Beautiful park on southern edge of downtown Minneapolis. Across the pedestrian bridge from Walker Art Museum (modern art) and across street from the Basilica of St. Mary. Also features a small wonderful dog park. read more

Loring Park - Loring Park dog park. - Dog Parks Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

My wife was still asleep this morning so I explored Loring Park with the kids. Great urban park! Playscape, pond, foot paths, a lovely flower garden, a huge dandelion-shaped fountain, lots of trees and grass, and a basketball court. My daughter even spotted a rabbit. Across the highway is the sculpture garden, also worth a visit. read more

Kohleen described this place perfectly. This is a great dog park if you live in west downtown, like I do. Most dogs (and owners) are friendly, and if they're not, most owners are honest about it. It's not a huge park.. more long than wide.. but it IS downtown. Can't ask for a huge forest! And if you see a dopey but cute white and brown collie/spaniel mix playing, stop and say hi! read more

Loring Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Loring Park is in a prime spot in Minneapolis. It's located within walking distance of the Walker and its sculpture garden, the basilica, and good restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. It's also minutes away from downtown and on the edge of Uptown. It's more racially diverse than a lot of the other popular parks in the Twin Cities. There are tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, and shuffle board courts open for use. There are also paths that meander through the park and plenty of green space on which to sit. Here's a tip. There is a pond in the middle of the park. When one goes on the dock and is hidden by the reeds and other plants, it feels like one is no longer in the city, but rather in a tiny nature preserve. It's a good spot to isolate a date for some quiet time. During the summer there is a series called music and movies in the park. Every Monday evening, I think, there's live music and a movie is shown right after. It's free and pretty chill. Oh and there's a cool fountain there that looks like an old dandelion. However, heed Dan S' warnings after it gets dark outside. read more

Pro tip: A lot of black people hang out here to play basketball, so the police give out an inordinate amount of tickets in the area. Just be sure to park legally, and NEVER let your meter/plate/tags/dog park registration expire. They'll get you. Otherwise it is a pleasant place with a nice park and wading pool, a classic rec building, some bocce ball and other courts, in a nice urban setting. A great place to start off on a run or meet friends for a walk. O and also - don't use the port-potties here - they're really bad about maintaining them here, and they are open 24/7 so they see a little too much humanity, if ya know what I mean. read more

I'm on the fence about Loring Dog Park. I love how close it is, it's the perfect run to and from my place, but I'm not so enthused by the size and the quality of the dog park. Especially since the rest of Loring Park is so big and beautiful. I've met a mixture of dogs and, most importantly, dog owners here. One puppy went after my sweet baby dog to play, and I've never seen her look so much like a rabid animal. I was literally kicking the puppy away from her, and the owner was sitting on a rock 20 feet away texting on her phone *sigh*. However I've also met other dog owners who are friendly and seem to be more responsible. I'll probably go here again since it's so close but Lake of the Isles dog park is far better than this one. Also this dog park has a strong urine odor which Lake of the Isles doesn't have. At least the smell makes my little baby dog poop, which as fellow dog owners know, is of the utmost importance! I'm willing to give this place a few more chances, hopefully more responsible dog owners will be around the next time I go. read more

This is my neighborhood park and I love it. Every run I do starts in this park and ends with a nice walk back through it. There are plenty of very friendly animals and a lot of places to sit for a rest. In addition to wildlife there are lots of amenities: basketball and tennis courts, shuffle board, horseshoe pits, a playground, wading pool and dog park. There are some less than desirable people who frequent the park however there are typically lot of other great people around and I feel safe walking/running alone. read more

