INDEX TO CITY
PARKS IN THE UNITED STATES
Compiled by
Richard W. Amero
ACRES &
PROMINENT ATTRACTIONS
1.
(By
Boroughs)
(1,701
city-owned parks, 26,295 acres)
28,126
acres . . . Harnik*
*NOTE: Items
in italics refer to data from "Inside City Parks," by Peter Harnik, published by the Urban Land Institute,
Landscaped
by Frederick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux, first
plan submitted 1858; design inspired by
Buildings:
Metropolitan
Other
Features: Four Depressed Transverse Roads; Mall, Bandshell,
Terrace, Bethesda Fountain, Carousel, Sheep's Meadow, Conservatory Gardens, The
Ramble, Great Lawn, North Meadow, The Lake, The Reservoir, Harlem Meer
Facilities:
Baseball diamonds (7), Boating, Bowling Greens (12), Hockey (for children) (4 fields), Hockey (2 fields), Fresh Water
Fishing, Football (1 field), Handball, ice-skating on the Lakes (winter),
Jogging (around reservoir), Horseback Riding, Model Boat Ponds, Nature Trails,
Skiing, Sledding, Soccer (4 fields), Softball & Little League Playing
Fields (17 diamonds), Swimming Pool (Lasker Memorial
Pool, Harlem Meer), Tennis (4 hard & 26 clay
courts)
Central
Park Conservancy, a private organization, raises money to restore and reclaim
Five-mile
trail along the
Promoted by
Hudson River Park Conservancy, a state agency
Money to be
generated from commercial ventures within the park
Chelsea
Piers . . . 30-acre sports & film center located on the Hudson River
between 17th & 23rd Streets leased from
Planned by
Bicycling,
Fishing, Football (2 fields), Jogging, Running Track (220 yards), Roller
Hockey, Marina, Sledding, Tennis (10 clay & 10 hard courts), Softball &
Little League Playing Fields (8 diamonds)
Planned by
View of the
Buildings:
The Cloisters
Original
plan by Frederick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux in
1873
Softball
& Little League (2 diamonds)
Designed by
architect Richard Dattner
The second
most heavily used state park in
Two bridges
provide access across
Built on
top the North River Water Pollution Treatment Facility & paid for with
federal, state and city funds
Five major
structures consisting of 50-meter pool, covered skating rink (ice in winter,
roller skating in summer); cultural center; multi-use athletic building, &
restaurant;
Outdoor
facilities consisting of basketball courts (4); handball/paddleball courts (4);
tennis courts (4); football/soccer field; running track; community garden;
playground; wading pool.; a continuous promenade rings the entire park,
providing seating, trees and a sea-rail design
1.5-mile
riverfront esplanade
BRYANT PARK
(6 acres)
Renovated in 1990-92 with designs by landscape
architect Laurie Olin after suggestions by William H. Whyte
Two floors
of underground stacks for New York City Public Library
Managed by
Bryant Park Restoration Corporation
Revenue
generated by a coffeehouse, kiosks, restaurants and special events rentals & programming
Designed by
Robert Zion in 1966; a private park for public enjoyment; a 20-ft. recirculating waterfall
silences city traffic; 17 locust trees grow in the park; gates are open 8 A.M. to 10 P.M., May 1 to November 8
& 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. the rest of the
year; refreshments & seating available; park was built &
maintained by William S. Paley in memory of his
father
Designed by
Pomerance & Breines,
with J. Paul Friedberg, landscape architect, in 1966
Neither a
park nor a city street, but has qualities of both. Children use the play area
& people of all ages use the amphitheater;
the plaza has a number of places to sit & space to move around
Baseball
Diamonds (6), Cricket Fields (3 pitches), Football (2 fields), Golf course
& driving range, Jogging, Marina, Model Airplane Flying Field, Picnic
areas; Roller Hockey, Soccer (1 field), Softball & Little League Playing
Fields (11 diamonds), Tennis (12 clay courts)
Originally
planned by Frederick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux
in 1866-67
Buildings:
Litchfield Villa, Lefferts House, Boat House, Grecian
Shelter, Bandshells (2),
Facilities:
Boating; Fresh Water Fishing in Lake; Ice Skating on
