Gene C. Reid Park facts for kids

Gene C. Reid Park is a large 131-acre park in central Tucson, Arizona. It's a fun place with lots to do! You can find a big baseball stadium, an outdoor stage for shows, two man-made lakes, and public swimming pools. There's also a 24-acre zoo, playgrounds, pretty gardens, and picnic spots.

This park is part of a bigger 480-acre area. This whole area was started in 1925 and was first called Randolph Park. The larger complex also has two 18-hole golf courses, a tennis and racquetball center, and an indoor recreation building. A paved path, about 2 miles long, goes around the park. It connects to another 2.5 miles of paths around the Randolph golf and recreation centers.

Park History

Epes Randolph, an important person in the park's history

In 1925, the City of Tucson got 480 acres of land from the State of Arizona. The city wanted to create a park and a golf course. This large, L-shaped park was named after Epes Randolph. He was a well-known railroad leader and citizen of Tucson who passed away in 1921.

Later, in 1978, the western part of Randolph Park was renamed. It became Gene C. Reid Park. This was done to honor Gene C. Reid, who was Tucson's first parks director. He worked for over 30 years and helped Tucson's park system grow a lot. When he started, there were only 8 parks. By the time he retired, there were 84!

Gene Reid also added many important things to Randolph Park. He helped build the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center and the zoo. He also oversaw the creation of two lakes, which were used for irrigation. The zoo and the lakes are also named after him. The recreation center and golf complex still keep the Randolph name.

Sports and Performance Fun

Hi Corbett Field

Randolph Municipal Baseball Park first opened in 1928. A baseball stadium was built there in 1937. It was later named Hi Corbett Field. This stadium is named after Hiram Corbett. He helped bring the Cleveland Indians baseball team to Tucson for spring training. The Indians used Hi Corbett Field from 1945 to 1992.

From 1969 to 1997, the Triple-A Tucson Toros baseball team also played here. In 1993, the Colorado Rockies started using the stadium for spring training. They stayed until 2010. Since 2012, the stadium has been home to the University of Arizona Wildcats college team. In their first year at Hi Corbett, the Wildcats won the College World Series!

DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center

Music Under the Stars at DeMeester Center

The DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, or OPC, is on the west side of the park. It's a big grassy area like an amphitheater. There's a covered stage with lights and sound. This is where many events happen. You can see open-air concerts, festivals, plays, and even movie screenings. It can hold up to 7,000 people.

Gene Reid built a special stage here in 1964. It was for conductor Georges DeMeester's "Pops" orchestra. The stage was made from extra steel from Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The amphitheater's hills were made from dirt dug up from the University of Arizona. In 1974, the city replaced the first stage with the one you see today. The center was named after DeMeester in 1987.

A cool concrete sculpture was added to the stage in 1986. It's called "Celebrate The Arts." This large panel shows six performers: a dancer, actors with comedy and tragedy masks, a singer, a guitarist, and a wind musician.

Park Attractions

Reid Park Zoo

A colorful green aracari bird at Reid Park Zoo

The Reid Park Zoo started in 1965 with just two peacocks. Now, it's a 24-acre zoo owned by the city. It's also approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo is in the southeast corner of the park. It has more than 100 different kinds of animals and over 500 animals in total!

In 2012, the zoo added a big 7-acre area for African elephants. Their elephant family includes the first African elephant born in Arizona!

Rose Garden

The Reid Park Rose Garden was created in 1960. It has over 100 different types of roses. There are 800 individual rose plants! The flower beds spread out from a large gazebo in the middle of the garden.

Reid Park Lake and Barnum Hill

The park has two man-made lakes. Many different kinds of birds live here. The north lake is bigger, covering 2.2 acres. People used to go paddle-boating on it until 1998. That's when both lakes were cleaned out, and some islands were removed.

Water is pumped to the top of a hill between the lakes. From there, two man-made streams flow down. One stream goes back to the north lake with pretty waterfalls. The other stream winds down to the south lake, then continues to the north lake. In 1993, this hill was named Barnum Hill. It honors Willis E. Barnum Sr., a community leader connected to the park.

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center

The Adaptive Recreation Center has two swimming pools. One is an outdoor pool with shade. It's used for fitness classes, swimming laps, and open swim time. This pool also has a walking path and fun play features. It has a zero-depth entry, which means you can walk right into the shallow end. The other pool is indoors and has warm water for therapy.

Miko's Corner Playground Dog Park

This dog park is named after Miko, a Tucson Police Department police dog. Miko sadly lost his life while on duty. Miko's Corner Playground is a lighted, two-acre park where dogs can run without a leash. It has separate areas for large dogs and small dogs.

Emil Bossard Annex Fields

These fields are also called the Reid Park Annex. They are named after Emil Bossard. He was a longtime groundskeeper for the Cleveland Indians baseball team. After he retired, he moved to Tucson and became the groundskeeper for Hi Corbett Field and the Annex.

Horseshoe Pits

The park has twelve horseshoe pits. This is where the Tucson Horseshoe Pitchers' Club plays. You can find them on Lakeshore Way at 22nd Street, just south of the zoo.

Randolph Park

The recreation center, tennis center, and golf complex are not officially part of Gene C. Reid Park. However, the whole area was originally Randolph Park. So, many people in Tucson still call the entire complex by the Randolph name. Most residents were against the name change in 1978.

Randolph Golf Complex

The first golf course in Randolph Park was built in 1925. Now, Tucson City Golf manages it. Randolph has two 18-hole golf courses, a driving range, a pro shop, and a clubhouse. In 1996, what was known as Randolph South was rebuilt and renamed Dell Urich Golf Course.

Randolph Recreation Center

The Randolph Recreation Center is on the west side of Alvernon, between Broadway and 22nd Street. This building has a skate park and a pool. It also has courts for basketball or volleyball, a weight room, and an auditorium. There are special classrooms for aerobics, dance, gymnastics, pottery, making jewelry, and photography.

Jim Reffkin Tennis Center

The Jim Reffkin Tennis Center is in the northeast corner of the original Randolph Park. It has 25 lighted tennis courts and 10 lighted racquetball courts. There's also a pro shop. In 1993, the United States Tennis Association called it the "Outstanding Facility of the Year."

Images for kids

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  A Malayan tiger at Reid Park Zoo

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  Reid Park's South Pond