Kennedy Park

About Kennedy Park

Park History

In the 40 Acres neighborhood, there was an undeveloped green space, a forested ravine, and a creek, where Kennedy Park now sits. In the 1960s/70s, when the creek was sent underground in a tunnel and the area was slated for housing development, Alderman James Kennedy fought to preserve a portion of the green space for the public. In 1973, the City Council named the new park after James Kennedy, who served as the city's first parks director (before the current city manager system was implemented). 

Recent Improvements

Kennedy Park was reconstructed in 2025. To learn more about the park improvement project, visit the Kennedy Park Improvement Project page.

Sledding Hill 

Kennedy Park, with views of downtown St. Paul and the state capitol building, is home to the city's official sledding hill. To ensure safe and healthy use of the sledding hill, we ask users to be considerate of others and abide by the following rules:

• Sledding can be dangerous and pose substantial risk. Use the hill at your own risk.
• Children under the age of 12 should wear a bicycle or multi-sport helmet and be supervised by an adult. No supervision is provided.
• Use caution when sledding and be considerate of others.
• Use the sides to climb the hill.
• Clear the bottom of the hill promptly.
• Properly use appropriate sledding devices in good repair with no sharp edges.
• Use of skis, non-winter tubes, carpets, toboggans and metal rail sleds is strictly prohibited.
• Unauthorized building of ramps, bumps, moguls, hills or jumps out of any material is strictly prohibited.
• Pets and alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited on sledding hills.
• Sledding hills may be closed due to lack of snow cover or for safety-related reasons.