By Claire Noack

With 24 acres of landscaped greenery and a 10-acre pond, Centennial Lakes Park is the ultimate place to kick back for a relaxing day at the park. Located in the southeast region of Edina, this park is filled with fun activities. Shady areas make great places for picnics, swinging benches offer a relaxing place to take in the surroundings, and playgrounds provide fun places for kids to play.

During the summer months, Centennial Lakes Park offers more recreational fun with paddleboats, lawn bowling and croquet courts. There’s also a golf course that may be miniature in size, but is not your typical mini golf game. Don’t expect to putt golf balls into the mouth of a dragon or through a windmill. This golf green features 18 holes that range from 57 to 125 feet and are bordered by boulders, planter beds, ponds and sand traps. Visitors can call ahead to rent out the courts and gear. Group reservations for the putting course are available Monday through Friday until 5 p.m. and there are no reservations on weekends or evenings.

The Centennial Lakes Park ponds are also great for fishing and are stocked with sunfish, bullheads and bass. Local tip: Bring a loaf of bread to feed the fish in the pond. The bullheads will swim right up and practically eat out of your hand.

You can expect to see many people playing Pokémon Go in the park on warm days, as locals have dubbed Centennial Lake Park a hotspot for the popular game. Cultural performances and live music also draw crowds to the park from June through August at the outdoor Maetzold Amphitheater. And movies are shown at sunset on Thursday evenings throughout the summer. Nearby restaurants and shopping at the Galleria, Southdale Mall and 50th & France make this worth an entire day trip to the area.

Spring Hours: Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to sunset, Saturday 10 a.m. to sunset, Sunday noon to sunset

Summer Hours (starting Memorial Day weekend): 10 a.m. to sunset daily