Boom Island Park provides a leisurely atmosphere for the entire family. Recreational amenities include a boat launch and marina, promenades, a totlot playground, picnic areas and three reservable picnic shelters.
The park provides a picturesque site for weddings and serves as the departure point for public and private cruises along the scenic Mississippi River aboard the Minneapolis Queen. Located just across the Plymouth Avenue Bridge from the James I. Rice and West River Parkways, Boom Island is adjacent to the B.F. Nelson Park
site, and is connected to Nicollet Island Park via a pedestrian bridge.
Although no longer an island, the park is named after its former function and defining features during the city’s lumber industry days – the booms, long beams extended from derricks on the island, which were used to sort logs as they floated downstream to area saw mills. The buildup of silt and sawdust over time connected the island to the river’s east bank. The park’s signature lighthouse is a nod to the former island’s role in navigating the waters above St. Anthony Falls.
Historical Profile: More information about this and other parks is included in Parks, Lakes, Trails and So Much More, a richly detailed account of the histories of Minneapolis’ renown recreational system.
