How about a city that soars? That is Falcon Heights. Falcon Heights is a suburb of Saint Paul in Ramsey County. The city’s motto is “Families, Fields and Fair”.
Falcon Heights became a village in 1949. It became a city in 1973. In 2020, the population was 5,369. A 2023 estimate showed 4,984 people lived here.
Falcon Heights is home to the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus. Here, you can find the Goldstein Museum of Design. The Gabbert Raptor Center is also here. And do not forget the Les Bolstad Golf Course. Falcon Heights also boasts the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life is worth a visit. Its University Grove neighborhood has modern architecture.
Heman Gibbs settled here in the 1850s. He settled near Cleveland and Larpenteur Avenues. His homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places. His home is now a county museum.
On September 2, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. He was Vice President at the time. He first used the African proverb “Speak softly and carry a big stick” here. Roosevelt became president two weeks later. This happened after William McKinley’s assassination. He built the phrase into his Big Stick Diplomacy concept.
Between the 1910s and 1930s, Curtiss Northwest Airport was at Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues. It was important in Minnesota aviation history. Charles Lindbergh, Speed Holman, and Phoebe Fairgrave visited here. Part of the land is now Curtiss Field. It is a city park.
In the 1930s, a real estate agent named Faulkner developed land. The land belonged to a 3M executive. He named the development Falcon Heights. He named it after himself. The first house was built in 1937.
In 1949, residents did not want to be annexed by Roseville or St. Paul. They voted to incorporate. The expanded Falcon Heights included the University of Minnesota Golf Course. It also included Test Fields and the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Two-thirds of Falcon Heights is public land. This includes the university and the state fair.
Falcon Heights Community Park and Curtiss Field have recreational sports. These are for kids in the summer. There is also an ice rink and warming house in the winter. The community park has a soccer field. It also has a fitness course. Grove Park in University Grove also has a temporary warming house. There is an ice rink in the winter there as well.
Falcon Heights has a total area of 2.240 square miles. Most of Falcon Heights is land. Only 0.007 square miles is water. Minnesota Highway 51/Snelling Avenue is a main route. Falcon Heights is bordered by Lauderdale, St. Paul, and Roseville.
Falcon Heights Elementary is the only school here. It features a park with two playgrounds. One was built in 2006. Falcon Heights is a city of families and history. It is a place where community matters. It truly is “The City That Soars”.