Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Witch's Hat Water Tower Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Witch's Hat Water Tower

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Dominik D.

    Located in Prospect Park, it's apparently the highest natural point in the Twin Cities. When you hike up to it (moderately steep hill) you get an 'America the Beautiful' sort of vibe.

    Jonathan L.

    The Witch's Hat Water Tower has been around for over 100 years. Though it is not in service, it serves as a historical spot in the Twin Cities area. Nice place to visit around the U of M campus to get a decent view of the Minneapolis Skyline. It's a bit far from the skyline, but beautiful nonetheless. It's just up on a small hill, not a bad trek at all. I believe the witch tower's observatory deck is open to the public one day of the year and this year will be tomorrow May 29th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. Make sure you get there tomorrow! This is a once in a year opportunity! During this one day opportunity will also be the Pratt Ice Cream Social. It will be a fun event for the young and wise.

    View of Minneapolis from the top of the Witch's Hat Water Tower
    Linli F.

    Living in Minnesota and only having 3-4 months of nice weather, I really enjoy finding nice little areas to absorb the sun, see the city, and relax on a nice sunny day. The Witch's Hat Water Tower is in Prospect Park and is the highest natural land area in the city of Minneapolis- you can always see the peak of the hat peeking out on your drive on 94E just off the Huron exit. In Prospect Park, you just have to climb to the top of the hill to reach the base of the water tower. There's benches at the base where you can sit and look out at the Minneapolis skyline, though kind of far, yet still beautiful. It's quite a beautiful place if you want to enjoy the sunset. Just down a set of stairs, you can also find two tennis courts. I really enjoyed playing tennis here almost every other day for a whole summer. It was nice to be able to take a break and go see the Minneapolis skyline every once in awhile. You can visit the top of the observation tower only once a year, the Friday after Memorial Day weekend which usually lands on the last Friday in May or the first Friday in June, opened from 5:30-8:30PM. On this day, there will always be a line, so make sure you arrive early! But if you do arrive late, no worries- the line typically moves quite fast. Last but no least, don't forget to bring bug spray if you decide to spend some time in this area. There's many trees and it's a great place for mosquitoes to hide. Anyone living in this general area should visit the Witch's Hat at least once!!

    The Witch's Hat at Tower Hill Park in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis!
    Denise H.

    One of my favorite places in the Twin Cities! Even though I live in the neighborhood next door over in Saint Anthony Park, I find myself wandering over to Prospect Park whenever my husband and I go on walks in the neighborhood(s). The Witch's Hat is right inside Tower Hill Park, which is tiny, but there are picnic tables in the area too. The area is usually quiet and it is a great oasis in the city (away from the city). The Tower itself only opens once a year for a neighborhood block party (with ice cream!) where they let people go up in the tower, explore, see the view. This is a historical landmark and a good stop if you are going to explore Prospect Park (which also has a cool Frank Lloyd Wright house for any historical architecture nerds out there). Worth a visit.

    Nhina Y.

    The view on the base of the water tower is gorgeous. I imagine it would be so much better from above. I came to during the Pratt's Ice Cream social and the line was so freaken long, that I skipped out on it. It only opens once and year and I'm quite disappointed that I didn't get to see the view on top but I'll definitely make sure to get there early next year. It would be nice if they can open it year round.

    Darla Y.

    Came by during Pratt's ice cream social to climb the witches tower, but the line was sooooo long! I'm a bit disappointed but the view was still amazing. Next time I'll come super early to actually be able to be in the tower. Just found out it's only opened once a year (correct me if I'm wrong.) I'll be back next year!!

    Hitchcock-esque

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dominik D.
    320
    5948
    11113

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise H.
    173
    17
    25

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nick M.
    91
    469
    452

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Annie D.
    2806
    913
    2632

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lewis T.
    379
    38
    11

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Witch's Hat Water Tower

    Review Highlights - Witch's Hat Water Tower

    s. The tower was decommissioned in 1952 after helping to improve the water pressure to Prospect Park home

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Landmarks & Historical Buildings 672 times last month within 5 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Stone Arch Bridge - View of the Guthrie Theater, Mill City Museum, and skyline

    Stone Arch Bridge

    4.6(102 reviews)
    2.2 miDowntown Minneapolis

    This former railroad bridge crosses the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in downtown…read moreMinneapolis. It is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi. This is the second oldest bridge on the river. It's now a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a great place to visit for a walk. You can start at the Guthrie Theater or Mill City Museum, then head across the bridge to get breathtaking views of the downtown skyline, and end up in the neighborhood of St Anthony Main which has cobblestone roads and cute small businesses. I got the chance to see it and walk across it on a snowy December afternoon. It was gorgeous and I'd love to come back when it's warmer.