Diamonds
(3); Softball & Little League Diamonds (2); Football Fields (2); Hockey
Fields (3); Soccer Fields (2); Cross-Country Course on Long Meadow (1.9 miles);
Horseback
Riding; Jogging in Long Meadow;
PROSPECT
PARK BOTANIC GARDENS (50 acres)
Originally
planned by Frederick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux
in 1867
Forum Area,
Tennis (6 hard courts); Prison Ship Martyr's Monument
Rice
Stadium;
Beaches 1.0
mile); Archery Range; Baseball Diamonds (2); Softball & Little League Diamonds (8); Football Fields (2); Model
Airplane Flying Field; Hard Tennis Courts (10); Boccie
Courts (4); Golf & Driving Range; Running Tracks; Jogging; Picnic Areas
VAN
CORTLANDT PARK (1,146 acres)
Van Cortlandt Mansion, Park Stadium; Nature Trails & Bird
Sanctuary; Boating; Fishing; Ice Skating
on Lake in Winter; Sledding; Swimming Pool; Baseball Diamonds (10); Softball
& Little League Diamonds (7); Football Fields (4); Cricket Fields (10
pitches); Rugby Fields (12); Soccer Fields (7); Hockey Field; Hard Tennis
Courts (4); Cross-Country Course (5.0
miles); Running Tracks; Jogging; Picnic Areas
Zoo (252
acres); Botanical Gardens (239 acres); Rockefeller Fountain; Baseball Diamonds
(4); Softball & Little League Diamonds (5); Football Field; Hard Tennis
Courts (6), (6 hard courts)
Created in
1936 by F. Cormier from tidal swamp & ash dump; Site of Worlds Fairs, 1939-40 & 1964-65; Hall of Science of the
City of New York; Area; Shea Municipal Stadium; Open
Air Pavilion; Outdoor Singer Pool; Large Parking Area connected to the Grand Central Parkway; Marina; Boating;
Fishing; ice-skating Rink; Football Fields
(5); Baseball Diamonds (5); (2);Cricket Field (1 pitch); Golf; Hockey
Field (1); Model Airplane Flying Field; Softball & Little League Playing
Diamonds (9); Clay Tennis
Courts (8); Boccie Courts
Jogging; Swimming Pool in Amphitheater; Carousel; Zoo & Children's Farm; Picnic Areas
Fishing;
Ice Skating on Lake in Winter; Nature Trails; Jogging; Horseback Riding;
Sledding; Cross-Country Course (1.5 miles); Football Field; Soccer Field;
Baseball Diamonds (2); Softball & Little League Diamonds (11); Clay Tennis
Courts (10); Hard ennis Courts (6); Picnic Areas
Marina;
Fishing; Surfcasting; Beaches (2.0 miles); Forum Area; Softball & Little
League Diamond; Playing Diamond; Football Field; Running Tracks, Jogging
WILLIAM T.
DAVIS WILDLIFE REFUGE (260 acres)
2. LOS
ANGELES,
Los Angeles
Department of Recreation & Parks
(355
city-owned park covering 15,537 acres)
14,987
acres . . . Harnik
The
SANTA MONICA
PRESERVE (7,200 acres, under State of
Undeveloped
Colonel
Griffith donated a 3,000 acre portion of Rancho Los Feliz
to the City of
Angeles in
1896 for use as a public park; In the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking downtown; Steep Topography; Wilderness Areas;
Observatory; Los Angeles Zoo; Ferndell Ranger Station; Greek Theater; Travel Town; Golf
Courses (5); Baseball Fields; Tennis Courts; Riding Trails; Freeways (2);
Children's Play Area; Picnic Areas
SEPULVEDA
DAM RECREATION AREA (1,641 acres, leased by the City from
the
(2,031 acres
. . . Harnik)
18-hole
Golf Courses (2); Sports Field with Baseball Diamonds, Lighted Tennis Courts, an Outdoor Gymnasium with Basketball,
Volleyball & Handball Courts (80
acres); Children's Play Area; Picnic Area (20 acres)
HANSEN DAM
RECREATION AREA (1,437 acres, leased by the City from the U.S. Government) (1,463 acres . . . Harnik)
Swimming;
Boating; Sailing; Canoeing & Fishing on
ELYSIAN
PARK (600 acres)
Natural
Landscaping; Picnic Areas; Children's Play Area; Tennis Courts; Ball Fields
Sunken Rose
Garden (7 acres); California Museum of Science & Industry; Museum of Natural
History; Memorial Coliseum (seating 95,000); Indoor Sports Arena
MAC ARTHUR
PARK (32 acres)
Hollyhock
House by Frank Lloyd Wright; A Studio Residence now an Arts & Crafts Center
by R. M. Schindler; Wading Pool & Pergola by Schindler & Richard J. Neutra; Junior Arts Center; Municipal Art Gallery; Picnic
Areas; Children's Play Area
Landscaped
park with 2,150-underground parking spaces
3.
