JD Rivers’ Children’s Garden In a picturesque corner of Theodore Wirth Park sits the one-acre JD Rivers’ Children’s Garden.

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Address

2900 Glenwood Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Part of: Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Contact

Phone: 612-418-9019
Email: jdrivers@minneapolisparks.org

Garden Hours

The area surrounding the garden is welcome to be explored dawn to dusk every day.
Garden gates are open from 9am-3pm on Mondays-Wednesdays and 11am-6pm on Thursdays, June through August

Theodore Wirth Park Hours

6 am-midnight in developed areas
6 am-10 pm in undeveloped areas
Ordinance PB-2-33

Plan Your Route

Bus, bike, drive, or walk

Garden Teen Crew Summer Jobs (ages 16-19)—Apply Now!

This season we are hiring two garden youth crews, one to work at JD Rivers’ Garden and one to work on a mobile crew that will move around North and Northeast Minneapolis. Crew members will be responsible for working on a team to care for gardens and natural spaces, and if at JD Rivers’, running a produce market and helping customers. We hire 16–19-year-olds every spring to work during the summer months (Mid June through end of August). Visit the Garden Youth Crew Positions to learn more and email jdrivers@minneapolisparks.org for an application or to ask any questions.

Produce Market

Visit JD Rivers’ garden for your summer and fall produce needs. Our market is open to the public and full of fresh, seasonal produce, straight from the garden. Cash only.

The market is closed for the season. We will open again in June 2026, check back here for updates in early spring.

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Activities & Amenities

Activities

2026 Garden Events and Programs

Join us at an event, visit the garden for a Family Night, or enroll your child in Garden Camp! See below for our 2026 season programs at JD Rivers’ Garden.

Spring into Gardening
Saturday, April 25, 10 am-12 pm
Come plant seeds, do a craft, and help with garden chores! For all ages and free, please register.

Family Planting Day
Saturday, May 16, 10 am-12 pm
Bring the family and help get JD Rivers’ garden growing for the season. Plant seeds and seedlings and visit throughout the season to watch them grow. For all ages and free, please register.

Garden Day Camps
Garden to Table, Baking, and Food Preservation themes for ages 9 to 14. Age ranges and prices vary by camp. Camps run Monday-Thursday most weeks of summer, follow link above to learn more and register. Registration opens at noon on 2/18/2026.

Family Nights at JD Rivers’ Garden
Come by the garden for an evening of exploring and garden activities for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Campfire & Curiosity with a Naturalist at JD Rivers’
Explore the signs of the JD Rivers’ produce garden and relax by a fire. For all ages, $2-3, please register.

Garden with a Naturalist
A hands-on gardening program for adults. Each session is a different theme, offered monthly May through September.

Field Trips and Tours
The garden hosts field trips and educational programs for local youth-serving organizations and schools that focus on gardening skills, harvesting produce, healthy eating, and exploring the surrounding natural areas.

Do you know of a group interested in learning and exploring at the garden? Contact our garden educators at jdrivers@minneapolisparks.org to schedule a visit!

Amenities

Bike Path
Garden
Port-a-Potty
Walking Path

Good to Know

The garden is located North of Glenwood Avenue in the Eastern part of the park. Look for the big Adirondack chair.

On street parking is available along the south side of Glenwood Avenue or at canoe launch parking lot (about a 5-minute walk to the Garden).

Other Gardens and Water Resources in Theodore Wirth Regional Park:

Volunteer at JD Rivers' Garden

Group Volunteer Form (5-30 people)

Use this form if you have a pre-existing group that you would like to have volunteer at the garden. This could be a work group, club, school group, etc.

Volunteer Opportunities for Individuals

Join us for any (or all!) of the volunteer sessions below. Please register through this form if you are able, drop-ins always welcome. Email jdrivers@minneapolisparks.org with any questions.

Thursday, April 23, 9-11am
Thursday, May 7, 9-11am
Thursday, May 14, 9-11am
Tuesday, May 19, 4-6pm
Tuesday, June 9, 4-6pm
Tuesday, September 29, 10-12pm
Thursday, October 8th, 4-6pm
Tuesday, October 20th, 10-12pm

Glorious Gardens

From grand expanses to hidden gems, gardens throughout the park system offer flowers, history, sculpture, community hubs and more.

Longfellow Gardens

Garden Details

Size: 1 acre

Neighborhood: Harrison

Service Area: North

Commissioner District: 2

Youth Employment Program
A youth crew is hired every season to assist in caring for the garden, educating visitors, running the produce market, and participating in professional development lessons.

Produce
We grow many things at JD Rivers’ Garden, with our focus being on plants that can be used to eat and cook with. Some highlights throughout the season:

June: herbs, lettuce, greens, peas, radishes

July: sour cherries, green beans, summer squash, cucumbers

August: eggplant, carrots, beets, ground cherries, tomatoes, peppers, melons

September: Apples, pumpkins, tomatillos, peppers, tomatoes

History

The JD Rivers’ Children’s Garden’s origins date back to the 100th anniversary of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGE). As part of the festivities, MGE selected a site in Theodore Wirth Park to plant a few acres of wheat and sunflowers, which were the two crops historically traded at the MGE.

Children from recreation centers across the city were invited to see the field plowed, planted and harvested using traditional farm implements, like threshers. They used the harvested wheat and sunflowers in creative art classes.

The field of wheat and the bloomed sunflowers inspired local residents, J.D. and Ada Rivers, to approach the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) about creating a permanent garden for children at the site. The MPRB agreed it was a good idea and in the following growing season, 1982, a children’s garden was born.