More than a spring, Fredrick-Miller draws people from across the metro

Eden Prairie’s Fredrick-Miller Spring is more than a roadside attraction: it draws people in from all over the metro to aid in their daily lives. 

The spring, located west of Spring Road near Lions Tap, provides clean, natural drinking water to surrounding communities. It has been part of Eden Prairie’s culture since the mid-1800s, when the city was founded, with some European settlers mentioning it in diaries and memoirs.

According to the city’s website, William Fredrick moved the spring access to its current location in 1880, building a wooden tank to contain its water flow. Arthur Miller later acquired the spring in 1968 and donated it to the city a year later.

A water trough for year-round collection is located at the Spring Lake Road site, with a turnout so visitors can easily pull over to collect water, according to the city’s website.

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The city designated the spring as a Heritage Preservation Site in 1997, with protections written into the City Code to ensure residents can continue to enjoy it, according to the city’s website.

The spring water is generally safe to drink, according to city officials, and is tested monthly for coliform bacteria and nitrates. From July 2009 to July 2025, the water tested positive for coliform only twice.

While it’s called a spring, Fredrick-Miller Spring is actually a seep, according to city officials. Springs have a strong, continuous flow of water, whereas seeps have a slower flow that spreads over a wider area.

On Thursday, there was a near-constant flow of vehicles entering the spring’s access turnout. People stepped out of their cars with jugs in hand, some making multiple trips to fill all their containers.

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As a line formed, a friendly atmosphere took hold. While waiting their turn, visitors made small talk about what brought them to the spring that day and how often they make the trek.

Mary Field came to Fredrick-Miller Spring from Blaine. She said Thursday was her second visit to collect spring water for her plants.

“It’s natural, it’s spring that’s coming from the earth,” Field said. “And, yeah, it’s good for my plants.”

Field said she used to get spring water in Minneapolis, but the spring she frequented has since shut down.

Further back in line, Mike Enderle of Delano patiently waited his turn behind Field.

Enderle said he makes the 45-minute trek about once a month to get spring water for his family. His daughter has sensitive skin, and the spring water is the only thing he’s found that keeps it clear.

“The fridge water versus the cold spring water, you can tell the difference,” Enderle said. “It’s wild, even having a filtered system in your fridge versus what we get from the spring. There’s a difference.”

Toby Getsch of Minnetonka said he was getting water for his parents. His family makes the trip to Eden Prairie just to go to the spring. 

His parents say there’s too much chlorine in tap water for their liking, Getsch said.

“It’s natural, and it’s clean, good-tasting, and relatively convenient,” Getsch said.