Raspberry Island is the last true island in the Mississippi River in St. Paul. There were more islands, including Harriet Island, but the small channels that flowed between these islands have been filled in. The island got its name in the 1880s due to the wild raspberries that grew along the shore of the river. The island was renamed Navy Island in 1948 after the establishment of a US Navy training facility. The Navy abandoned the island in the mid-1960s. From there, it became a parking lot for downtown workers. The island was renamed Raspberry Island with the planning of the new Wabasha Street Bridge in the early 1990s. A small band shell was erected, and a few concerts were put on over the years.

The west end of Raspberry Island is the home of the Minnesota Boat Club. They have used Raspberry Island since 1870, and the current boathouse dates back to 1910. Over the years, various nightclubs have used the 2nd floor of the boathouse. After a recent renovation, the 2nd floor is reserved for special events and weddings under an arrangement with the St. Paul Radisson hotel.

The old Raspberry Island bridge was in the way when the new Wabasha Street Bridge was built. To accommodate the construction, the old bridge was removed, and a temporary bridge was installed on the downstream end of the island. After the Wabasha Street Bridge was completed, a new Raspberry Island bridge was built. That bridge was completed in 2001. At that time, the temporary bridge was removed.

Raspberry Island has seen a major renovation in 2007 and 2008. The old concrete walls were removed and riprap was installed around the island. This is to prevent erosion of the island. The island itself was totally landscaped. This included building a new bandstand, parking lot, public restrooms, and planting over 2500 trees and flowers.

The photo above is a view of the Raspberry Island bridge from street level. Much of the bridge is located under the Wabasha Street bridge, which casts a large shadow. The photo below is a view from the upstream side of the bridge. The photo at the very top of the page is a view from downstream of the bridge.