#theodore wirth

[nosreiphaik]

"After the Rain at Theo" May 31, 2026

[hclib]

Sailing Days and Wanderlust, 1932

“At 7:50 p.m. on February 23, we left Minneapolis on a Northwestern train for San Francisco...”

February in Minnesota seems like a wonderful time to consider warmer climes, and in 1931 Superintendent of Parks Theodore Wirth did just that. In honor of his 25 years of service, the Board of Park Commissioners (today the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board) gave Wirth a six-month sabbatical. He and his wife, Leonie, left Minneapolis on February 23 for a trip around the world. When the Wirths returned home to Minneapolis, Theodore gathered his memories (with help from Leonie’s diaries) in a book, Sailing Days and Wanderlust. The full book is available in Special Collections. 

Filled with illustrations and anecdotes, the book recounts the couple’s adventures from Hawaii to Japan, China to the Philippines, Egypt to Italy, to Wirth’s native Switzerland, and back. Every type of transportation was employed—trains, ships, and even airplanes. Along the way, the Wirths met old friends, visited family, and saw many great sights. Like the good park superintendent that he was, Wirth visited many, many parks and the book describes pleasant meetings with park colleagues worldwide.

Interested in learning more about Theodore Wirth? Contact Special Collections for information about the Collection on Theodore Wirth and the records of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

[pkatkins]

quaking bog // theo wirth park