Eisenhower Park facts for kids
Eisenhower Park is a very large public park in East Meadow, New York. It used to be known as Salisbury Park. The park is bordered by Hempstead Turnpike on the south and Old Country Road on the north.
At about 930 acres (3.8 km2), Eisenhower Park is even bigger than Central Park in New York City! A lot of the park's space is used for three 18-hole golf courses. One of these, the Red Course, has hosted big golf tournaments. The park is also home to a special memorial for the victims of the September 11 attacks from Nassau County.
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Park History
Eisenhower Park became part of the county park system in 1944. It offers many sports and family activities. It also has some of the best facilities in Nassau County and hosts fun events in the summer.
From Golf Club to Public Park
In the early 1900s, the park area was a private place called the Salisbury Country Club. It had five 18-hole golf courses. In 1926, it hosted a major golf tournament called the PGA Championship. A famous golfer named Walter Hagen won this championship on what is now the Red Course.
During the Great Depression, the club couldn't pay its taxes. So, the county took over the property. The county then bought even more land nearby. In 1944, Salisbury Park was created. The idea was to make a park that would be as important to Nassau County as Central Park is to New York City. Salisbury Park was officially opened in October 1949.
Renaming the Park
On October 13, 1969, Salisbury Park was renamed. It became the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Park. This ceremony honored the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had passed away earlier that year. His grandson, Dwight D. Eisenhower II, and his wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, attended the event.
The 9/11 Memorial
On March 11, 2004, President George W. Bush visited Eisenhower Park. He was there for the start of building a new memorial. This memorial was for the people who died in the attacks on September 11, 2001.
The memorial officially opened on September 9, 2007. It features two 30-foot (9 m) tall, shiny stainless-steel towers. They look like the towers of the World Trade Center. These towers stand next to a fountain by the park's lake.
On the grass nearby, there are two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center wreckage. They are surrounded by a colorful flower garden. A long stone wall lists the names of the 344 Nassau County residents who died on September 11, 2001.
A plaque nearby honors those killed in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. It says that "the events that transpired that day ultimately changed the lives of all Americans." Many people helped build this memorial. Over 500 union members from Long Island volunteered their time and materials.
Fun Activities in the Park
Eisenhower Park offers many ways to have fun and stay active!
Sports and Athletics
The park has excellent facilities for many sports:
- A batting cage with nine areas for different pitching speeds.
- 14 softball fields.
- 3 baseball fields.
- 3 football fields.
- 4 soccer fields.
- 16 lighted tennis courts.
- A 50 m (55 yd) Aquatic Center swimming pool.
Entertainment and Shows
The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is an outdoor theater. It hosts many entertainment events during the summer. You can watch concerts and movies there. The theater is named after the late folk rock singer, Harry Chapin. He was on his way to a free concert in the park when he died in 1981. The theater was renamed in his honor that same year.
Carltun on the Park is a restaurant located in a building that used to be a country club. It offers a restaurant, a bar, and spaces for events and meetings.
Golfing Fun
The park has three 18-hole golf courses that anyone can use: the Blue, Red, and White courses. The Red Course was part of the original Salisbury Golf Club. It was designed in 1914 by Devereux Emmet. This course used to host the annual Commerce Bank Championship until 2008. It was also where Walter Hagen won the PGA Championship in 1926.
Next to the courses, there's a driving range with over 100 spots. You can even practice at night during certain seasons. For a different kind of golf, there are also two lighted 18-hole miniature golf courses.
Swimming and Fitness
The Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park is one of the best swimming places in the U.S. It was built in 1998 for the Goodwill Games, a big international sports event. Today, it hosts major swimming competitions and is open to the public every day.
Inside the Aquatic Center, there's a modern Health Club. It has exercise machines like treadmills, bikes, and stair machines. It also has free weights and other weight machines.
Hockey Practice
Northwell Health Ice Center is the practice facility for the New York Islanders, a professional hockey team. It has been their practice home since 2015. Before that, it was known as Twin Rinks when it was built in 2014.
