeser Park in Robbinsdale is a scenic wayside rest with noteworthy historical significance. While it has suffered neglect over the years, much of the original park is still intact, including A large flagstone terrace Limestone curbing and walls An enchanting rock garden The iconic beehive fireplace MnDOT project…
Cool find! MnDOT’s Historic Roadside Property Program Manager noted something interesting in a 1938 MnDOT Belt Line report showing the cost of creating a Lilac Way stone picnic tables. The seven original Lilac Way parks each had these unique stone tables. The parks were built alongside Highway 100 during the Great Depression, providing work for…
3.29.21. Graeser Park got a little TLC from MnDOT this week. Four diseased and damaged volunteer trees in the rock garden were removed on Monday. They included a boxelder and mulberry on the slope near W. Broadway, and two elms near the rock garden pond. The elm roots were causing damage to the stone paths…
Join other Lilac Way fans at historic Graeser Park on Sunday March 7th, 11am – 1pm. This is an impromptu pop up event after a long winter. The weather will be almost 50°, so let’s get out of the house to celebrate a rare warm March day in Minnesota. We could all use a diversion.…