Hamm Park

A Little Green Haven

Tucked into Saint Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, Hamm Park is easy to miss if you're not looking for it: a small triangular patch of green formed where two old street grids meet at an angle. Kitty-corner from Swede Hollow Park, you can easily hop between the two, it's the kind of place you stumble into on a walk rather than plan a trip around.

The city calls it a mini park, and that's about right. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in upkeep - flower beds, trees, and bushes that shift with the seasons, centered around a circular stone planting bed that's been there since the beginning.

The Hamm Behind the Name

In 1910, William Hamm - of the brewing family, and a city council member at the time - donated this corner lot in memory of his father. He's the one who designed that rock circle for flowers, and he sat on the city's Park Board, genuinely believing parks belonged in every neighborhood, not just the grand ones downtown.

Worth the Detour

It won't take you more than five minutes to see all of it, but that's not really the point. It's a bench, some shade, a bit of history at the corner of Greenbrier, and a good excuse to keep walking toward Swede Hollow.