kids encyclopedia robot

Battelle Riverfront Park facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Battelle Riverfront Park
Columbus Scioto Mile 05.jpg
Administered by Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Public transit access Bus transport Add→ 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12
Bike transport CoGo

Battelle Riverfront Park is a cool park in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It's about 4 acres big and is located right near Columbus City Hall. The park first opened in 1983. It got its name from Gordon Battelle and was built with money from the Battelle Memorial Institute.

What Can You See at the Park?

Battelle Riverfront Park is home to many interesting things. You can find the James W. Barney Pickaweekee Story Grove here. This special area used to be in another children's park.

Monuments and Sculptures

The park also has several monuments and memorials. These include:

  • The Columbus Firefighters Memorial, which honors brave firefighters.
  • The Spanish–American War Memorial.
  • A sculpture called Their Spirits Circle the Earth.
  • Another sculpture named To Honor the Immigrants.
  • You can also see Freedom, a sculpture by Alfred Tibor.

Some of these monuments were moved to Battelle Riverfront Park in 2016. They came from another park called Harry E. Richter Workers Memorial Park. That park was later replaced by the Michael B. Coleman Government Center.

The Santa María Ship Replica

For many years, a replica of Christopher Columbus's ship, the Santa María, was docked near the park. It arrived in 1991. This was part of Columbus's 500th anniversary celebration of Columbus's voyage.

The ship was meant to attract visitors to the riverfront. However, over time, fewer people came to see it. The group that managed the ship closed down in 2011. The city then took over the ship.

It would have cost a lot of money, about $5-6 million, to fix the ship. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency has rules that mean the ship cannot go back on the Scioto River. So, the replica was taken apart and moved in 2014. It is now stored in ten pieces in a city lot.

Gallery

  • Columbus, Ohio (2018) - 035

    Park sign

  • Columbus, Ohio - Highsmith 12

    Statues in the James W. Barney Pickaweekee Story Grove

  • Columbus riverfront

    The park and the Santa Maria Ship & Museum in 2008

  • Santa Maria - 2772222245

    Santa María replica, 2008

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Battelle Riverfront Park Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.