Crotona Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crotona Park |
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| Location | South Bronx, New York |
| Area | 127.5 acres (51.6 ha) |
| Created | 1888 |
| Operated by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Open | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Status | open |
| Public transit access | New York City Subway: 174th Street (  trains)New York City Bus: Bx11, Bx15, Bx17, Bx19, Bx21, Bx36 local buses |
Crotona Park is a big public park in the South Bronx area of New York City. It covers about 127.5 acres (51.6 hectares) of land. The park is surrounded by streets that share its name. It's also next to the Crotona Park East and Morrisania neighborhoods. The park is split into four parts by Claremont Parkway and Crotona Avenue, which run through it.
Crotona Park used to be owned by the Bathgate family, who were important landowners in the South Bronx. It became a park in 1888 thanks to the New Parks Act. This act helped create a network of parks and parkways across the Bronx. The famous Crotona Play Center, with its large swimming pool, was added in 1936.
The park was once larger, but a part of it was separated in 1945 by the Cross Bronx Expressway. This smaller section is now called Walter Gladwin Park. After some years of needing repairs in the late 1900s, many projects started in the 1990s to make the park better.
Crotona Park has a 3.3-acre (1.3-hectare) lake, called Indian Lake. It also has many fun places like a swimming pool, sports fields, and playgrounds. The Crotona Play Center is a very special building. It is recognized as a historic landmark by both national and city groups. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as NYC Parks, takes care of the park.
Contents
Exploring Crotona Park's Past
How Crotona Park Was Created
In the 1870s, a landscape architect named Frederick Law Olmsted had an idea. He wanted to create a "greenbelt" in the Bronx. This would be a system of parks and parkways that fit the natural land. This was different from Manhattan's grid system, which led to Central Park with its mostly man-made features. However, the city did not use his plan at that time.
Around the same time, a newspaper editor named John Mullaly pushed for new parks in New York City. He started the New York Park Association in 1881. Some people worried that the parks would be too far from Manhattan. They also thought the land should be used for building. But many newspapers and important people supported the idea. They helped pass a bill into law in 1884. This law, called the New Parks Act, allowed the park system to be created.
Crotona Park was acquired in 1888 because of this new law. It was built on land that used to belong to the Bathgate family. This land was known as Bathgate Woods. It was a high area with trees and a pond called Indian Lake. The Bathgate family let people use the area near Indian Lake for picnics.
The Bronx Department of Parks said this land was perfect for a park. It had many trees like oaks, elms, and magnolias. It was also close to train lines. Because the city was growing fast, Bathgate Farm became one of the few green spaces left in the Bronx.
The park was first going to be called Bathgate Park. But because of disagreements with the Bathgate family, it was named "Crotona." This name came from an ancient Greek city called Crotone. It also helped avoid confusion with the nearby Croton Aqueduct water system. A northern part of the park was once called Old Borough Hall Park. This was because the Bronx Borough Hall was located there.
Early Improvements to the Park
Crotona Park did not get many upgrades until the 1900s. In the early 1900s, the area around Indian Lake was paved. A snack stand and a warming hut were added for ice skaters. The park also got new landscaping and a grandstand for concerts and ball games. In 1903, 300 American elms were planted around the lake.
Two years later, an athletic field was built for the New York City Department of Education. In 1909, there was a plan to build a military building in the park. But the public strongly disagreed with this idea. Even though the state government passed the plan, the mayor stopped it.
Crotona Park grew bigger with more land bought in 1907 and 1911. Extra tennis courts were added in 1915. In 1914, a concrete wall was built around the lake. Lamps and paths were also installed. A "farm garden" was added in 1928 to teach children about farming.
By 1911, people living nearby complained about the noise from sports and concerts. They wanted the athletic field moved further into the park. In 1916, some landowners even sued. They said the field and bandstand were "nuisances" that made it hard to sell their homes.
Big Changes During the Great Depression
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In 1934, Fiorello H. La Guardia became mayor. He chose Robert Moses to lead the city's parks department. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people were out of work. Moses quickly made a plan to create jobs by starting many park projects.
