New open-air pavilion will replace Excelsior's familiar old band shell
Fans, critics debate the aesthetic, acoustic and nostalgic qualities of the old and new designs.
February 27, 2021 — 4:18pm
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Excelsior's concrete band shell — a plain but popular outdoor music venue that held a prime spot in the city's big lakeside park since the classic-rock era — is gone. It will be replaced by an open-air pavilion designated for concerts and other gatherings, movie screenings and events.
The $1.2 million pavilion is the first on a list of upgrades planned for the Commons, Excelsior's 13-acre public park on Lake Minnetonka. Construction is scheduled to start in March, with completion expected in July. The old band shell — which opened on July 4, 1976, celebrating the country's bicentennial — was demolished last week.