    Constructed between 1881 and 1883 in Minneapolis, MN as a railroad bridge, the stone arch bridge…read morewas converted in 1994 as a pedestrian/cycle bridge crossing the Mississippi River. It provides some great views of the old time milling operations in the area, as well as St Anthony Falls. It consists of 23 stone arches spanning 2,100 feet, and is the only stone arched bridge still on the Mississippi. It is on the National Register of Historic Places (1971) and is considered a National Historic Engineering Landmark. The entry from downtown would be via Mills Ruins Park. On my visit during mid March, there was still a lot of snow on the ground from a large snowfall a couple days before, and there was a path cleared, though to get better views on the river, some waterproof boots would have been handy.

    Photos
    Stone Arch Bridge - 3rd Avenue Bridge taken from Stone Arch

    3rd Avenue Bridge taken from Stone Arch

    Stone Arch Bridge - Stone arch bridge at night

    Stone arch bridge at night

    Stone Arch Bridge - Beautiful flowers

    See all

    Beautiful flowers

    IDS Center

    IDS Center

    3.9(18 reviews)
    2.9 miDowntown Minneapolis

    The IDS center is the center of downtown Minneapolis. It is the hub of the skyways everything you…read moreneed right downtown and the IDS is in the center of it very comfortable very inviting friendly environment. I love it.

    Back in 1973 a friend and I crashed the grand opening ceremony and I recall walking away with a…read moreglossy multi-page booklet, a complementary hard hat (not remotely useable) and various other minor swag. The Philip Johnson designed IDS center seemed glittery, glamorous, exotic and impressive. I will admit to being a bit awestruck. Over the years I have innumerable fond memories whether entering at street level, walking in on the skyway level, sitting out on a balcony overlooking the Crystal Court or very occasionally parking below and taking in the scenery from the long lost observation level. In fact, at the risk of TMI I proposed to my late wife in 1978 while seated at a corner window table at the then still newish restaurant Windows on Minnesota (another casualty of change). Back in the day my father used to describe the IDS tower by slowly raising his middle finger. He dismissed it as "the box that the Foshay Tower came in." Well... that was then and this is now. My most recent memories are of of a tired, sparse, neglected and lonely place. Maybe an homage to glories past but one that has decidedly seen better days. Perhaps it is inevitable that as downtown Mpls has changed and become significantly repurposed structures such as the once inspiring IDS have lapsed into a rather sad reality. A veritable shadow of itself. I'm left with some great memories however!

    Photos
    IDS Center
    IDS Center - Look up

    Look up

    IDS Center

    See all

    Landmark Plaza - Landmark Plaza from across the street

    Landmark Plaza

    4.3(3 reviews)
    5.9 miDowntown St. Paul

    For a newbie in this area, trying to figure out where Landmark Plaza starts and ends was a…read morechallenge. There really isn't an official sign that says that you are here. My touristy impression is that Landmark Plaza is the small park in front of the historic Landmark Center. The plaza connects to both Hamm Memorial Park and Rice Park. It also has a few bronze Peanuts statues. I had parked at Infor Commons. When I had stepped out of the building and crossed the street (jaywalking across a one-way street is easy), I was at Landmark Plaza. It's cute. I can see it being a small greenspace to take a break and people-watch when it's warmer. I'd guess that Rice Park has more people there when the weather is nice, so hanging out at Landmark Plaza is a good alternative. Landmark Center is pretty cool. I learned that it used to be a post office and court house. It's now a cultural centre for music, theatre, exhibitions, dance, and more. It was nice discovering Landmark Plaza on my way to a Minnesota Wild game. I enjoy such discoveries and learning about them. (105)

    This is a small pocket park that looks like a walk through. It was previously the Orpheum Theatre…read moreand later a state bank. It is a half an acre and features a couple of Peanuts statues, including one of Lucy and Linus leaning on a low wall, one with Charlie Brown sitting with a dog on his lap, and another depict Schroeder playing the piano while Lucy is leaning on it, swooning all over him. If you look closely, you will see small interpretive plaques embedded in the tops of the seat walls. It is near the Landmark Center, where it gets its name from. There is paved and cobblestone walkways that are starting to break off and come apart, along with some benches to sit. You add a little green space and that is basically all the plaza has to offer. You will find metered street parking around the perimeter of the plaza. Be sure to check the meters' enforcement hours. You may not have to pay depending on when you are there. It is a decent place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city or walk your pooch. I will admit though that this is not a destination spot and will probably be visited by people that are passing by the plaza on the way somewhere else or just wanting to take a quick break of the hustle and bustle of the city.

