About Swede Hollow Park
Swede Hollow Park is a unique green space with a rich history located in the Dayton’s Bluff and Railroad Island neighborhoods. Swede Hollow Park is enjoyed by many residents and visitors looking for a green escape in an urban setting. The park's valleys create a distinct feeling of wilderness in conjunction with a bisecting stream that lightly fills the impressive silence and serenity afforded by the environment.
Amenities
Benches, Overlook, Historic Arch Bridges, Stream, Hiking and Biking Trail
Closures
The Swede Hollow parking lot may be closed during the winter.
Swede Hollow Park Master Plan
The Swede Hollow Park Master Plan was approved in September 2019. As funding opportunities become available through grant options and partnerships, the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation will implement projects as identified in the master plan.
Swede Hollow Project Updates
Visit the Swede Hollow Park Project Updates page for the latest updates on current projects at Swede Hollow Park.
History of Swede Hollow Park
For many centuries this ravine was home to the Dakota people. By the 1840s, the government and white settlers forced the Dakota people out. Thousands of European immigrant laborers then created a series of communities here. The ravine took on the name given by its first European settlers, Svenska Dalen (the Swedish Valley, or, Swede Hollow). The name Swede Hollow stuck, even as the Swedes moved out and new immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Italy and Mexico moved in. Swede Hollow’s residents supported a multi-cultural community with many languages, customs, and stories that we continue to celebrate today. In 1957, the St. Paul City Council declared Swede Hollow a public health hazard. The City burnt the buildings in the Hollow to the ground, which forced the Mexican American community living here at the time to find new homes. Swede Hollow became a city park in 1976.
More information on the history of Swede Hollow is available on newly installed interpretive signage throughout the park.
