Why visit Tonka Bay
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 21 parks and trails, 22 places to eat and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Big Island Amusement Park, Excelsior Amusement Park, Excelsior Public School and Noerenberg Estate Barn.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 55 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Tonka Bay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tonka Bay
Tonka Bay is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. It is on Lake Minnetonka between the upper and lower lakes. It gained some popularity in the 1880s and 1890s as a summer lake resort. The population was 1,442 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Tonka Bay, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Big Island Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 2.0 mi
Former American amusement park
Excelsior Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
Located on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota
Old Log Theater
Cinema and theater · 1.4 mi
Theater in Excelsior, Minnesota, United States
Museums and landmarks12
Excelsior Public School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
School building in Excelsior, United States of America
Noerenberg Estate Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic barn in Orono, Minnesota, United States
Peter Gideon Farmhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Farmhouse in Minnesota, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Thompson Summer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota
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Wyer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Blue Line Ticket Booth
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
Historic structure, that used to be the ticket booth for the Blue Line.
Parks, trails and playgrounds21
Sota Sims Golf
Golf course · 1.5 mi
23740 Minnesota State Highway 7, Shorewood
Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00
9 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes22
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
Inside Kowalski's Market
440 Water Street, Excelsior
Mo-Su 06:00-20:00
Caribou Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi
5663 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa-Su 06:30-18:00
Hazelwood Food + Drink
Diner · American · 0.9 mi
5635 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-21:00
Joey Nova's Pizzeria Delicatessen
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian · 0.9 mi
5655 Manitou Road, Excelsior
Su-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Miyabi Sushi & Asian Bistro
Restaurant · Sushi, Asian, Japanese · 1.2 mi
400 Water Street, Excelsior
Su-Th 12:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00
Kowalski's Wine Shop
Brewery and winery · 1.2 mi
440 Water Street, Excelsior
Mo-Th 09:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Jake O' Connors Public House
Restaurant · Irish, American · 1.2 mi
200 Water Street, Excelsior
10 more on the map.
History
Circa 10,000 B.C. – Tonka Bay forms during the recession of the last glaciation – the Wisconsin. Upper and Lower Lake Minnetonka and the peninsula and bays that now make up Tonka Bay forms as the ice sheet retreats.
1852 – Signing of Treaty of Traverse des Sioux that opens up the Lake Minnetonka area to white settlement.
1852 –Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey explores Lake Minnetonka and officially names it “Minne” (Sioux for water) and “Tonka” (Sioux for big or strong).
1853 – Reverend Stephen Hull comes to the area. He creates the first narrows, “Hull’s Narrows,” located nearby present-day County Road 19 north of West Point Road. The Narrows allows boats to pass between Upper and Lower Lake Minnetonka.
1864 - Horticulturist Peter Gideon claimed 160 acres (0.65 km2) in what would become Tonka Bay. Here he propagated the "Wealthy" apple, which can survive the harsh Minnesota winters, named for his wife Wealthy Hull.
1879 – The Lake Park Hotel is built as part of the Chautauqua movement.
1887 – Old Orchard House is built by John Finley Wilcox. He plants hundreds of acres of orchards that once stood alongside County Road 19.
1890 – Fred B. Snyder buys the 28-acre Clay Cliffe Estate for $56.
1901 – Tonka Bay incorporates in response to the need to provide services for its increasingly stable population. Wilcox becomes Tonka Bay’s first mayor.
From the History section of Tonka Bay, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping9
Schools, colleges and libraries41
277 Westonka Area Learning Academy
School · 5.0 mi
5901 Sunnyfield Rd E, Minnetrista
Healthcare1
Map of Tonka Bay
114 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 6°F | 0.9 in | 10.0 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 9°F | 0.9 in | 11.2 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 22°F | 1.6 in | 9.1 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 35°F | 3.2 in | 5.4 in |
| May | 68°F | 47°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 58°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 60°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 51°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 38°F | 2.7 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 25°F | 1.7 in | 5.1 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 13.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chanhassen Wsfo (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Hennepin County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-11-02: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-07-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-07-25: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2011-06-07: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Shorewood 1 mi southwest, about 2 min by car
- Excelsior 1 mi southeast, about 2 min by car
- Spring Park 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Deephaven 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Orono 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Mound 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Chanhassen 5 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Victoria 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Long Lake 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Minnetonka 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Excelsior School 2, Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thompson Summer House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gideon Farm 03, Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Allemarinda and James Wyer House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noerenberg Estate Barn, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Excelsior Amusement Park (Minnesota), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Big Island Park, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
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