Forest Park (Springfield, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forest Park |
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Laurel Hill and Aquatic Gardens
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| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts in Massachusetts, United States |
| Area | 736 acres (2.98 km2) |
| Created | 1884 |
| Operated by | Springfield Parks Department |
Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, is one of the biggest city parks in the United States. It covers about 735 acres of land. The park looks out over the Connecticut River.
A famous landscape architect named Frederick Law Olmsted designed Forest Park. It has a zoo, beautiful water gardens, and an outdoor stage. You'll also find winding trails through the woods and amazing wide-open views. Forest Park was home to America's first public swimming pool. Today, during the holidays, the park lights up with a popular display called Bright Nights.
Park History
In 1884, a man from Springfield named Orick H. Greenleaf offered 65 acres of land. He wanted to create a park called Forest Park. Soon after, a rich person named Everett Hosmer Barney gave about 178 more acres. Barney became wealthy by making weapons during the American Civil War. Later, he became a successful businessman. He even invented ice skates that clamped onto shoes and rollerskates.
In 1890, Barney built a fancy, two-and-a-half-story Victorian house. It was on a hill at the west end of his land. From there, he had a great view of the Connecticut River and downtown Springfield. His large carriage house is still there today. It is now a restaurant and banquet hall in Forest Park.
To make Forest Park even bigger, Greenleaf and Barney asked their wealthy friends to donate land. This helped create the 735-acre park we know today. Both men became part of the park's board. At first, much of this land was in the nearby town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Longmeadow later gave full control of Forest Park to the City of Springfield.
Building Interstate 91
Barney's mansion was used for park events until the mid-1950s. Then, about 50 acres of the park were used to build Interstate 91. This included 15 acres from Barney's old property. Barney's house was on top of a hill. The highway construction might have damaged its foundation, so it was torn down.
Building Interstate 91 also cut off Forest Park from the Connecticut River. Some of the mansion's stained glass windows were moved to a house in Palmer, Massachusetts. Barney's son's tomb and the carriage house still remain. You can also find parts of the beautiful gardens Barney planted around 1900.
Fun Attractions
Forest Park has many cool things to see and do all year long.
- The Forest Park Zoo has big cats, monkeys, birds, and other animals.
- There are several playgrounds for kids to enjoy.
- You can visit Porter Lake or go ice skating at Cyr Arena.
- The park has baseball fields and a grandstand.
- You can also find a rose garden, bocce courts, and lawn bowling.
- There are basketball and tennis courts.
- The aquatic garden is designed in an Asian style.
- You can play beach volleyball or have a picnic in the wooded areas.
- America's first public swimming pool opened here in 1899.
- There are ponds with different kinds of waterfowl.
- You can see an exhibit of ancient dinosaur tracks.
- An eternal flame burns 24 hours a day to honor President John F. Kennedy.
More than half of the south side of Forest Park is a rugged valley called Pecousic Brook. This area has been kept mostly natural. It has many walking trails and some pretty bridges. One popular trail is the Meadowbrook Ravine Trail. You can find a map of the trails online.
The park is also home to many kinds of birds and other wildlife.
At the Route 5 entrance, there's a statue made by Peter Wolf Toth. It's part of his Trail of the Whispering Giants project. This statue represents Omiskanoagwiak.
A statue of a golden retriever, called Stone Dog II, stands between the biggest playground and the zoo. It looks almost exactly like an older statue called Stone Dog. The original Stone Dog disappeared from the park in 1987. The first statue was from the late 1800s.
Since 1970, the Environmental Center for Our Schools (ECOS) has been in Forest Park. It takes all Springfield public school students from fourth to seventh grade on a two-day learning trip. They learn about the environment in the park.
Camp STAR
During the summer, Camp STAR/Angelina is a special camp for kids of all abilities. It's for children aged 3 to 22 years old. The camp helps kids with different needs, like learning disabilities or hearing problems. Camp STAR/Angelina is a 6-week summer program. It's located near Forest Park. Activities include swimming, sports, games, crafts, and field trips.
Bright Nights
Bright Nights at Forest Park is a very popular event during the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. It's a huge light show with lights that change color and move to music. Trees and sculptures are decorated to look like different scenes and characters. Many of these are from the books of Springfield native Dr. Seuss. Some scenes are animated, while others are just pretty decorations. One of the most detailed displays is a copy of Everett Barney's mansion. People drive their cars slowly through the park for about 2 miles to see all the lights. Bright Nights changes and gets even better every year.
