Edina: From Farm to City
A History of Edina and Its Development
Grand Opening November 14th, 2025
Edina’s story is often linked to Southdale Center and the postwar suburban boom—but the community’s roots reach much deeper. Long before Edina became a city, Dakota people lived in relationship with this land and its waterways. In the mid-19th century, settlers built farms, mills, and institutions that reshaped the landscape. Over time, new neighborhoods, commercial districts, and civic systems emerged—bringing both growth and profound change.
Edina: From Farm to City explores how land, water, agriculture, transportation, planning, and community decisions shaped Edina’s development—from early settlement to streetcar suburbs, from the Country Club District to Southdale, and from rapid expansion to modern restoration and sustainability efforts.
This exhibit also holds space for complexity. Edina’s history includes progress and prosperity, but also exclusion and inequity. Understanding the full story helps us better understand the present—and the choices that will shape what comes next.
