Prospect Park Water Tower

The Prospect Park Water Tower -- sometimes referred to as the Witch's Hat but known locally as Tower Hill Tower or just The Tower -- is a historic water tower in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Southeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1913-1914 on Tower Hill Park, a hilltop park established in 1906. The water tower has become the neighborhood's architectural mascot for its singular design by Frederick William Cappelen. The tower is purported to be the inspiration for Bob Dylan's song "All Along the Watchtower," as the tower was clearly visible from Dylan's home in nearby Dinkytown. Standing at nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, the tower has the distinction of occupying one of the highest spots in the Twin Cities. With its thick concrete shaft, open-air belvedere, and steeply pitched, green-tile roof, the water tower looms over a small pump house on the northwest edge of the park, a set of tennis courts on the southwest side of the park, and the curvilinear streets of the adjacent neighborhood.

The park and water tower were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 for having local significance in the themes of architecture, community planning and development, and engineering. It was nominated for its associations with city planning, urban infrastructure, architectural eclecticism, and the work of architect Frederick William Cappelen. In 2015 they were also listed as contributing properties to the Prospect Park Residential Historic District.