Durand Eastman Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Durand Eastman Park |
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| Type | Regional park |
| Location | Rochester and Irondequoit, Monroe County, New York |
| Nearest city | Rochester, New York |
| Area | 977 acres (3.95 km2) |
| Created | 1909 |
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Durand Eastman Park is a large park covering about 977-acre (3.95 km2). It's located partly in Rochester and partly in Irondequoit, New York. The Monroe County Parks Department helps manage this park. It's a popular spot for outdoor activities and enjoying nature.
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What's the Park Like?
This big park has several lakes inside it. The two largest lakes are called Durand Lake and Eastman Lake. The park also has a long shoreline along Lake Ontario. This part of the park stretches for about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) along the lake.
Most of the park that people use often is within Rochester. The quieter, more remote areas are part of Irondequoit. The park is almost completely surrounded by Irondequoit. It connects to Rochester through a special land agreement.
How Did Durand Eastman Park Start?
The park began thanks to two friends, Dr. Henry S. Durand and George Eastman. Dr. Durand owned a summer camp in Irondequoit. Both men believed the area needed a public park for everyone to enjoy.
To make this happen, they bought several farms near Dr. Durand's property. On January 28, 1907, they offered their land to the city of Rochester. They wanted it to be "a public park forever." This gift gave people access to nearly a mile of public beach and land along Lake Ontario. One year later, the land officially became the city's property.
Durand-Eastman Park was officially opened on May 22, 1909. The beach at Durand-Eastman used to be much wider than it is today. In 1915, buildings for changing clothes (bath houses) were built on the lakeshore. However, rising water levels made them unusable by 1949. These buildings were later taken down.
The park once had a zoo! It was home to many animals like buffalo, elk, deer, and goats. The zoo opened in 1912 with money from Alexander Lamberton. He was in charge of the parks at the time. The zoo closed in 1962.
In 1961, the City of Rochester made an agreement with Monroe County. This agreement was for 99 years. It said the county would take care of and manage Durand-Eastman Park. This agreement was changed a bit in 1975. It is still the reason why Durand-Eastman is a county park today.
In 2001, the City of Rochester sold about 90.9 acres (36.8 ha) of land. This land was along the western edge of Durand-Eastman Park. It was known as Camp Eastman. The Town of Irondequoit bought this land. The city is still in charge of maintaining the park's beach.
What Animals and Plants Live Here?
Durand-Eastman Park has many different kinds of trees and wildflowers. A report from 1937 said the park had 395 types of trees, shrubs, and plants. These included both local and foreign kinds. The park's Slavin Arboretum has a very impressive collection of trees.
You can often spot many animals in the park. Some common animals include deer, raccoons, groundhogs, eastern gray squirrels, turkeys, and chipmunks.
What Can You Do at the Park?
The park has a municipal golf course. It started as a 9-hole course in 1917. A famous golf course designer, Robert Trent Jones, redesigned it in 1933. Now, it has 18 holes and a club house.
There are also many hiking trails for you to explore. For the first time in forty years, swimming was allowed at the park's Lake Ontario beach in 2006. In May 2007, the beach opened for its second straight season. The swimming area was even a bit larger, extending an extra 25 yards (23 m) to the west. Lifeguards, park staff, and security personnel are on duty at the beach.