Moses was very interested in building new swimming pools. He planned to build 23 pools across the city, including one at Crotona Park. These pools would be built with money from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a government program created to help people find jobs during the Depression.
Eleven of these pools were designed at the same time and opened in 1936. Moses and architects Aymar Embury II and Gilmore David Clarke created a similar design for all these pools. Each place would have separate pools for diving, swimming, and wading. They would also have seating areas and bathhouses with locker rooms.
The pools were designed to be at least 55 yards (50 meters) long. They would have underwater lights, heating, and water filters. They also used cheap building materials. The buildings combined Streamline Moderne and Classical styles. They were also built near restrooms, playgrounds, and improved landscapes.
Plans for new tennis courts, a playground, and more sports fields at Crotona Park were announced in 1934. Construction for the pool began that October. Crotona Park was the only place in the Bronx to get a WPA pool. A wading pool was already open by mid-1935.
The Crotona Pool opened on July 25, 1936, with a crowd of 5,000 people. The main swimming pool was 330 by 125 feet (101 by 38 meters). It also had a bathhouse and the wading pool.
In 1938, more improvements were planned for the parks with new pools. About $2.87 million was set aside for Crotona Park. This included fixing sidewalks around the park. NYC Parks also started rebuilding baseball and softball fields. In the 1940s, a brick boathouse was built by the lake. In 1941, NYC Parks announced that these improvements were finished. Seven new playgrounds were added, and three others were rebuilt. A children's farm and two restrooms were also built.
Between 1934 and the 1960s, NYC Parks added the pool, bathhouse, five baseball fields, nine playgrounds, twenty tennis courts, and more.
Challenges and Comebacks
Crotona Park was once 155 acres (63 hectares) big. When the Cross Bronx Expressway was built in 1945, the northern part of the park was cut off. This section is now called Walter Gladwin Park.
By the 1950s, the park faced some challenges. There were reports of problems in the park.
In the 1970s, Crotona Park and other city parks were not in good condition. This was after a financial crisis in New York City in 1975. NYC Parks planned to fix the pools in several parks in 1977, including Crotona Park. But these projects didn't happen due to a lack of money.
By 1981, NYC Parks had far fewer employees than before. In 1982, the park budget grew a lot. This allowed $76 million worth of repairs to happen. The Crotona Park pool was one of these projects. Work started in early 1983, and the pool complex was closed for two summers. It reopened on August 2, 1984.
Other parts of the park were also improved. The lake and boathouse were fixed. Benches were replaced, and paths were repaved. In 1983, a volunteer ranger program started to help take care of the park. The nature rangers used the old boathouse in 1984.
Important people also visited the park. Three U.S. presidential candidates, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, came to the park. Pope John Paul II held a mass there in 1979. These visits helped show that Crotona Park was an important green space in the South Bronx.
Modern Day Improvements
In the 1990s, there was a strong effort to make Crotona Park even better. In 1996, a group called the Friends of Crotona Park was formed. Two smaller pools next to the main pool were filled in. The diving pool was filled in 1995. The rectangular wading pool was changed to a hexagon shape in the 1980s, then filled in by 1996. In 1999, a fund gave $1.1 million to help fix five city parks, including Crotona Park.
The park's nature center reopened in May 2001. A plan was made to restore and manage the park. This plan aimed to make Crotona Park a green space that connects nearby communities. In 2009, the lake was restored, and a new outdoor stage was opened.
In 2014, a renovation of the nature center was approved. The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened near Indian Lake in 2015. It has a new two-story building and twenty fixed tennis courts. NYC Parks also released a master plan for Crotona and Tremont Parks in 2015. This plan suggested building a cafe, a dog park, and a skate park in Crotona Park. It also aimed to create better connections between the parks.
The boathouse was restored in 2016. A renovation of the entrance to the Crotona Play Area was also announced. The lights on top of the main entrance towers were fixed in 2020. In 2021, NYC Parks suggested rebuilding the roof of the Crotona Park bathhouse.