Chicago
Park District
7,329 acres
. . . Harnik
Extending
along the shoreline of Lake Michigan from
Landscape
designs by gardener Swain Nelson & Olaf Benson
between 1865 & the 1880s, modified by Ossian Simonds
between 1903 & 1921, & Ernest Schroeder between the 1920s & 1960s
with assistance from Alfred Caldwell between 1936 & 1938; Statue of
Standing Lincoln by Augustus Saint Gaudens, Ira Couch
Tomb, Chicago Historical Society Museum, Chicago Academy of Science Museum, Zoo
(35 acres): Farm in the Zoo, Children's Zoo; Conservatory (3 acres), Gun Club, Belmont,Diversey, & Montrose Harbors; Theater-
on-the-Lake
Outdoor
Facilities: Athletic Fields (4), Baseball (5), Junior Baseball (4), Softball
(10), Football & Soccer (4), Tennis Courts (31), Volleyball Courts (3),
Horseshoe Courts (15), Shuffleboard Courts (5), Basketball Standards (3) (1 on
Margate & 2 on Windsor Avenue), Playgrounds (11), Spray Pools (2),
Sandboxes (6), ice-skating Ponds (4) (1 on North Pond, 1 on South Pond, & 2
at Waveland), Day Camps (2), Bicycle Path, Bridle Path, Archery Range, Bathing
Beaches (7), Casting Pool, 9-hole Golf Course, Golf Driving Range, Golf Putting
Course, Yacht & Powerboat Harbors
(3), Launching Ramps (3), Lagoons (2), Marine Facilities (1,149), Trap
Shooting Range, Zoo, Multiple-Use Paved
Area
Indoor
Facilities: Field house (Margate), Gymnasium, Club Rooms (2), Kitchen,
Craft Shops (2); Drama, Artcraft, Enameling, Camera Club; Field House (Dickens),
Club Rooms (3), Lapidary Shop, Kitchen, Music, Enameling, Senior Citizens'
Center, Pavilion (Fullerton), Drama, Kitchen; Cafe Brauer
(Armitage), Drama, Beach Houses (3)
Named after
architect Daniel Burnham who suggested a plan to connect
"Made" land; site of 1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition;
striking views of Chicago skyline from
Leif Eriksen Drive, which traverses the length of the
park unimpeded by cross traffic; reproduction of Fort Dearborn & cabin of
Jean Baptiste Point du
Sable, built for Century of Progress Exposition; Burnham Harbor; Chicago Park District Administration Building; McCormick
Place; Soldier Field, seating 106,000
Outdoor
Facilities: athletic fields (1); Baseball (1), Softball (2), Football &
Soccer (1), Running Track (4 lap in
Soldier Field), Tennis Courts (8), Multiple-Use Paved Areas (3), Basketball
Standards (18), Volleyball (2), Playgrounds (6), Spray Pool (1), Sandboxes (2), ice-skating (2), Bridle Path;
Day Camp; Bicycle Path, Bathing Beaches
(3), Marine Facilities (821), Launching Ramps (2), Model Yacht Basin
(1), Stadium (1) in Soldier Field);
Yacht & Powerboat Harbor (1), 20,000 sq. ft. Park for Skateboarders
Indoor
Facilities: Field house (on promontory): Club Rooms (4); Beach House (1)
JACKSON
PARK (542.89 acres)
Landscaping
by
Museum of
Science & Industry, Inner, Outer & 59th Street Harbors, Japanese Garden; Outdoor Facilities: Athletic Fields
(3), Baseball (4), Softball (10), Football & Soccer (5), Running Track (4 lap), Tennis
