Rochester, MN Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard hours closed
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Exempt
- Police officers, park board staff
- Custom hours
- Enforceable only after signs posted
- Trail exception
- Improved trails open unless signed
- Enforcement
- Administrative citation, ch. 1-2
Summary
Rochester closes its parks and parkways to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under City Code § 9-16-13, with only police officers and park board staff exempt; the board can set different hours for individual parks, but those custom hours are only enforceable once entrance signs post the specific closing and opening times.
No person, except police officers and the employees and servants of the board, shall be present in any park or parkway between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. each day, except that the board may designate different hours for individual parks or parkways as deemed appropriate. Enforcement of park closing hours, when different from the general park closing hours indicated above, shall not be made until such time as signs clearly indicating the closing and opening times are erected at all entrances to the park or parkway. This section is not intended to prohibit pedestrian travel along improved trails within a park unless the signs at the entrances to the park or parkway indicate that such travel is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-16-1 defines a park to include all public grounds and squares maintained as leisure grounds in the city and defines a parkway to include the thoroughfares, approaches and trails under the park board's jurisdiction, but the definition specifically excludes the Peace Plaza, which carries its own separate curfew under chapter 9-3. daily, with police officers and park board employees and servants exempted from the closure. window controls. unless a posted sign says otherwise. Because park regulations under chapter 9-16 are listed as an administrative offense in § 1-2-3(4), being present in a closed park after hours is enforced through the city's administrative citation and civil-fine process, in addition to whatever a police officer separately elects to pursue.
Violations & Fines
Being present in a Rochester park or parkway after 11:00 p.m. or before 5:00 a.m., outside the trail exception, can result in an administrative citation and civil fine under chapter 1-2, since park regulations are listed as an administrative offense at § 1-2-3(4). Custom hours for a specific park are not enforceable until the city posts entrance signs stating the exact closing and opening times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Rochester, MN parks close?
Can a specific Rochester park have different hours?
Can I still walk a park trail after 11 p.m. in Rochester?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester
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