Iroquois Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iroquois Park |
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View of Downtown Louisville from the overlook atop Iroquois Park
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | 5216 New Cut Road, Louisville, Kentucky |
| Area | 725 acres (2.93 km2) |
| Created | 1888 |
| Operated by | Louisville Metro Parks |
| Status | Open |
Iroquois Park is a very large park in Louisville, Kentucky. It covers about 725 acres, which is like 550 football fields! This amazing park was designed by a famous landscape architect named Frederick Law Olmsted. He also designed other well-known parks in Louisville, like Cherokee Park and Shawnee Park.
Iroquois Park is built on a big hill covered with old trees. Its most famous parts are the beautiful viewpoints at the top of the hill. From these spots, you can see a fantastic view of the whole city of Louisville. There's even a special plaque that shows how Olmsted planned the city's parks and parkways.
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What Can You Do at Iroquois Park?
Iroquois Park has lots of fun things to do for everyone!
- Iroquois Amphitheater: This is a cool outdoor theater where you can watch concerts, musicals, and other shows, especially in the summer.
- Sports: The park has courts for basketball, an 18-hole golf course, and a disc golf course.
- Horseback Riding: You can even find a stable for horseback riding.
Louisville Metro Parks and other groups often put on exciting events at the Iroquois Amphitheater. It's a great place to enjoy nature and have fun!
The Park's Story
Iroquois Park was one of the first big parks created in Louisville in the late 1800s.
How the Park Began
In 1889, the mayor of Louisville, Charles Donald Jacob, bought a piece of land called Burnt Knob. It was about 313 acres and cost $9,000. This land was about 4 miles south of the city at the time.
The mayor also worked to get land for a wide road, called a "Grand Boulevard." This road, now known as Southern Parkway, still leads to the park today.
"Jacob's Folly" and Olmsted's Vision
At first, some people thought buying the land was a bad idea. They even called it "Jacob's Folly" because early improvements were washed away by rain.
But in 1890, the park was given to a special group called the Board of Park Commissioners. They invited Frederick Law Olmsted to visit. Olmsted was very impressed and agreed to design Louisville's entire park system.
Work soon began on the park, which was renamed Iroquois. Olmsted wanted the park to feel like a deep forest where people could wander and think peacefully for hours.
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