The Loring Park dog park works pretty well for what it is. I live around downtown but the Gateway park is "just alright" and a little too far for my sleepy greyhound to walk everyday. I've only met kind, attentive dog owners here who love to talk about their dogs as well as make conversation about yours. I've even seen some onlookers from MCTC or the neighborhood who come in just to meet the dogs! This level of friendliness has been wonderful for Sujuq, my nearly 2 year old greyhound who is having some difficulties breaking out of his shell in terms of relationships with other dogs but cannot get enough of their owners. The size and long rectangular shape of the park make it a pretty efficient grounds to play fetch (if your dog is willing, I know mine is not) though balls occasionally fly over the fence. There is no actual seating but some large rocks do the job. The gravel is okay, but I've been hit between the eyes with some flying debris when my dog took off at full sprint, so watch out! There is fresh water available, trash cans, extra baggies and scoops so it's easy to clean up messes. There is some interesting sculpture, lots of squirrels in the area, and the fence features a double gate entrance. The best thing is, when you're done in the park you have but a couple steps to take before you get to Joe's Garage where they allow dogs inside, anywhere! I know my perfect park would be a bit bigger but Loring is a great place for city dwelling dogs who might want to get to a park without the ordeal of a car trip. The dogs and the people are friendly from what I've seen so far, and you're just minutes away from some neat downtown stuff. read more

This was a beautiful park! We were happy to have found it during our quick visit to Minneapolis. Parking was easy and free, and although it was a beautiful sunny weekend in the summer, it was not overly crowded. We enjoyed walking through the park with our dog. Very beautiful! read more

Dear Loring Park, I have tried hard not to love you, mostly because you are creepy and have a sordid reputation, but then I realize that I'm kind of the same way, so I let the love grow. I walk through you every morning, tromping my way to work and I like to think of you as my special halfway point. Usually once I get to MCTC on my walk back, I have to wee and I take comfort in knowing that I'm not far once I get to your well-manicured walkways. Also, you truly are just a slice of nature in the city (and also a slice of reality- I have counted 8 meth addicts chillin on your benches in just one morning alone!) You have a peaceful pond, lovely garden, and just have great space to relax in all around. I like the homeless dudes that are sleeping on your benches at 8am. It's good to know they feel safe enough to catch some Zs out the open. The park can get some flak for being dodgy at night, but I always feel safe no matter what time I happen to be here. I also appreciate that you have Pride, the Art Fair, and up until recently, the Movies in the Park (bring it back!). You keep up with the cool kids even though most of the time, you are somewhat eyebrow raising. I am glad we are neighbors. Tori PS. Why is it that all the local weird, white people think they can do their yoga, play their flutes, and just generally be audacious here? I love the hilarity but fo real... wtf? read more

The park is nice, they have free movie nights in the summer. Also, the park is very well taken care of and they are trying hard to revive it. Love the dandelion waterfall, so pretty. Walking around the lake you can get a nice view of the city and there is a little memory garden which is fun to walk around. The people who frequent the park are another story. Besides the homeless people, there are always thugs there. Too many thugs and "ghetto" people who make disgusting comments and behave ...well you know. Avoid this place at night, too many crackheads. read more

One of the highlights of our trip to Minneapolis was Loring Park. Local friends met us at our hotel, and we wandered through the park on the way to the Walker, only to find it closed. Meaning we got to wander back through it. And then we went for a bike ride through it the next morning. It's gorgeous. It's got a little bit of everything: ponds, playgrounds, basketball courts, benches, trashcans, etc. That way you can cram in plenty of outdoor activity during the few months that it is bearable to be outside (as said by a Southerner who can't imagine all that snow!). And LOTS of wild life. We saw a HERD of squirrels. Seriously, what do they eat to get that big? Are they that big all year long, or just when they fatten up in the spring and summer in order to prepare for the winters? They were huge and there were at least a dozen of them chasing each other... We also saw red-winged black birds. The walking paths make it easy to meander and spend an extra few minutes with nature in the city. There are separate bike paths on the perimeter so that the avid cyclists don't run over the pedestrians. A great way to spend a few hours and get a little green in the city. read more

