Parks & Rec

Parks & Recreation Department
The Parks and Recreation Department has approximately 30 full-time employees. Full-time positions include recreation specialists, naturalists, foresters, administrators, support staff and maintenance staff. The department also hires seasonal staff such as playground leaders, Rec Center attendants, skating instructors, youth athletic instructors, warming house attendants, lifeguards and pool monitors.

overview shot of splash park kids playing hockey wolfe park

The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for

Coordinating adult sports programs and athletic teams
Coordinating youth programs, athletics and camps
Operating the Rec Center's Aquatic park and two indoor ice arenas
Offering environment education programs at Westwood Hills Nature Center
Maintaining grounds, trails, buildings, shelters and play equipment in all of City's 51 parks
Removing diseased trees and planting replacement trees on public property
Routine pruning of more than 10,000 public property trees
Renting meeting, party, event and picnic facilities
Providing support to independent youth athletic associations
Scheduling and renting outdoor athletic facilities
Organizing seasonal special events, summer concerts and holiday programs
Designing events, programs and trips for children when school is not in session
Coordinating neighborhood summer playground programs and youth field trips
Operating and maintaining outdoor figure skating rinks and outdoor hockey rinks
Scheduling and maintaining more than 30 ballfields
Scheduling and maintaining more than 14 football/soccer fields.

Parks & Rec Phone Numbers
Main Number		952.924.2540
Rec Center		952.924.2540
Nature Center		952.924.2544
Park Maintenance		952.924.2562
Weather Cancellation/Event Line		952.924.2567

Rec Center Information
The St. Louis Park Rec Center, 3700 Monterey Drive, features an outdoor aquatic park, two indoor ice arena—used by both St. Louis Park and Benlide St. Margaret’s boys and girls High School hockey teams—and meeting and banquet facilities.

3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416
Rec Center rental information: Click here for facility rental
Rec Center activities are located under "Programs & Activities"
Rec Center Photos

Rec Center Office Hours

Day		Office Hours
Monday - Thursday		8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday		8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday		9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday		12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

***The Rec Center may host events or private parties outside of these hours; however, the front desk is not staffed outside of regular office hours.

Holidays -

The Rec Center is open on Independence Day and Labor Day.
If no organized activities have been scheduled, the Rec Center may be closed on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day weekend, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. On these holidays, it's best to call ahead.

Outdoor Aquatic Park

3700 Monterey Drive
Pool opens June 6
(952) 924-2567 - daily recorded messages about rain or crowd capacity-related closings.
Click here to view Aquatic Park slide show

St. Louis Park's Aquatic Park features -

20,000 square feet of water
Water playground with geysers and splash toys
25-meter lap pool
Zero-depth entry to allow visitors to wade into the water
Two drop slides
Two winding water slides that are nearly four-stories high
Wet sand playground
Picnic gazebo
click here for more information on the Aquatic Park

Westwood Hills Nature Center westwood nature center building

8300 West Franklin Avenue
(952) 924-2544
Click to view Nature Center slide show

Westwood Hills Nature Center is a 160-acre natural area featuring marsh, woods and restored prairie. The preserve is beautiful throughout the seasons and provides homes for many animals including deer, fox, mink and owls. Westwood naturalists conduct year-round programs to increase visitors’ understanding and appreciation of our natural world. The nature center is located just south of I-394 and east of Highway 169. Parking and admission are free. Wood chipped and hard surface accessible trails are open from dawn to dusk year-round.
Fee