Anoka in Anoka County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Windego Park Auditorium
Circa 1914
Photographed by McGhiever, June 4, 2023
1. Windego Park Auditorium Marker
This amphitheater is a rare example of a semi-circular, open-air theater in Minnesota. It echoes the design of ancient Greek and Roman theaters. Set into the hillside, it was designed to accommodate 1,600 people. The idea for its construction came from Anoka music teacher Thaddeus Giddings, and stemmed from his passion for involving the community. The amphitheater once hosted locally produced plays, pageants, operettas, and community meetings. Efforts to preserve the theater led to its inclusion on the National Register in 1980.
Erected by City of Anoka Heritage Preservation Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 45° 11.831′ N, 93° 23.605′ W. Marker is in Anoka, Minnesota, in Anoka County. It is at the intersection of Ferry Street and the footbridge over the Rum River, on the right when traveling north on Ferry Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1830 Ferry Street, Anoka MN 55303, United States of America.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Perseverance Needed (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Why Settle Here? / Time to Play (about 500 feet away); The Gathering Place (about 500 feet away); The Stone House (about 500 feet away); Robert W. Akin (about 500 feet away); Shaw-Hammons House (about 500 feet away); Father Louis Hennepin's Exploration in 1680 (about 700 feet away); Aaron Greenwald (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anoka.
Also see . . . Windego Park Auditorium on Wikipedia. (Submitted on August 14, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.)
Photographed by McGhiever, June 4, 2023
2. Windego Park Auditorium Marker just beyond a fence along Ferry Street
Photographed by McGhiever, June 30, 2013
3. The ruins of the Windego Park Auditorium, a few steps east of the marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 567 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 14, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