Seems like a friendly, relaxing place. I ate a cupcake under a tree while squirrels who were too hot to climb (it was 96 degrees) lay in the heat to cool off. Then I crossed a bridge over a pond and engaged in a random waterfowl discussion with a hipster-ish man visiting (moving?) from California. He educated me on the physiology of the wood duck, which apparently sports mullet-like plumage. And then two people who I assume were Urban Outdoorspeople asked me about the flooding in Duluth. (Only I thought they had said Florida, because it was hard for me to understand them.) I don't know about the flooding in Duluth. It's been pushed off the news by the fact that Northern Florida is covered in about three-feet of standing water. And I also looked at some really nice perennial flower beds. And this was just one day! Who knows what adventures await in this park?! ps - I was going to write a separate review on the Greenway that connects this to Nicollet Mall, but apparently there is no separate Yelp listing for the Greenway. So I'll just say that it is a lovely, peaceful greenway and I saw a RABBIT on it. Now seeing squirrels, maybe even chipmunks in the city is old hat. But a rabbit? What's next, Elmer Fudd? The folks living in the apartments overlooking this greenway are lucky ducks. read more

Great park with clean cut grass, beautiful fountains and wonderful views of the Minneapolis skylines that include the famous Basilica. Local police have suggested to me not to be out after dark walking alone as a young woman which makes me a tad nervous but the location makes it ideal for a great afternoon picnic. read more

This is the beautiful park I live across the street from, it's walking distance from a lot of great spots and the main one being the Walker Museum which is awesome because you can just walk over and see the beautiful artwork or you can sit at the park and see the beautiful artwork whatever works for you! read more

You know how they say that Disney World is the happiest place on earth?? Well now that San Francisco is no longer the gayest city on earth, that makes Loring Park the gayest place on earth! Yayyyyy!!!!!! Other than the fact that it hosts the Minneapolis Pride Festival, this park is actually just like any other park. There is a small playground that you can find children playing at, a kiddie pool for those hot days, stone chess tables for those really old guys in flannel (no matter the weather), hoops, and a pond! The only thing that I really don't like about this park, is the park police. Can you please just butt out and not follow people around through there?? Least of all during the day. I am trying to enjoy myself, go round up the homeless people or something... seems to me that's what you end up doing anyways. read more

Maybe because I went there from the Sculpture Park which was very interesting, I didn't think that it was much to look at. Maybe it would have been a different story if I went on a better weather day. One thing I can say is people must be treating all animals very nice here. Squirrels walk right up to you as if you are on one of them or something. Only if people take care of garbage like they do the wild life here! (I saw an empty vitamin water bottle on a bench only a few feet away from a garbage can!) Overall, I can see why this is a park that many people love to come. read more

Beautiful sage park to walk around. Pretty flowers, birds and ducks all around. Walk through loring green way to cut over to restaurants. Cool fountains and flower beds. read more

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San Diego has Balboa Park... New York City has Central park... Minneapolis has Loring Park. Admittedly, Loring Park isn't as huge or grand as some other city parks, but it has just as much charm. Straddling both sides of a freeway (with a cute little pedestrian bridge connecting the halves), Loring Park gives Minneapolis the greenery that it so desperately deserves. The heart of Loring Park is definitely the famous "cherry on a spoon" statue, and oodles of tourists could be seen taking their photos in front of it. (I'm guilty of doing the same.) While the east side of the park is more like your traditional park -- with paths, basketball courts, and playgrounds -- the west side is a lot quirkier. The west side is home to the impressive Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which happens to be one of the prettiest sculpture gardens that I've ever seen. Lots of hidden little spaces in Loring Park, tucked between the trees. If you poke around, you'll find the following (at least I did): **an interpretive dance troupe **an impromptu performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" **a minimum of 3 couples making out ...and you wonder why Loring Park has a reputation for being a date spot. read more

I may be biased because I raised my daughter in several different apartments (3 to be exact) all within 6 blks of Loring Park so we've spent A LOT of time here and think it's the prettiest park in the Minneapolis Park system! Certainly, it can't be beat during the Christmas season, now that the Winter Market is held there in Dec., with it's ice skating rink and fireworks, among so many other festivities. There's Pride in the Spring. Oodles of live performances and movies-in-the-Park nights. And a little wading pool with a split-level playground that my kid, her dad (before he passed) and I, spent countless hours, running around, up & down, from area to area, chasing her boundless energy down to manageable volumes. We tried to teach her to ride a bike in Loring Park but realized something was wrong when she kept pedaling instead of braking and braking when she should pedal; that would become, in hindsight, our first giant red flag to our child's Dyslexia. The basketball court is immensely popular (apparently) and there's tennis courts (more my speed). From Easter Family portraits to underground hip-hop artist memorials, Loring Park has been the backdrop to so many of our family's memories, so, although it could use a Rec Center, the view alone is worth the 5 stars. Add the memories, a Dunn Bros across the street and BAM! In-the-bag top rating. read more

