About Swede Hollow Park

Swede Hollow Park is a natural corridor within the heart of the city following Phalen Creek in the Dayton's Bluff district. The Park’s unique geography as a 25 acre, 150-foot deep ravine surrounded by dense communities makes it an ideal place for urban neighbors to discover and enjoy a quiet natural habitat away from the traffic and commotion of daily life. The area first known to European settlers as “Svenska Dalen,” now Swede Hollow Park has an even longer history for the Dakota people. Archeological items have been found in the park indicating that the site had served as a village site for Dakota people. After Euro-American colonization, and the arrival of the railroad, the park became a popular place for new immigrants to settle, beginning with the Swedes in the 1860s, then Italians, Irish, Poles, Mexicans, and others. The last houses in Swede Hollow were condemned and burned by city authorities in 1956 and residents were forced to relocate. The railroad tracks through the heart of the park have been converted to one of the most stunning sections of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail. The surrounding neighborhoods continue to attract immigrant communities from around the world including Salvadoran, Karen, Hmong, East African, and others.

About the Master Plan

In 2018 and 2019, Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi partnered with The City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department to complete a master plan for Swede Hollow Park. We led the community engagement effort and ultimately garnered input from more than 450 east side residents. A majority of those who participated identified as non-White, as we made intentional efforts to reflect the diversity of the neighborhood in our outcomes.

The result of the Master Plan is a focused park strategy informed by both the landscape and community desires. The master plan’s focus includes improving park and equitable access, increasing visibility and sense of security, natural resource management, providing options to restore stream flow to Phalen Creek, and historical and cultural interpretation and management for Swede Hollow Park. You can view the full results of this work here: www.stpaul.gov/swedehollowmasterplan

Current Work

With support from the Bush Foundation, WTA has partnered with the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy to implement one of the first projects called for the by master plan; the design and installation of several new wayside signs within the park. The signs, installed in the summer of 2022, will be unveiled to the community at a celebration in the park on Friday, September 23rd, 2022 from 5 - 8 pm!

In addition, and with support from the McNeely Foundation, WTA has partnered with the City of Saint Paul and the Capitol Region Watershed District to commission a water feasibility study within Swede Hollow Park, along the creek corridor. This study will inform our work ahead to daylight this section of Phalen Creek.