Spotlight on Central Minnesota Parks – Munsinger Clemens Gardens [PHOTOS / VIDEO]

Munsinger-Clemens Gardens are open every day from spring to fall from 7:00 am - 10:00 pm. This is a must see when visiting St. Cloud and sits just off the banks of the might Mississippi River.

Munsinger Gardens dates from the 1930s; the WPA-constructed paths and garden areas are still here, refurbished and expanded in the 1980s. This is an informal garden of 14 acres with winding flower-bordered paths under tall pines. The grass flows between the organic shapes of island beds much like the river beside it.

Clemens Gardens, developed primarily in the 1990s, provides 7 acres of considerable contrast. A collection of six gardens characterized by a formal style, they are situated on the sunny hill above Munsinger. The design is classical European but the use of plant material is decidedly American. Among them are the Virginia Clemens Rose Garden, the Rest Area Garden, the Formal Garden, the White Garden, the Perennial Garden, and the Treillage Garden. All are enhanced with decorative ironwork and fountains.

Courtesy of the Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society

The history of St. Cloud's Munsinger Gardens may be compared to the garden's well-worn paths; for both have interesting and unexpected turns. During the 1880s the lower east bank of the Mississippi River was the site of a sawmill. But by 1915 the city purchased the area for use as a neighborhood park. Eventually, the site became known as Riverside Park and Munsinger Gardens, the latter section named in honor of a former superintendent of parks, Joseph Munsinger.

Munsinger Gardens has experienced many different stages of development. Improvements to the gardens occurred during the Great Depression through the Works Progress Administration. Projects from this period included planting trees and flowerbeds. Other additions included the creation of rock-lined paths, a lily pond, and a fountain. However, most of the work in developing the garden was directed by Joseph Munsinger. The first greenhouse was built in 1938. While the original greenhouse is gone, new ones stand in its place, and garden staff continues the tradition of growing flowers that help beautify this wonderful jewel known as Munsinger Gardens.

For more details visit munsingerclemens.com or call (320) 257.5959