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Loring Dog Park is the first dog park I've ever visited. Unfortunately, after seeing so many others within the past several weeks, I have absolutely no reason to return. One can find this joint tucked away in the very north part of Loring Park and right off the intersection of Harmon Place and Maple Street. So, about the dog park... Positives: +COST AND LOCATION: It's free and located comfortably far from the nearby busy streets. +SIZE: For being located in Minneapolis, there's slightly less than a quarter of an acre (which is impressive, considering it's near Downtown Minneapolis) for your pup to roam. +WATER: There's a drinking fountain for dogs. Negatives: -SMELL: Did you know people could actually get hives from the strong stench of piss? No? Well, let me tell you that I got hives, and it was terrible. Not sure if it always smells like death, there, but during the times I've visited, it has. -GROUND: Lots of sand and dirt (which is typical for a dog park) make up the ground. I think having some wood chips or grass there (even though I know that it'll all die) would be nice. It's not terrible, but not that great either. -WTF: There are odd structures are scattered throughout that don't really aesthetically or functionally benefit the park -OWNERS: This is not so much on the dog park itself (and won't factor into my rating), but some of the owners don't watch or care about their dogs. One of them mauled mine and laughed when he or she did. So, yeah, the people aren't the friendliest. I'm sure if I saw Kohleen there, though, things could have been different! (Cause she's awesome.) Overall, I don't see myself coming back there anytime soon. If I lived right by that park, though, I could see myself possibly visiting more often. read more

Loring Park is one of the best. It is huge, so prepare to spend some time there to enjoy everything it has to offer. Which includes: fishing, basketball courts, tennis courts, hop scotch courts (yes, for real), four square, horse shoes, multiple playgrounds, and not to mention a plethora of flowers and shrubs. It's a perfect place to spend a nice relaxed day and meet some of the awesome people of Minneapolis. read more

Loring Park is the anchor of my life in Minneapolis. It's still colorful, but no longer frighteningly so, as the Bois de Boulogne of Minneapolis. In the summertime, my city refuge is here, at the little cove on the pond where the wood ducks gather. I'll escape the office and time itself with a loaf of bread, feeding the ducks. (Yeah, I'm already going to hell.) The northeast corner is home to mutant black squirrels, even more aggressive than their brown cousins. They will carry away small children and yappy dogs to devour at night, so keep them clear. For suburbanites, there is people-watching from the safety of Lurcat's patio, during the warmer half of the year. MCTC provides a bit of bustle during the day, while the cruisers at night make it feel somewhat edgy. read more

Such a peaceful park to walk through or just spend time enjoying the weather! Lots of fun events throughout the year as well. I always try to walk through the park whenever possible. Definitely worth walking through if you're headed to the Sculpture Garden, the Walker, or the Basilica! read more

Loring park gives a little bit of everything to everybody. Short paved trails strewn throughout the park? Yes. Basketball courts? Yes, one half court I believe. Tennis courts? Yes, there are 4 courts, one of which has the backwall you can use to practice your strokes. The nets are decent but not the most optimal, and the ground contains cracks and divots that may provide your tennis balls with the occasional odd bounce. Lake with ducks and other fowls? Yep. Some type of sculpture? Yep, there is a dandelion water fountain. Its not the cleanest park. Its not the most well tended of parks. Really, its just a park in an ideal location, that gives a little bit to everybody. What more do we deserve? read more

My kind of park - beautiful, natural, and integrated with the community. Unlike many new parks being built, Loring Park retains natural features like trees, grass and a lake, without being overrun with concrete and sculptures. It does have tennis/basketball courts, running trails and a dog park, but they're spread out so as not to overtake what I think a park should be - a piece of nature in an urban setting. read more