    Photos
    Landmark Plaza
    Landmark Plaza
    Landmark Plaza

    See all

    MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue

    MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue

    4.3(21 reviews)
    3.0 miDowntown Minneapolis

    When visiting Europe, taking a picture with a small, but significant statue is often a way to…read moreremember and record the visit (e.g. Manneken Pis in Brussels, LIttle Mermaid in Copenhagen). In the States, these small cultural icons tends to gravitate towards TV shows? This famous one depicts the end shot of the beginning sequence from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she throws her tam hat (always thought it was a beret, but learned that it's a tam, more appropriate for the Minneapolis weather) into the air, expressing her joy and independence (and the need to bundle up stylishly). Of course, my wife had to reproduce that scene (no tam, but a skull cap) and it was a fun thing to do (taking very little time). We had visited the statue many years before (just like we had with the Fonzie statue in Milwaukee), and was super glad that it's still very well maintained (polished, no graffiti, etc). MTM passed in 2017, and this statue is a nice tribute to her, and her ground breaking TV show.

    I remember watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show with my mother when I was younger, so when I had the…read morechance to see the MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue in person I took advantage of it. Located in downtown Minneapolis, where her famous opening credits hat toss took place, you might walk by it, if you weren't looking for it. The life size MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue was very nice, it got the details right. There is a parking garage not too far away, if you're not able to find street parking. This little bit of nostalgia and TV history was fun to see. I highly recommend the MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue!

    Photos
    MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue
    MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue
    MTM Mary Tyler Moore Statue

    See all

    Minnesota History Center

    Minnesota History Center

    4.5(91 reviews)
    5.4 miDowntown St. Paul

    The Minnesota history center is a not so hidden gem in St. Paul. The museum hosts, both permanent…read moreand rotating exhibits focusing on differing aspects of Minnesota history. All of the exhibits are fascinating deep insights into topics that you may or may not know about Minnesota. It also has a theater, and that is what true is there last night. LeeAnn Chin's daughter is in town for the weekend performing a solo show about her growing up in Minnesota and her relationship with her mother. That too was excellent. I have been going to the Minnesota history center for years, and and I'm a bit sad that some facets of it has faded away post Covid. The gift store is excellent though a bit smaller. We used to come down to the cafeteria for lunch more often, but I think that post Covid they weren't able to fully support the restaurant in the same way., it just isn't as vibrant as it used to be. Nonetheless, it is so worth coming to the history center any day of the week. And if you're interested, but can't afford the ticket price you can get in for free on Thursday evening evenings.

    I have been to the history center multiple times in my life, starting with the classic minnesotan…read morefield trip in grade school. I have been back a few times for a few of their special exhibits. We went when the peanuts exhibit was here, I went with the Junior League of Minneapolis when there was a womens exhibit and we just went to see the Julia Child exhibit that ends at the end of May. Every Thursday evening admission is free which is absolute treat (Parking too!). We found ourselves here for the final game of round 1 for the Wild (GO WILD) and discovered they were allowing parking for the game and there was a line to get in (I think they charged $20). I called as there was a line to see if they had different parking for museum guests, which they did reserve several for museum guests, so we got to park for free which was amazing. The History Center does a really great job of mixing the educational and interactive aspects. On the day we attended we discovered they also had a music series going on (starting at 6:30) so we were able to sit and hear some beautiful music as well which was a added bonus and something we didn't know they did. There are exhibits that are totally kid friendly which is great as it caters to such a wide variety of people.

    Photos
    Minnesota History Center - Julia Child

    Julia Child

    Minnesota History Center - Julia Childs exhibit

    Julia Childs exhibit

    Minnesota History Center - Camp Snoopy

    See all

    Camp Snoopy

    Witch's Hat Water Tower - landmarks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...