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Como Park
Category: Active Life Parks Parks [Edit]
1431 Lexington Pkwy NSt Paul, MN 55103
Neighborhood: Como
(651) 487-8200
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
24 reviews for Como Park
24 reviews in English
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Review from Zac S.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great place to come when you are suffering from the winter blues. come in, get your glasses all fogged up walk around and listen to the birds and the greens and the leaves! Such a nice break in the heart of winter.
Then in the summer come and see the bonzai! Something for everybody. Hiking, snow shoeing, you name it. Even a lake. and a zoo. What's NOT to love? -
Review from Katie O.
Updated - 5/18/2011
Quick update to my previous review:
During the summer from May til September they have FREE concerts at the Blackbear Crossing Pavilion on the lake Sunday-Thursday @ 7 p.m. and an additional one on Sundays @ 3 p.m.! Super cool. Plus, when isn't adorable to see older couples come out and cuddle up on a park bench to listen to good music?
Definitely check it out.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/9/2011
The lake and trails are typically clean and aren't too overcrowded. The area is popular and… Read more »
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Review from Cindy D.
8/24/2011
This park is a safe place. You will see a lot of families out during the day. Great place to go for a run, bike, or jog. Also, Como Zoo is right there too. You won't find a lot of hot bodies there, you will have to go to Calhoun Lake :)
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Review from Kathryn B.
Saint Paul, MN
9/10/2010 3 Check-ins Here
My review for Como Park: The Lake...
Two times around is a 5K, so that's cool. It's pretty safe, populated but not crowded, has a sweet pavilion that hosts bands on the weekends and a cafe/coffeeshop. Across the lake from the pavilion, if it's been a fairly dry summer, you can walk out a peninsula and check out the compass that is usually submerged.
Really, it's St. Paul's answer to Lake Harriet. -
Review from Kim R.
8/10/2010
This is my first summer living in Roseville and I love living so close to Como Park. The park has a great path around the lake that is perfect for running or biking.
I also love the area near the conservatory for a picnic lunch. There's a quiet area by a stream with a perfect view of the conservatory.
I can't wait to check out their golf course before the season ends!
In the winter, the park is a great place to go cross-country skiing or snow shoeing.Listed in: Best of St. Paul
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Review from Chimeren P.
Minneapolis, MN
11/23/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Como Park:
Of course I've been here to visit the zoo and see the wild animals but after I saw what a great park they had here I just had to come back with my own wild animals. My dogs are friendly but they don't like other dogs and they "go off" on passing K9's with a vengeance. Como park was the perfect place for us because there never seems to be too many dogs there.
I don't know why there aren't more dogs there since the grounds are expansive and the trails are very nice. We've been there a few times now and still have not seen it all. Although the Burr's or hitchhikers or whatever you call those poky things that get stuck in their fur are quite bad here so stick to the trails.
Also to note the restrooms are closed during the winter months but you can always stop by the zoo and use the one in there. Our dogs just love to spend the afternoon here wandering about and we can finally have a walk in peace without our wild beasts lashing out every five minutes. -
Review from Jennifer P.
St Paul, MN
11/4/2011
I feel so fortunate to live in a city with such an amazing park system, and Como Park is the crown jewel. It's so well kept, and there are so many features - definitely something for everyone. The thoughtfulness the park staff put into the landscaping is something I appreciate every time I go to the park. I love this place!
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Review from Dan C.
New Orleans, LA
7/25/2008
I only knew this place thru old family photographs of me sucking my thumb, up until last month when the folks and I embarked on a little family nostalgia tour through the midwest where we lived when I was a baby, awww.
This place is so family friendly it makes me want to scream. wow if my parents had kept living around here beyond my baby years maybe i wouldn't be as socially stilted as I am now. Beautifully kept, free/cheap admission to the conservatory, gardens, zoo. Water, grass, hills, golf.
By the way, how much chem lawn do they use here? every bit of the park that I saw was amazing green grass, not just little splotches here and there like parks in other cities. -
Review from Sarah C.
I like the lake. I don't like walking in the goose poop, but I wanted to see that compass/sundial thing.
It seems like everyone gets fairly good use out of this place. While I usually prefer to take puccini to an off leash park, sometimes it is good to train your quadruped on a leader.
I go in the middle of the day on week day time, so it didn't seem terribly crowded. Whether or not it gets insane on the weekends, I've yet to see.
City livin' aint too shabby. -
Review from Jackie L.
Saint Paul, MN
5/20/2009
I can't even count how many times I've been here in my life, and I swear that this park-- and all its attractions-- is one of the best, free, year-round family attractions in the entire Twin Cities.
I went on innumerable field trips here as a kid. Como Park was "the" standard late-spring field trip destination for the St. Paul Schools when I was a kid in the 1970s. I can only hope this is still true for kids going to St. Paul schools today.
Grown-ups in particular will appreciate the McNeely Conservatory. Its high-domed glass main buildings are of a delightful early-20th century character, and its gorgeous resident temperate-to-tropical botanical displays offer a wonderful respite from our long winters.