Courts (24), Horseshoe Courts (6), Volleyball Courts (4), Bowling Greens (2),
Basketball Standards (11), Playgrounds
(5), Sandboxes (5), Bridle Path, Bicycle Path, Day Camp, 18- hole Golf
Course, Lagoon, Launching Ramp (2), Yacht & Powerboat Harbors (3), Marine
Facilities (478), Bathing Beaches (3), Casting Pool with Pier, Multiple-Use
Paved Areas (2)
Indoor
Facilities: Field house Gymnasium, Club Rooms (2), Kitchen, Artcraft,
Drama,
Music,
Beach House, Senior Citizens' Center
Planned by
Scene of
annual Bud Billiken Day celebration & parade
sponsored by the Chicago Daily Defender,
statue of George Washington by Daniel Chester French, Fountain of Time by Lorado Taft, Armory Cottage, Open Forum Area, Sunken
Garden; Outdoor Facilities: Regional
Adventure Playground, Swimming Pool, Athletic Field, Baseball (6), Junior Baseball (2), Softball (6),
Football & Soccer (4), Tennis Courts (14), Horseshoe Courts (4),
Shuffleboard Courts (5), Volleyball Court, Multiple-Use Paved Areas (8),
Basketball Standards (18), Bowling Greens (2), Playgrounds (4), Spray Pool, Sandboxes (4), ice-skating (2), Day
Camp, Bicycle Path, Lagoon-Casting Pool;
Indoor
Facilities: Field house Gymnasiums (3), Combination Assembly Hall, Club Rooms
(6), Craft Shop, Kitchen, Artcraft, Camera Club,
Lapidary Shop, Drama, Music, Enameling, Ceramics, Senior Citizens' Center Joint
Operation with Board of Education: Dyett Field house
Natatorium, Gymnasium, Club Room, Kitchen, Artcraft
GRANT PARK
(303 acres)
Architectural plans by Daniel H. Burnham & landscape plans by the
Olmsted Brothers in 1907 changed by Edward H. Bennett between 1915 & 1930
Statue of
seated Lincoln by Augustus Saint Gaudens, Buckingham
Memorial Fountain by Jacques Lambert,
Art Institute, Field Museum of Natural History, John G. Shedd
Aquarium, Monroe Street Harbor, Orchestra Shell, Rose Garden, Underground
Garages on the north & south; Outdoor Facilities: Athletic Fields (3),
Junior Baseball (2), Softball (18), Football & Soccer (4), Tennis Courts
(12), Yacht & Powerboat Harbor, Marine Facilities (824)
Designed by
William Le Baron Jenney between 1871 & 1877'
designs changed by Oscar DuBuis between 1877 &
1890s, & Jens Jensen between 1906 & 1909
Lagoons,
Islands, Hills, Trees, the "Stable" (a rustic maintenance building
resembling a German hunting lodge), Rose Gardens; Outdoor Facilities: Swimming
Lagoon, Swimming Pool, Athletic Field,
Baseball (3), Junior Baseball (3), Football & Soccer, Tennis Courts (12),
Volleyball Courts (6), Horseshoe Courts (7), Multiple Use Paved Areas (2),
Basketball Standards (10), Playgrounds (5), Spray Pools (2), Sandboxes (3), ice-skating (3), Lagoon, Day Camp,
Bicycle Path; Indoor Facilities: Field house
Gymnasiums (2), Combination Assembly Hall, Club Rooms (4), Craft Shop,
Kitchens (1), Boat Building Shop
BROOKFIELD
ZOO (196 acres)
The
buildings are designed in a 15th century Italian Renaissance style except for
the Seven Seas Panorama housing
porpoises & dolphins which looks like a big bubble.
