Part of the park · 1931 to 1961, lost
The Miniature Village
Built by park employees beside the greenhouses, loved for thirty years, removed after vandalism. A marker stands near the site.
The story
Park employees built a miniature rock garden and town in 1931 northeast of the formal gardens, beside the greenhouses: little houses, a church, Light and Power buildings, a model railroad that ran on certain days, a water wheel and a goldfish pond with a tiny fisherman. A cactus garden followed in 1932, and a miniature mountain scene with its own powerhouse stood nearby.
Children pulled themselves up on the garden wall to look at it. Vandalism forced its removal in 1961, the same decade that took the greenhouses, the wooden Liberty and the elms. A marker placed by the Friends of McKennan Park now stands near the site, and the postcards are the best record of what was lost.
Photographs: Linen-era postcard, about 1930 to 1950, publisher unknown.
At a glance
| Built | 1931, by park employees |
|---|---|
| Added | Cactus garden 1932; mountain scene, lily pond, Japanese garden |
| Removed | 1961 |
| Where | Northeast of the formal gardens, by the old greenhouses |
| Marker | Friends of McKennan Park, with city and NSDAR grants |
Questions: Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation, 605-367-7060.
The marker, in full
The Miniature Village
Erected by Friends of McKennan Park Neighborhood Association · HMdb · All seven markers
Built in 1931 by Park Employees, the Miniature Rock Garden and Village was located northeast of the Formal Gardens near the Park Greenhouses. Boasting a miniature town with homes, a church, light and power buildings, a model railroad, and a goldfish pond, the Miniature Village captivated the interest of children and other park goers for thirty years until 1961 when it had to be removed due to damage.
"McKennan Park was magical to me when I was a child. I remember pulling myself up on the garden wall to look at the Miniature Village - an image that is still clear to me today especially the church and goldfish pond with the little fisherman."
Keep walking
Next parts of the park.
Potato Man
A bronze farmer from the 2006 SculptureWalk, the park's unofficial greeter at the southwest corner.
The pergola
Timber and shade beside the gardens, one of the centennial additions planned by Confluence.
The wading pool
Free since 1929. The fourth pool on the site opened May 29, 2026, with a slide, sprays and a new bathhouse.