Fontenelle Park facts for kids

Fontenelle Park is a large public park in North Omaha, Nebraska. It covers about 108 acres (which is roughly 80 football fields!). You can find it at 4575 Ames Avenue, right where Fontenelle Boulevard crosses. For many years, this park has been a popular spot for people to relax, play sports, and enjoy nature. It even made news in the 1940s as a possible home for a professional baseball team!

Discover Fontenelle Park in Omaha

The Park's Early Days

The land for Fontenelle Park was bought way back in 1893. This was part of a big plan for Omaha to create many parks and tree-lined streets, designed by a famous planner named Horace Cleveland. Fontenelle Boulevard was also part of this grand idea.

At first, some people in the city weren't happy. They thought the park was too far away from downtown Omaha. Also, there wasn't enough money to build everything right away. So, for about ten years, the park mostly stayed as open prairie grass. But as Omaha grew and more people moved northwest, there was a greater need for a nice park.

By 1911, things started to change. The park's land was leveled, roads were built, and a golf course was created. Just five years later, in 1916, Fontenelle Park became one of the most loved and used parks in the whole city!

Big Events and Baseball Dreams

Fontenelle Park has hosted some exciting events over the years. In 1939, Omaha welcomed the American Legion World Series to the park. This is a big baseball championship for young players. A local team, Creighton Prep, won the championship right there at Fontenelle Park, beating a team from Illinois!

Later, in 1947, a man named John Rosenblatt thought Fontenelle Park would be a great spot for Omaha's new professional minor league baseball team. However, people living nearby didn't want a big stadium in their neighborhood. So, the city had to find another location. The stadium was eventually built in Deer Park and was later named Rosenblatt Stadium to honor John Rosenblatt. It became famous for hosting the Omaha Royals baseball team.

In 1998, Fontenelle Park got a big makeover. The park's pond (called a lagoon) was fixed up, a new playground was added, and the sports fields were improved. They also put in better walking paths and completely renovated the park building.

Fun Things to Do at Fontenelle Park Today

Today, Fontenelle Park is still a very popular place. It has a beautiful lagoon where you might see ducks. There's also a fun playground for kids and long, winding paths perfect for walking, jogging, or biking.

If you love sports, Fontenelle Park has plenty to offer! You'll find two basketball courts, four tennis courts, and two football fields. There's also a nine-hole golf course, which is one of the oldest in the Omaha area. The golf course has rolling hills and a wide valley, with many maple and pine trees around its edges. A large pond filled with ducks sits in the middle of the course.

The Omaha North High School Vikings baseball team recently helped fix up the baseball fields. Now, these fields are very popular because they are so neat and well-maintained. The park pavilion (a covered building) is now home to the Joe Edmondson YMCA, offering even more activities for the community.