Original
designs by Architect William Le Baron Jenney in 1869
modified by Jens Jensen in the 1870s until the 1890s & again from 1905 to
1921, & by Oscar DuBuis between 1877 & 1893
Conservatory
(4.5 acres): Designed by Jens Jensen & Schmidt, Gordon & Martin, Hitchings & Co., Engineers between 1906 & 1907 in
the shape of a great haystack, remodeled in 1958 & 1996; Palm House,
Fernery, Horticultural Hall, Aroid House,
Sensory
Garden; Outdoor Facilities: Swimming pool (1), Athletic Fields (2),
Baseball (2), Junior Baseball, Softball
(11), Football & Soccer (3), Tennis Courts (24), Horseshoe Courts (14),
Multiple-Use Paved Playgrounds (4), Spray Pools (3), Sandboxes (2),
ice-skating, Bicycle Path, Lagoon-Casting Pool with Pier, Model Yacht Basin,
Day Camp; Indoor Facilities: Field house Gymnasium, Assembly Hall, Club Rooms
(7), Artcraft, Music, Drama, Senior Citizens' Center
DOUGLAS
PARK (181.99 acres)
Designed by
William LeBaron Jenning
beginning in 1871, Oscar DuBuis beginning in 1885,
& Jens Jensen beginning in 1906
Outdoor
Facilities: Swimming Pool, Athletic Field, Baseball (3), Jr. Baseball (2),
Football & Soccer (4), Running Track (4 lap), Tennis Courts (16), Multiple-Use Paved Areas (2), Basketball Standards (26),
Volleyball (2), Horseshoe (4),
Playgrounds (5), Spray Pool (2), Sandboxes (2), ice-skating (2), Bicycle
Path, Lagoon, Casting Pool; Day Camp;
Indoor Facilities: Field house Gymnasiums (2),
Combination Assembly Hall, Club Rooms (7), Kitchen, Artcraft;
Flower Hall, Benches Garden, & Lily
Pond, ca. 1907, garden designed by Jens Jensen.
Designed
between 1917 & 1920 by Jens Jensen as an expression of the Prairie Style of landscape architecture with native
shrubs & trees, brooks & waterfalls
Outdoor
Facilities: Swimming Pool, Athletic Fields (2), Baseball (2), Jr. Baseball (3),
Softball
(2), Football & Soccer (2), Tennis Courts (9), Horseshoe (3),
Multiple-Use Paved Area, Basketball
Standards (4), Volleyball Courts (2), Playground (2), Spray Pool, Wading Pool, Sandbox, Archery Range,
Bowling Greens (2), Nine-Hole Golf Course, Lagoon, Bicycle Path, ice-skating
(2), Day Camp
Indoor
Facilities: Field house Gymnasiums (2), Assembly Halls (2), Club Rooms (10), Craft Shop,
Kitchens (2), Artcraft, Drama,
Man-made island
facing north end of
Outdoor
Facilities:
RAINBOW
BEACH & PARK (61.70 acres leased by Chicago Park District from Chicago Water
Fund Property)
Marine
Service Building; Outdoor Facilities: Athletic Fields (2), Junior Baseball
(2), Softball (3), Football & Soccer
(2), Tennis Courts (8), Handball Courts (3),
Multiple-Use Paved Area, Basketball Standards (2), Playground,
ice-skating (2), Day Camp, Bathing Beach, Launching Ramps (2); Indoor
Facilities: Beach Houses (4), Art Center, Art Craft
Landscape
designs prepared by the Olmsted Brothers & architectural designs by Daniel H. Burnham Company
Outdoor
Facilities: Swimming Pool, Athletic Field, Football & Soccer, Baseball (2),
Jr. Baseball (4), Running Track (6 lap), Tennis Courts (7), Handball (2),
Horseshoes (2), Volleyball (6), Multiple-Use Paved Area, Basketball Standards
(5), Playgrounds (2), Spray Pool,
Sandboxes (4), ice-skating (2), Bicycle Path, Lagoon, Casting Pond with Pier,
Day Camp; Indoor Facilities: Field house-Gymnasiums (2), Assembly Hall,
Club Rooms (6), Kitchen, Artcraft, Public Library, Drama
Conceived
in 1966; built over railroad tracks and above surface parking lots adjacent to
Grant Park; Welcome Center; Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavilion; Crown Fountain by Jaume
Piensa; Lurie Gardens
designed by the team of Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudorf and Robert Israel;; BP Bridge designed by Frank Gehry; Chase Promenade; Exelon
Pavilions Harris Theaters; Harris Theater; Kapoor
Sculpture on SBC Plaza designed by Anish Kapoor; McCormick Tribune Plaza and Ice Rinkl
Wrighley Square and Millenium
Monument,;
Landscape
designs prepared by Olmsted Brothers & architectural designs by Daniel H.