Beyond the conservatory and zoo, there is an amusement park, a swimming pool... many baseball and sport fields... picnic grounds... paddle boats for rent on Como Lake... concerts at the pavilion... seems like small-town fare, but this awesome family playground is located smack-dab in the middle of a large metropolitan area. There's nothing else like it in the Twin Cities. Como Park is a must-do venue if you are visiting St. Paul, and a must-do-many-times venue if you live in the Twin Cities. -
Review from jenny A.
Saint Paul, MN
11/30/2007
After recently being in Central Park, the motha of all parks, in New York, I have a new appreciation for Como Park. Central Park was everything I expected from the first city in America--the scale, the variety of terrain (you can boulder there, which is cool, and there are more unpaved paths than I would expect) and the feeling that you almost can escape from the city. But St. Paul is not Manhattan, and should not be expected to live up to those standards, and still it stacks up pretty well with Como Park.
Of course I'm biased since it's a mile from my house, so it's easy to walk to. Como Park is big on attractions. They have many of the same things they have in Central Park like a carousel, conservatory, lake, picnic grounds, loads of playgrounds, etc. Como also has a zoo and a conservatory. The conservatory is one of the gems of the city. On a cold winter day, nothing beats walking around in the hot steamy tropical encounter or just hanging out in the sunken garden. As others have said, the park can be crazy crowded especially on a nice week-end day. I agree that the conservatory is best enjoyed mid-week, but most folks don't have that option. My kid loves this place. He fell in love with a turtle there and we couldn't get him to leave for the longest time.
The Zoo is pretty decent for a it's size. They have a greater number of more natural habitat displays, etc. I know some people who get really depressed if an animal doesn't have a huge habitat and acres to roam, but I can't get too worked up about it. The animals seem like all zoo animals. Sometimes they are just chillin and lazy, other times they are active and seem to be enjoying themselves. The zoo has pretty strong program of breeding their animals so they must be doing something right. Also, from a purely selfish point of view the smaller scale of the exhibits means that you can actually see the animals. Cause that's sorta the point of going to the zoo. On a day when it snows you are pretty much guaranteed an awesome show from the polar bears. Outside the zoo, there is a little amusement park called "Como Town" which will keep anyone under 14 in thrills.
This is the park that my kid will grow up with and I feel good about it. There may be better zoos, lakes, playgrounds, etc. in Minnesota, but they all come together here. Como Park is the closest thing we have to a Central Park, although we really need to get that rubberized play ground material they have out there. That stuff is awesome. -
Review from Joyce L.
Fullerton, CA
7/24/2008
This place is so cute for kids between the ages of 1-9. It's free to park your car, get in, and you just buy tickets to ride the rides and play the games. Each ride costs from 1-4 tickets--most in the 3-4 range. They offer a variety of choices as far as purchasing tickets (single tickets at 75cents and unlimited for $16.95), which is great because you can control how much money you spend.
There are plenty of eating areas at the amusement park and across the way at the park. You can picnic or purchase food there.
It's attached to the Como Zoo, also free--they have giraffes!!!
Best to go mid-week if possible, otherwise, I would imagine it is very crowded. -
Review from Prachee M.
Minneapolis, MN
5/29/2009
I cannot think of a better way to spend a day with a kid than visit the Como Zoo. It's in the middle of the town and surrounded by other attractions like the conservatory. It's free, although that makes me definitely want to donate the suggested amount of $2/person.
The outdoorsy feel with people and kids all around helps me forget the long winter months of MN. The WILD CATS exhibit had quite a few varieties . On a recent visit, a pelt - donated by another zoo - felt bristly and rough to the touch. It was an endless opportunity to watch the changes in peopl'e's expressions as they approached the pelt - haltingly or boldly - and then relaxed to break into a smile as they stroked it.
Seeing gorillas in their very constricted cages makes me question the whole concept of exhibiting animals in captivity for the convenience of homo sapiens who have proven to be not as smart as they think. The info by the flamingo exhibit states that flamingos are social creatures who like to live in flocks of thousands and then you look at a flock of less than 2 dozen in a tiny area. I understand that being an urban zoo prevents more sizable enclosures and that the focus is more on recreation than conservation. But I wish it didn't have to be this way. -
Review from Ian S.
5/9/2007
Como park features a nice lake that is great to walk around in the spring and early summer, but usually becomes a kind of smelly cesspool in the fall.
There is also larger grassy areas to play and picnic, and BBQ areas.
Sledding on the golf course in the winter is also pretty fun. The nearby flower conservatory and zoo are also nice to visit.
High school fornicators beware. The park is regularly patrolled after dark. -
Review from Nathan C.
Hugo, MN
3/8/2011
Great place to hang out on a nice day. Huge fan of the conservatory. :)
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Review from Ashley F.
10/13/2009
BUILD A PARKING RAMP. I want to go to the zoo, but there is never any parking, because Como Zoo is awesome and everyone wants to go there.
So many fond childhood memories here. And teenage, make out in the park memories. Medallion hunting memories. Sparky the seal memories (RIP Old Sparky)
My absolute favorite thing to do at the zoo is watching the polar bears. I used to love to sit and watch them swim round and round in their little tank, doing the backstroke with their paws against the glass. It's the tops. -
Review from Nick J.
