We love coming here for all the Rosemount events. It always looks so different to me depending on…read morewhat's going on here. Cory of Rosemount does a great job with community engagement. The splash pad is great, not too busy when we went. Perfect area for the kids to cool off. Love the shaded seating area for the rest of us. Wish the playground was a bit closer to the splash pad. The Halloween trick or treat trail is one of our favorite events here. We also love the "fairs" that happen during the summer.

Fabulous little oasis - small enough to stop for an hour or so in the evening, yet big enough to…read morewant to come back again and again. Splash Pad is fun, works well, and has a solid stream of kids coming and going. Bring some small toys - ping pong balls or floating bath toys for the little river. Playground is clean, with wood chips flooring. I prefer wood chips to rubber as they don't heat up in the sun and don't smell. A little free library box is well stocked with the books for parents and kids pleasure. A band shell is small, but hosts a variety of outdoor entertainment events, especially during Leprechaun Days. A small cosy meditation garden is tucked in the shade overlooking the entire park. There are lots of picnic tables everywhere, cedar lined restrooms are clean and I heard that local pizza places deliver right to the park.

We love frequenting this playground! The many play structures are perfect for all kids…read more Bathrooms on site.

Best park hands down I been here for 10 years I seen a lot of parks but this the best oneread more

What a beautiful setting for the Twin Cities Jazz festival. What a wonderful cool clear skies…read moresummer night!! The gardens at Mears Park are so pretty and you can tell they are cared for with lots of love. The flowing water feature through the park is really special. It engages visitors by inviting them to cross the stream on the boulder stepping stones. It feels exciting even if it's such a small stream. I was very impressed with this park and hope that next time I am in St. Paul I will pay it another visit and see more details in the gardens.

This is such a nice, quaint park right in the middle of downtown St. Paul. It has a beautiful…read morelayout featuring two separate ponds and a ton of large, mature trees that provide the perfect canopy of shade to sit under. There's a large amphitheater for outdoor performances, and the park has fantastic seating options with benches spread out all over the place. The location is incredibly convenient, too--it's an easy walking distance from both the St. Paul Farmers Market and Union Depot. It's a wonderful, easy place to walk through and a especially nice spot to sit and eat some ice cream in the summer.

I am transplant from the other side of the river and absolutely love living in this neighborhood…read more Obviously the perks of this park requires a list so here goes: - The old water tower gets opened up during Highland Fest and in the fall for the fall colors. Once you climb the many stairs, you are treated to an amazing open air view of the surrounding area. The planes at the airport look like toys landing and taking off and all the colors just pop if you time it right. When open, it is only on the weekends. - Two golf courses. On the 18 hole, the 15th hole has a sand trap done up like Snoopy (zoom in on link) in honor of Charles Schulz once being a caddy. The 9 hole across the street is much hillier and is that way because a lot of it is the dirt from the construction of I-94 back in the 60's linking the two cities. http://goo.gl/maps/ZnXbz - Cross country skiing. Both course become x-country ski havens in the winter with even one of the courses having trails groomed. There is also a sliding hill by the water tower which gets packed after a fresh snowfall. - The Pavilion (and many other shelters) can be rented for picnics. Many a fine Booyah's, a fine upper midwestern treat that you need to have once in your life, are served here by neighborhood groups doing fund raisers. Bring a tupperware container to bring some home if you'd like. People will be there with empty ice cream bucket containers for the good ones. - The swimming pool. St. Paul has a few pools now that utilize sphagnum moss as a major cleaning process. Amazing water and you don't come out smelling like a chlorine factory with your hair turning a different color or your eyes burnt red. It's fantastic. - Frisbee course. While I don't understand the layout, many people do and it is always getting used. - Just walk around in the park or on the paths. Towering oaks, deer, fox, willow trees, hills and hidden stairs. This is really an old park and a gem in the city. Even the playground equipment has been updated in the last few years.

