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Pond-Dakota Mission Park's interpretive areas

Signage tells the story of the park and its history

Gideon and Agnes Pond House sign thumbnail.

The five key areas of natural and cultural history in the Pond-Dakota Mission Park.

In late 2005, an interpretive signage task force, made up of City staff and Pond-Dakota Heritage Society members, was formed to implement a concept first discussed in the Pond-Dakota Mission Park Master Plan -- the creation of interpretive signage for the park. Five 3 by 4 foot signs, three 4 by 3 foot kiosk panels, a new turn out sign at the park entrance and two changeable information display cabinets debuted in spring 2008. The signs are made of very dense high-pressure laminate materials and feature full-color graphics.

In designing the project, the park was divided into interpretive areas, covering five key areas of natural and cultural history:

In addition, Kiosk panels tell the story of the Missionaries to the Dakota in the 1800s.

The signs contain heavily-researched information, historic photographs, illustrations and maps pertaining to the historic interpretive areas. Among the artists featured in the signs is Seth Eastman, a frontier artist who painted many famous scenes of the Dakota Indians, as well as the Minnesota and Mississippi River Valleys during the 1800s.

A second phase of signage, undertaken by the Pond-Dakota Heritage Society, will develop two to three additional signs pertaining to the Dakota Indian history of the area. This work will be done with significant input from members of the Dakota community. The additional signs, when completed in the next two years, will be placed into the Dakota interpretive area in the park.

For more information, contact:

Mark Morrison, Recreation Supervisor
PH: 952-563-8693, TTY: 952-563-8740, FAX: 952-563-8715
E-mail: artsintheparks@ci.bloomington.mn.us