Burnham Company
Outdoor
Facilities: Athletic Field, Baseball Field, Football & Soccer, Softball
(2), Tennis Courts (2), Horseshoe Courts (2), Multiple-Use Paved Area,
Basketball Standards (6), Volleyball
Courts (2), Playground, Spray Pool, Sandboxes (3), ice-skating, Day Camp; Indoor Facilities:
Field house-Gymnasium, Assembly Hall, Club Rooms (10), Craft Shop, Kitchen, Artcraft, Music, Drama, Senior Citizen Center
Reclaimed
vacant land in Bronzeville on
African-American culture;
Designed by
Daryl Garrison and built in 1993-94 with participation of neighborhood residents & children; Funded, built &
maintained by a partnership of individuals, organizations & the City of
Chicago Youth center, playground, sculpture park,community
gardens, murals
OUTSIDE
MORTON
ARBORETUM (1,500 acres)
Woodland park containing 30 miles of walking trails, 25 acres covered
with native prairie plants, a lake, a bird sanctuary, a Ginkgo Tea Shop, &
a center for nature studies.
BOTANIC
GARDEN (300 acres)
Constructed
on an island in one of the larger
4.
307 city-owned
parks containing 32,598 acres)
20,363
acres . . . Harnik
HARRIS
COUNTY PARKS
HOUSTON
PARKS
ALLENS LANDING
(3.0 acres)
Historic
landmark
BROCK
(357.20 acres)
Golf
course, picnic area, softball, football & baseball fields, archery
Diked property which fills up with 10,000 acres of water
during the rainy season;
Sports
fields, Velodrome, drainage systems, asphalt trails,
restrooms, picnic tables
Picnic
area, camping
Donated in
1914 by George Hermann, one-time city park commissioner; Zoological
Gardens (42
acres), Miller Outdoor Theater on 7.5 acres - a free theater offering
entertainment from spring through fall, Museum of Natural
Science & Burke Baker
Planetarium,
holes), Playground, Picnic Area, Tennis & Basketball
Courts, Swimming Pool
Wildlife sanctuary,
5 miles of nature trails, self-guided tours
MEMORIAL
PARK (1,466 acres) (1,431 acres . . . Harnik)
Aline McAshan Botanical Hall
& Houston Arboretum; Golf Course; Softball, Baseball
& Football Fields; Tennis Courts;
Swimming Pool; Backstops; Hiking; Jogging; Biking;
Playground;
Picnic Area
Historic
landmark
SUNNYSIDE
(285 acres)
Pool,
Backstops
Playground,
Picnic Area, Softball & Baseball Field
5.
(630
city-owned parks covering 10,252 acres)
Philadelphia Fairmount Park Commission 8,900 acres
Philadelphia Department of Recreation 1,464 acres . . . Harnik
(Parkways
cover 372.44 acres)
Located on
the west bank of the
Street & from the Penn Central Railroad to the river.
John Bartram,
botanist, laid out & developed the land about 1730. His
house, barn & stables were
restored by the Fairmount Park Commission in 1925. The house
is furnished & open to
the public.
Baseball
& football fields, an outdoor basketball court, tennis courts, fireplaces,
& a
picnic area occupy most of the open space.
Located in
northeast
Fillmore
Street & Cottman Avenue extending to
on the site has been converted into a museum & a
library. Softball fields, picnic area,
fireplaces, a shelter, a golf-driving range, & a
miniature golf concession occupy the
grounds.
Located in
extends into