What You Can Find at Crotona Park
Crotona Park is bordered by Crotona Park West, Crotona Park North, Crotona Park East, and Crotona Park South. It is divided into four sections by Claremont Parkway and Crotona Avenue. The park serves several neighborhoods, including Claremont, Belmont, Tremont, West Farms, Crotona Park East, and Morrisania. Because it's in the middle of these areas, Crotona Park is sometimes called the "Central Park of the South Bronx."
Crotona Park has 28 different types of trees. It also has the Crotona Pool, which is the biggest pool in the Bronx. Many paved paths cross the park, connecting all its different features.
Fun Places to Play and Learn
Playgrounds for All Ages
Crotona Park has twelve playgrounds for kids to enjoy:
- Bathgate Playground, in the northwest part of the park. It's named after the Bathgate family.
- Boxcar Playground, in the eastern part of the park.
- Carter Playground, also in the eastern part. It was named for U.S. president Jimmy Carter in 1998.
- Clinton Playground, in the southwest part. It's named for governor DeWitt Clinton.
- Hill & Dale Playground, in the eastern part.
- Martin Van Buren Playground, in the southeast part. It's named for U.S. president Martin Van Buren.
- Playground of the Stars, in the southwest part. It's named after four star groups carved near a fountain.
- Playground 1, in the northern part.
- Playground 3, in the northeast part.
- Playground 4, in the northeast part.
- Playground 11, in the northwest part.
- Prospect Park, in the northeast part.
Sports Fields and Courts
Crotona Park has many sports fields. Inside the recreation center, there's an indoor basketball court, a gymnasium, and a community center. Outside, you can find many basketball courts, handball courts, soccer fields, and baseball fields all over the park.
Near the southern side of Indian Lake, there's a baseball field, two basketball courts, and four handball courts. The northeast part of the park has two more basketball courts, eight handball courts, and a soccer field. On the northern side of the lake, there are two baseball fields and a basketball court. You'll also find the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning there, with twenty tennis courts.
Across Claremont Avenue to the west is the Crotona Play Center. It has two baseball fields, a basketball court, and two handball courts. There's another basketball court at the northwest corner of Crotona Park South and Claremont Parkway. A baseball field is at the northeast corner of the same intersection.
In total, the park has six baseball fields, seven basketball courts, one soccer field, twenty tennis courts, and fourteen handball courts. The outdoor fields are free to use. Some indoor activities might need a membership.
Hylan Park: A Quiet Spot
Hylan Park is a 15-acre (6.1-hectare) sitting area at the northeast corner of Crotona Park. It's named after mayor John Francis Hylan. It's a nice place to relax.
Walter Gladwin Park: A Neighboring Green Space
Walter Gladwin Park is a 15-acre (6.1-hectare) park just north of Crotona Park. It's separated by the Cross Bronx Expressway. It's named after Walter Gladwin, who was the first Black person elected to government office in The Bronx. This area has had different names over time. Before, it was part of Crotona Park.
The park has steps that lead to where the old Bronx Borough Hall used to be. It also has circular paths around a former fountain. Walter Gladwin Park was updated in 1995. It now has basketball courts, a baseball field, playgrounds, and chess tables.
Natural Wonders of Crotona Park
Crotona Park is on a high point in the Bronx. On clear days, you might be able to see the Hudson River Palisades to the west and the Brooklyn Bridge to the south from certain spots in the park.
Indian Lake and Nature Center
Crotona Park has a 3-acre (1.2-hectare) pond called Indian Lake. The name supposedly comes from a story about 19th-century youths. They imagined Weckguasgeeck Indians sitting around the lake. The pond is also often called Crotona Lake.
An outdoor stage is at the southern side of the lake. Next to it is a stone bridge that crosses a small inlet. The lake is home to ducks, turtles, and fish. The area around the lake has many native plants like tulip trees, black cherry trees, hickory trees, sassafras trees, and sweetgum trees. In 2015, the lake had some issues with too much algae and litter.
