Alvarado Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alvarado Park |
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Looking northeast from "Inspiration Point" in Tilden, March 2006
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| Location | Richmond, California (Richmond View) |
| Area | 42.5-acre (17.2 ha) |
| Created | 1909 |
| Operated by | East Bay Regional Park District |
| Architectural style | Rustic Park |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000313 |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1992 |
Alvarado Park is a special part of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park in Richmond, California. It used to be called Grand Canyon Park. This park is so important that it is listed as a National Historic Place. You can find it at the start of Wildcat Canyon.
From 1909 to 1923, Alvarado Park was a private park. Local people owned and took care of it. In 1923, they gave the park to the city of Richmond. Later, it became part of the East Bay Regional Park District.
Discovering Alvarado Park's Past
Alvarado Park has a very long history. For thousands of years, it was home to the Ohlone people. A group called the Huichun band lived here. About 250 people lived at this site. They called this place home for 5,000 to 7,000 years!
How the Park Grew
In 1985, Alvarado Park became part of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. This made it a historic district. This means the area is protected because of its important past.
In its early days, getting to Alvarado Park was easy. It had its own streetcar line! This streetcar was part of the Key System. But over time, the streetcar service stopped.
Park Improvements and Features
The park district has made many improvements to Alvarado Park. They added a new play area for kids. Some parking areas were changed into beautiful meadows. Old, broken-down buildings were removed.
The park was also once home to a health center. It was called the Grande Vista Sanitarium. Later, it was known as Belgum Sanitarium. The buildings are gone now, but you can still see their foundations. There's also an old orchard nearby.
Alvarado Park is famous for its stone work. You can see strong stone walls and classic stone lampposts. These lampposts are no longer lit, but they add to the park's charm. A beautiful stone bridge crosses Wildcat Creek at the park's main entrance.
The park district is working to help Wildcat Creek. They want to make the river more natural. This will help fish populations grow and return to the creek. The park also used to have a large dance hall. It was an open-air pavilion. Later, it became a roller skating rink. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire.
See also
In Spanish: Parque Alvarado para niños
