Glen Island Park facts for kids
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Long Island Sound |
| Coordinates | 40°53′07″N 73°47′02″W / 40.8852°N 73.7838°W |
| Total islands | 5 islands |
| Area | 105 acres (42 ha) |
| Administration | |
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United States
|
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| State | New York |
| County | Westchester County |
| City | New Rochelle |
Glen Island Park is a fun place located on Glen Island in the Long Island Sound, New York. It's a big park, about 105-acre (0.42 km2), which is like 80 football fields! Westchester County owns and runs this park. On the island, there's also a private place called the Glen Island Harbour Club, which used to be the Glen Island Casino. If you want to park your car or go to the beach here, you usually need to live in Westchester County.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
How Glen Island Became a Park
Back in 1879, a man named John H. Starin bought Glen Island and four islands close by. He used to be a member of the United States Congress, which is where laws are made for the country. Mr. Starin named the main island "Glen Island."
He had a cool idea: he turned these islands into a summer getaway for people living in the city. Some people even called it "the first theme park"! He connected the islands with special bridges called causeways and long docks called piers. Each island had a different international theme, like visiting different countries.
Fun at Starin's Glen Island
To get to the park, visitors would ride on large boats called steamships all the way from New York City. The park opened in 1881 and was super popular, with thousands of people visiting every day!
Some of the exciting things you could do at the park included:
- Swimming at a nice beach
- Exploring a natural history museum
- Seeing animals at a zoo
- Visiting a German-themed castle and garden
- Enjoying live music
- Seeing a beautiful Chinese pagoda
Glen Island Today
In 1923, Westchester County bought the land. Now, it's a public park where everyone can go for fun and relaxation.