Next to the eastern side of the lake is a nature center. This brick building opened in 2001 and used to be a boathouse. The boathouse was built in the 1920s or 1940s, replacing an older wooden one. The nature center offers outdoor activities like nature walks, identifying plants and animals, and summer camps.
Crotona Play Center: A Historic Pool Complex
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Crotona Play Center
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Crotona Play Center
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1700 Fulton Ave, Bronx, New York |
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| Area | 9.32 acres (3.77 ha) |
| Built | 1934 – 1936 |
| Architect | Herbert D. Magoon; Aymar Embury II; Gilmore David Clarke |
| Architectural style | Art Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000177 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 2015 |
The Crotona Play Center is in the northwest part of Crotona Park. It's the only swimming pool complex built by the Works Progress Administration in the Bronx. You can enter it from Fulton Avenue and 173rd Street. The play center covers about 9.32 acres (3.77 hectares). It includes a bathhouse that separates the main pool from where the wading pool used to be. The bathhouse has locker rooms that are mirror images of each other.
The complex was designed by Embury, Clarke, and Herbert D. Magoon. Their design mixes Art Moderne and Modern Classical styles. The main buildings have cool sculptures by Frederick Roth. These include ibis birds on top of columns and carvings in the sitting areas by the pool.
On June 26, 2007, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission made the Crotona Play Center an official city landmark. This means it's a very important historic building. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 2015.
The Bathhouse Building
The main entrance has a large arched brick gateway with towers. These towers have glass-block skylights with lanterns inside. Bronze letters above the arch spell out "CROTONA PLAY CENTER." A stone at the base of the north tower says "A.D. 1936."
At the top of the stairs is a brick courtyard. This courtyard is surrounded by a two-story building with a balcony. Inside the entrance area, there used to be booths that sold tickets for the bathhouse. Now, the bathhouse is free to use, so the booths are closed. A walkway connects the courtyard building to a brick first-aid station.
To the east of the courtyard is a rectangular building with two similar sections. The northern section holds the men's locker room, and the southern section holds the women's locker room. The building has a brick outside with cool patterns and stone details.
Inside, the locker room roofs are supported by arched concrete supports. The bottom part of each wall is tiled, and the rest is plastered. The locker rooms have lockers on their north and south walls. They are almost identical, except for where some windows are placed. In the fall, winter, and spring, these locker rooms are used as gym facilities. East of the locker rooms are restrooms and showers for both genders.
The Swimming Pool Area
The complex has a large main pool. It used to have smaller diving and wading pools too. The main pool is south of the bathhouse. It measures 330 by 125 feet (101 by 38 meters) and is about 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep. South of the main pool was a semicircular diving pool. Since 2014, this area has spray fountains.
A ramp provides an entrance to the pool from Fulton Avenue. Concrete bleachers (seats) are along the western side of the pool area. These seats are next to a wall that separates the pool from Fulton Avenue. The eastern side of the pool area has twelve sitting areas with benches built into the wall. A small building for the water filters is east of the main pool.
The area where the wading pool used to be is now part of Bathgate Playground. It's north of the bathhouse and surrounded by a wall. The wading pool was once semicircular, then changed to a hexagon in the 1980s. It was filled in by 1996. Now, this spot has playground equipment like swings and benches.
Special Events at Crotona Park
From 1996 to 2012, Crotona Park hosted the EmblemHealth Bronx Open. This was a big International Tennis Federation tournament for women. Top 100 players often played here to get ready for the US Open the next week. The Bronx Open also hosted a national junior doubles championship for boys and girls aged 14–16. Money from the tournament helped support New York Junior Tennis and Learning. The Bronx Open returned in 2019 as a WTA International tournament, still held at the park.
See also
In Spanish: Parque Crotona para niños
- Art Deco architecture of New York City
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the Bronx
Images for kids
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An early photo of Indian Lake.
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Nature center during renovations.
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Stone bridge and amphitheater at the south end of Indian Lake.