The pool facilities are excellent at the Highland Park Aquatic Center, and lots of updates since I…read moreenjoyed swimming here as a kid have really made this a very entertaining destination for kids of all ages and adults too, but the way it's run leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately. There was plenty of free parking and lots of shade available on the pool deck, but during the 4+ hours we spent there (2 adults, 3 kids under age 10) I didn't see one adult worker anywhere-just lots of teen life guards and workers. Also, the pool and deck rules are very unclear, sparsely posted and inconsistently enforced, so we found ourselves breaking all kinds of secret, nonsensical rules only the lifeguards seemed to know about (and we definitely weren't alone). Then, when asked to clarify how what we were doing was wrong, we could never get a clear answer and the lifeguards were often rude and dismissive. We were also given contradictory information from 3 different lifeguards about the same rule! We figured things out for ourselves quick enough and learned which lifeguards really could be consistent, so in the end we had a really good time, just be aware when you go that it's on you to figure it all out, not many of the staff will be helpful (even in matters of safety) at all. Lastly, the admission cost is a little steep ($6 per adult, $5 per kid under 48" tall), and even though they give a little break to families, it's not like you're getting all that much bang for your buck. Also be aware that no outside food or drinks are technically allowed--which I understand to a point, but this is also not listed online or posted officially anywhere on site which is annoying and inconvenient, especially since the concessions are mainly very overpriced junk food. So it would be nice if they offered some healthy alternatives like fruits and veggies rather than more processed, packaged, sugary junk for sale. If that's not possible then just let us bring at least those things with us? With little kids it's not easy to drag them out of the pool, back to the car for a healthy snack--which we ultimately did only to be harassed exiting AND re-entering by the overly enthusiastic little "teen bouncer" at the front gate even though re-admission is permitted as long as you're wearing your wristband. Like I said earlier though; ALL the rules at this facility and how they're communicated and enforced are very inconsistent to say the least! We resolved that if we return we'll just smuggle our own snacks in since they that's what we observed most people doing anyways! The bottom line: you can have a great time in the pool and the facilities have a lot to offer people of all ages if you take some of these tips to heart, learn how to work the ill-managed "system" of rules and their teen army of enforcers, advocate (and think) for yourself a little, and just basically ignore the incredible inconsistency that truly rules here!

It's a large park area with lots to do. From easy fishing spots, to walking and bike trails, and…read moreeven the clam shell for performances there is a lot to do at Casperson. The park is clean and feels safe, I often see lots of kids and families. And there is some lake life happening as well with boaters and kayakers. Plan for an hour or plan for the day.

Very beautiful community park. Family fun for every one. Heart fishing dock and boat landing.read more

Absolutely beautiful park. Went jet skiing with my family there and had a great time. They have…read moreplenty of parking and lots of shaded seating to get a break from the sun. The beach part is just gorgeous too. Water is pretty peaceful. On a non windy day like this, it was easy to ride the jet ski around. There was a decent sized separated area to go swimming in, which sd enjoyed. I loved that there was a playground and also a small splash pad nearby. My toddler loved it. Definitely plan to be back some day to explore more of the park, as we were mainly on the water.

Came for a few hours for hiking, which was great! The kids played in the splash pad area for a few…read moreminutes, they almost didn't get to use the splash pad because we couldn't figure out how to get it running, it started going after we started walking away....other than that it is a unique design. The beach was good size but I don't recommend swimming, the water is nasty green and scummy.

My grandson (7) loved it. Being able to run between the water features and the playground was a…read morewonderful way to be able to stay cool. The reason for the 4 instead of a 5 is because the entire playground was in direct sun. The slides were too hot to touch and the lack of shade intensified the temperature. Other than that, the features were great and the shaded areas for the parents was much appreciated.

If you're looking for a great spot for you and/or your kids to run around and climb stuff, this is…read moreit! Really great playground structures with plenty of different types of equipment, including things like balance beams, teeter-totters, and spinners, in addition to more standard playground fare like swingsets and slides. There's also a splashpad that you can activate for playing around. Water squirts or dumps from various water features. A lot of fun. It was even still running in October when I was there! Lots of gazebos (which can be reserved, if desired) with picnic tables and grills and trash/recycling cans. An ice cream truck swung by while I was there, much to the delight of the kids there. Massive parking lot. Only port-a-potties. Nearby is also a large grass field for soccer. If you go a little deeper in, you'll see it also connects with the Black Dog Trailhead. Be aware however that this is a "minimal maintenance" trail. I tried to follow it for aways after the railroad track but felt a little lost and ultimately turned back. Not sure how often or at what time of year they maintain it to make it easier to follow, but it's understandable that they don't because it is part of a specific biome of wet meadow known as a "fen". These are fairly rare and thus requiring protection, so tread lightly and respectfully if you do go! It's important nature be preserved as much as possible.

The first time I came here was for a work outing so there's plenty of tables in the pavilion for…read morelarge group activities like bingo. There also seems to be pretty decent restrooms and a playground for kids. I saw frisbee golf but didn't investigate close enough to figure out the numbering or path for that. The next time I came I was able to explore the walking path in the back. It seems to follow a creek. Other than the expected bugs it was a nice leisurely walk. There's a small parking lot and a field for kickball, baseball, etc. I also saw some grills. 'Tis the season for enjoying Minnesota summers!

Nice park! It is large with some of the oldest flying disc golf receptacles in the world. Lots of…read morestuff for kids to do, plenty of playground equipment and picnic tables and grills all over. If you head down to the 9 Mile Creek behind the park, you can head down the trail and even way 2 miles to the river in the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge if the trail isn't flooded. They have clean bathrooms. They seem to maintain the park well also. maybe i will see you there on one of my lunchtime walks. EnjoY!!