East Rock Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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East Rock Park
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by State, Davis, Livingston Sts., Park and Mitchell Drs., and Whitney Ave., New Haven, Connecticut |
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| Area | 427 acres (173 ha) |
| Architect | Mitchell, Donald Grant; Olmsted Brothers, et al. |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000299 |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1997 |
East Rock Park is a really cool park located in New Haven and Hamden, Connecticut. It's managed by the city of New Haven. The park is built around a big, rocky hill called East Rock. It's designed to look very natural and beautiful. The whole park, which is about 427 acres (that's like 320 football fields!), is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place with a lot of history!
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Exploring East Rock Park
East Rock Park is a super popular spot for outdoor fun for people living in and visiting the New Haven area. From the top of the cliffs, you can see amazing views of New Haven, Long Island Sound, and even Long Island.
The park is open all year for people who want to hike or walk. You can drive your car up the road during certain times of the year. From April 15 to November 1, the road is open from 8 a.m. until sunset. From November 1 to March 31, it's open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., if the weather is good.
Fun Activities at the Park
You can do many fun things in the park, like:
- Hiking
- Snowshoeing
- Cross-country skiing
- Picnicking
- Bicycling (on roads and special mountain bike trails)
- Boating (on the Mill River)
- Bird watching
- Dog walking
Some activities are not allowed, like rock climbing or swimming.
Trails and Sports Fields
Many hiking trails go up the hill. The Giant Steps Trail is a famous one that goes almost straight up to the top from the south side. At the bottom of the mountain, you'll find lots of sports fields. There are fields for football, baseball, and soccer. You can also find tennis courts, basketball courts, and playgrounds.
Learning and Nature
The Trowbridge Environmental Center is a great place to learn about East Rock. It's open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They also have public programs at least one Saturday a month. You can see displays and get information about the park's geology (how the rocks were formed) and its ecosystem (all the living things and their environment).
The Pardee Rose Garden and Greenhouse is another beautiful spot. It has many different kinds of roses and other pretty flowers. You can see them from spring to fall. It's a very popular place for people to take wedding pictures!
Park Design and Community Help
The park's design was created by Donald Grant Mitchell and the Olmsted Brothers. They were famous for designing parks. There's a covered bridge in the park named after A. Frederick Oberlin, who was a local hero from the First World War.
The Friends of East Rock Park is a group that started in 1982. They help take care of the park. They organize fun events and volunteer days to keep the park clean and beautiful for everyone.
Historic Treasures of East Rock Park
East Rock Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place. The listing includes several historic parts of the park. These are called "contributing elements" because they add to the park's history.
Here are some of the historic parts of East Rock Park:
- English Gate: Built around 1890, this gate is on View Street and is made with a type of rock called trap rock.
- Pardee Rose Garden: This beautiful garden was created in 1922 and is on State Street.
- Bishop Gate: Also built around 1890, this gate is on State Street and also uses trap rock.
- Director's Residence: A house built around 1900.
- Sheep Barn: A large building from around 1900, built in the Colonial and Shingle styles.
- Queen Anne Barn: Another barn built around 1900.
- Greenhouses: These were built in the 1920s.
- Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument: This is a tall monument, 122 feet high, built in 1887 at the very top of the hill.
- Whitney Gate: Built around 1890 on Whitney Avenue, made with brownstone.
- Walls: Historic walls built around 1900.
- East Rock Road Bridge: A steel arch bridge built in the 1940s.
There is also a historic storage shed and some other buildings that are not considered historic.
Images for kids
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Pardee Rose Garden
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Greenhouses and Learning center at Pardee Rose Gardens
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Annual cycling race
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The stairs to the top of East Rock
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The paved hiking road to the top of East Rock
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View the city and harbor
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The historic walls on the roadway to the Summit
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Whitney Gate
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Frisbee players at Rice Field. The Frisbee was invented in New Haven
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Canoeing down the Mill River
