Bassett's Creek Valley Park is named for the creek that runs through the park as it meanders from Medicine Lake in Plymouth to the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. Located at Penn Ave. N and Chestnut Ave. W, the park offers courts for tennis and volleyball, fields for baseball, softball and soccer, a totlot playground and plenty of green space.
The park first took shape in 1930 with the donation of 13 acres of land. Several additions, most notably the purchase of 43 acres in 1934, have increased the park’s size to over 70 acres. A former dumping ground for local industries; the area was transformed into a park with the assistance of labor from federal work relief programs whose conservation efforts cleaned up the land and restored the creek.
Improvements to the park include upgrades to the sports courts and fields and the creation of a commuter biking trail. The Luce Line Trail running along Bassett’s Creek connects nearby Bryn Mawr Park to the Cedar Lake Trail, which travels from Hopkins to downtown Minneapolis. Heading west, the Luce Line passes through Theodore Wirth Park, eventually reaching the city of Cosmos in west-central Minnesota.
Historical Profile: More information about this and other parks is included in Parks, Lakes, Trails and So Much More, a richly detailed account of the histories of Minneapolis’ renown recreational system.