I personally love Loring park! I live right in the neighborhood. There are different events hosted in the nicer weather months (Gay Pride, Art Festivals, Concerts, Movies) and even ice skating in the winter. It isn't a huge park, but it is very charming and fun to walk through with lots to do nearby. Parking can be tedious, especially if you're planning to stay a couple hours. The best part of the park is the animals! Fat friendly squirrels (there are a couple albino and melanistic squirrels that I see almost every visit), Geese that are fearless (and protective if their babies are around) as well as lots of other waterfowl and birds. Great for dog stalking! read more

A great park for first time dates, a stroll with your honey or just about anything you can do in a park. The little bridges are splendid and if you find yourself wanting to see some sculptures, there's a nifty bridge that goes over the highway. There are also restaurants across the park to quench your thirst, and a beautiful fountain that looks like a dandelion. read more

Right across the Sculpture Garden, you'll find Loring Park. I'm guessing because of the time of year, it didn't look nearly as pretty as it does in some of the pictures I've seen online, but there's a scenic byway that is a series of bike and walking paths! read more

I work downtown and can bring my dog to work, so this is awesome for mid day breaks. there is always water and toys left for dogs to play with, but there is also poop left behind. It's the least picked up dog park (maybe because its so small) but I don't get it. It always has scoopers and bags and plenty of trash bins so kinda weird why people don't pick up after their dogs here. During the day its often empty. I've met some awesome dogs and people, and I've met some more "snooty" dog owners that get annoyed when my dog wants to play with their dog, or steals their ball or does standard dog stuff. the place is too small for playing in separate areas. Overall its a nice park and great to have downtown. But, watch your feet or you'll be walking home (or back to work) with poo on your shoe. read more

Gorgeous park next to my church - always good to sit and relax there Sunday mornings - a bit of quiet next to the bustling city. Also right across from the sculpture gardens...Loring is worth the trip over the bridge if you are visiting the Walker. read more

Loring Park is always a good choice for a nice afternoon walk or jog. It's located right in the city, so you get that city feel, but when you are deep in the center of the park, it almost seems far away from everything else. I always enjoy coming here. The best thing to do, if you get out of work early for some reason, and have nothing to do in the summertime. Go to Dunn Bros, get some coffee, then go sit in the park grass and watch the people around you.. It may seem creepy, but it is actually one of the most relaxing things I've ever done. read more

Tennis, basketball, paved paths, movies in the park and more all in the middle of the city surrounded by great local restaurants! The perfect place to take a walk and relax with a friend, or date if you're feeling romantic before enjoying one of the many restaurant patios or the sculpture garden located only a hundred feet away! read more

Very pretty area to wander during a nice day. Playground for the kids, and a swimming pool as well. We have been here for family portraits twice now, and haven't been disappointed in the grounds. read more

I absolutely love parks in the city and this is one of the best! I like to ride my bike to Lotus to Go Go, get some egg rolls and then head down to the park to sit on a bench to eat and people watch. Added bonus is you can walk over the bridge to the sculpture garden. The park is also a great place for taking pictures if you're into that kind of thing. read more

Went here for a public movie showing and had a great time. Great park with a lot of events going on. Never too crowded and great bike and pedestrian paths. read more

This is a nice park. I like the movie nights. But there's those wierdos always bumming for cigs and making comments.

Great adult park, beautiful city views...late night/early morning you are sure to find people sleeping off their drinking so stay alert. Safe, but a little sad to stumble upon during your walk. read more

Nice green space for downtown, but too bad it isn't bigger. It's not centrally located, and aside from the riverfront, Mpls has only Loring as its downtown green-space oasis. The park has many great features and it's cool that it's connected to the sculpture garden. A good place to sit around and read a book, people-watch, etc. read more

I attended Raising Arizona and Communist Daughter for the Four Nights in Loring event about two weeks ago, and I had SUCH a good time -- great music and a lively crowd. There really is nothing better than bringing a blanket to the park and watching an awesome movie. Music + Movies is only going to be happening for two more Tuesdays this summer; have at it, Yelpers! What a fabulous free event. Mad props to City Pages and Loring Park for hosting this. read more