The Upper St Anthony Falls Lock and Dam was completed in 1963. It was approved in 1937 by the Upper Minneapolis Harbor Development Project in order to allow navigation beyond the St Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. The natural St Anthony Falls were named by Father Hennepin in 1680 — the first European to view the natural feature. They were damaged between 1860 and 1887 due to overuse and erosion, and as a result a concrete overflow was constructed.
During the 1950s and 1960s the 93-foot horseshoe-shaped dam was constructed to produce hydro-electricity. The Lock and Dam has an observation deck where visitors have great views of Falls and can watch barges work their way through the lock. There are scheduled historic tours of the Lock and Dam, and thee area around the St Anthony Falls has been declared a Historic District Area.
Plans are underway to redevelop the site to provide whitewater channels with trails and a park on the eastern bank. The facility will utilize the 25-foot drop created by the dam and a separate river channel would be formed. This will provide opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, rafting and fishing.
The nearby Mill Ruins Park was opened in 2001 and charts the history of the 19th century flour mills that put Minneapolis on the map, as it was sending America and overseas. The Mill had the largest water powered mill in the world. Guided tours of the historic buildings are available, there is also a self-guided tour and a visitors center.