Minneapolis, MN
7/15/2007
My girlfriend and I love walking around this lake. It does help that we live a couple blocks away. It's not really a recreation lake. I think you can rent paddle boats and that's about it. But we enjoy it for the wildlife. The last time we walked around it we saw ducks with their babies, an egret stealthily spearing fish, and a muskrat swimming along the shore. Very cool stuff, especially for an urban area.
I also recommend checking out the Conservatory and the Japanese garden. Also excellent and cheap. It's technically free, but they ask for a $2 donation per person. The same goes for the Zoo. And yes, they have a mini-golf course. But beware, the surface is uneven and can send a perfectly hit ball off course. Still fun though. -
Review from Dee T.
Royal Oak, MI
10/25/2010
First visit: the Lake only. And it is great. Lots of people- and wildlife-watching opportunities. We easily spent 20 minutes watching that skimmer trawling around, removing that lake-clogging plant species, the name of which escapes me. It's a proper place for a casual stroll with family, or a good jog, or to get the pooch a chance to work the legs and the sniffer.
Listed in: Saint Paul Kicks So Much Ass
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Review from Sarah J.
Minneapolis, MN
10/18/2007 1 photo
Como Park, I thought, what a perfect place to enjoy this fine March afternoon. I was newish to the Cities and had survived my first winter. It was a beautiful Sunday in late March and I should have known that everyone else would have the same idea. Because it was PACKED. With babies and dogs and yelling kids. Which I didn't really mind because who can begrudge anyone the first day of spring, even if it's a pack of crying ankle-biters. Not me. But keep this in mind if you're looking to enjoy some nature, because Como Park likely won't be peaceful.
You also will not be able to park your car...at the park. Because everyone drives there. So consider your bike, even though it may not have left your garage since the past October.
Then, check out the Japanese garden, which has never been too crowded in my experience and is obviously doing something right because it's a genuinely peaceful place. And the koi in the ponds are really cool.
The conservatory smells delicious and is full of beautiful plants and flowers that could never grow here even in summer. But it's also usually full of people and strollers. Consider coming back when there's not a crowd, like in the middle of a weekday when you're playing hookey with your honey.
The zoo is a depressing place. More so than some, because it's really small. I actively avoid zoos because they make me sad. I've been in this one, because it was free and I couldn't figure out how to get out, and the animals don't seem very happy. But kids love it, so if you have kids, definitely check it out. That said, it's FULL of kids, so if that's not your scene, then maybe take a walk in the park itself.
Bring your bocce set and your buddies and set up camp. Remember, you can legally drink 3.2 beer in Como Park if it's between 8am and 8pm. -
Review from Kevin M.
Minneapolis, MN
4/15/2009 3 photos
For my 100th review, I've chosen a place I've been to at least that many times. I went to the zoo at Como Park the other day with Lisa and her sister/nieces. Yes, the MN zoo in Apple Valley is bigger and probably better in terms of animal habitats, but there is something to be said for a huge park, in the middle of the city, with a free zoo, conservatory, Japanese garden, amusement park, picnic grounds, paddle boats on its own lake, golf course, and countless tons of wooded paths to hike around on.
I used to skip high school to drive down here for picnics. I used to bike down to this park in my undergrad years. Walking around the lake is a great summer evening, watching the Shakespeare in the Park at the pavilion from across the water. I'm old enough to remember when they actually housed animals in the creepy cage building. God bless them for keeping it around as a reminder of our less enlightened days. While I miss the old fern room at the conservatory, I love the new visitor center and "indoor jungle" exhibit they have in front.
Como Park is well over a hundred years old, I've been there well over a hundred times, and for my hundredth review I say I hope it's around for at least another century. -
Review from Emily S.
Minneapolis, MN
4/16/2009
Oh Como park is one of my favorite things to do when I have nothing else to do! Even though I haven't really been back there in a really long time, probably too long, I still heart this place a lot! It really is one of the best places to spend a free afternoon! It is free too, other than the donation, that I feel is always necessary, so it just makes everything that much better! WEEEEEEEEE... I love IT!
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Review from Bethany D.
Burnsville, MN
7/27/2008
As a Como Park resident for the past few years, I've grown to love this gem in the midst of midway (for you non-MSPers, the section of town between St. Paul and Minneapolis). I've hosted several baseball games on the fields and bbq's in the pavilions (camp grills are available)... always without a hitch. The maintenance of the entire park is always gorgeous, no matter what time of year. A drive up Lex on the parkway is almost guaranteed to provide a glimpse of a wedding party's photography session, a prom group for the same reason, a group yoga class, and an abundance of runners, families with strollers, and dogwalkers. Such lovely Minnesota life. Cannot review the golf course -- but that's just one part of this park that I haven't had a chance to fully experience! Too much to do, nothing bad to gripe about except the availability of parking on nice days (to be expected).
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Review from John M.
Parker, CO
9/1/2008
What a great park and facilities - zoo, observatory, etc. A nice way to spend a day with kids.
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Review from woofgang q.
Chicago, IL
5/8/2007
Visit to experience flower power.
