PHOTO ALBUMS
Take a drive down Lilac Way.
Browse photos—old and new—of beehive fireplaces and wayside rest parks.
See how Highway 100 was built in 1939, and follow today’s restoration efforts.
QUICK LINKS
In 1939, there were 7-10 parks built by MnDOT and the WPA along a 12.5 mile stretch of Highway 100 known as Lilac Way. Learn more
FEATURED PARKS
RESTORED: Lilac Park (formerly Roadside Park), St. Louis Park, MN
NEEDS TO BE RESTORED: Graeser Park, Robbinsdale, MN
NEEDS TO BE RESTORED: Rock Island (AKA Monkey Island), St. Louis Park, MN
FEATURED ALBUM OF HISTORIC PHOTOS
Original Lilac Way Parks, 1939-41
Hand-built by unemployed stonemasons during the Great Depression, these beehive-shaped fireplaces were along Highway 100 in roadside parks. The National Park Service and MnDOT can document only these two “beehive” fireplaces remaining in the U.S. Learn more
FEATURED BEEHIVE ALBUMS
Beehive fireplace design, 1937
MnDOT’s former Beehive Graveyard, 2008
Moving a historic beehive fireplace
Designed by German engineer Carl Graeser and built by the Minnesota Highway Department, unemployed men from Minneapolis’ Gateway District helped build Lilac Way by hand. Learn more
FEATURED ALBUMS OF BUILDING LILAC WAY
Construction during the Great Depression
First cloverleaf interchange in MN
Road workers from Minneapolis’ Gateway District, 1937-39
One Lilac Way park has been restored, and there are community projects to save and restore two more. Learn more
FEATURED RESTORATION ALBUMS
RESTORED: Lilac Park, 2009
Maintaining Graeser Park in hopes of restoration
Lilac Park restoration process
Moving a historic beehive fireplace
Lilac Park Grand Opening, 2009
Inspired by a TPT show. Created by Laukkonen Design as a pro bono civic project to document the history and support restoration efforts. Learn more
FEATURED BRANDING ALBUMS
Lilac Way branding
WPA poster inspiration
Lilac Way signage
In the 1930s, a group of amazing women sold lilacs for 15 cents each, raising money to plant lilacs on Highway 100. Then they had a parade. Learn more
FEATURED ALBUMS OF GARDEN CLUB AND FESTIVALS
The Golden Valley Garden Club
Lilac Way display, Golden Valley Historical Society Museum
Lilac Festivals