Liberty Park (Salt Lake City) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liberty Park |
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Created | 1882 |
| Status | Open all year |
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Liberty Park
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 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
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| Area | 80 acres (32 ha) |
| Architect | Don Carlos Young |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003926 |
| Added to NRHP | December 11, 1980 |
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Isaac Chase Mill
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| Location | Liberty Park, 6th East, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | Weeks, William |
| Part of | The Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park (ID80003926) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000627 |
| Added to NRHP | June 15, 1970 |
Liberty Park is a very popular public park in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the second-largest park in the city. The park covers about 80 acres. Only Sugar House Park is bigger, with 110.5 acres.
Liberty Park has a pretty pond with two islands. It is also home to the famous Tracy Aviary. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site. The park also includes the Isaac Chase Mill, which is also a historic landmark.
You might have seen Liberty Park on TV! It was often shown in the Disney Channel show Andi Mack. Even though it was never called by its real name, it was easy to recognize.
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Fun Things to Do at Liberty Park
Liberty Park has many cool things for everyone to enjoy. You can find playgrounds for kids and places to have picnics. There are also big grassy areas where you can relax or play games.
The park has courts for different sports like basketball, volleyball, and tennis. You can also play bocce ball or horseshoes. If you like to run or bike, there are two paths: one is a woodchip path about 1.5 miles long, and the other is a paved path about 1.42 miles long.
During certain times of the year, you can enjoy seasonal rides. You can also rent paddle boats to go on the pond. Many festivals and events happen here throughout the year. It's a great spot for jogging, rollerblading, and cycling.
Liberty Park is a favorite place to watch the Pioneer Day fireworks. These fireworks light up the sky on July 24th. They are set off in the park right across the street.
On Sundays during spring, summer, and early fall, large groups gather for "drum circles." People bring musical instruments and dance. It's a fun and lively event for everyone, including pets!
There is a special sculpture and fountain that looks like the Jordan River. In the summer, kids can splash and play in the water fountain.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of the park closed for a while. This included playgrounds and the Tracy Aviary. But the park was still very popular for people who wanted to walk, bike, and spend time outdoors.
Liberty Park: A Historic Place
The entire 80-acre park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It was named Liberty Park.
The city bought the land in 1881 from the family of Brigham Young. The park is important because it's "Utah's best example of a 'central park'." It was designed like Central Park in New York City. This was part of a big movement to create more public green spaces.
You can find several old buildings and historical markers around the park.
The Isaac Chase Mill
The Isaac Chase Mill is in the northeast part of Tracy Aviary. It's located off 6th East. This mill was built in 1852. It is the oldest commercial building still standing in Utah! The mill was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It was designed by an architect named William Weeks.
The Chase Home Museum
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is inside the old adobe house of Isaac Chase. It's free to visit! Since 1987, this museum has been the home of Utah's State Folk Arts Collection. Over 200,000 people have visited its free programs.
It's a place where artists from Utah's different communities share their crafts, music, and dance. They share these with their own communities, other Utahns, and visitors from all over the world. Besides exhibits and concerts, the Chase Home has many recordings and photos. These show Utah's traditional culture.
Tracy Aviary
Tracy Aviary is a special place for birds, covering 8 acres inside Liberty Park. A banker from Salt Lake City, Russell Lord Tracy, started it. He gave his own bird collection to Salt Lake City and its children.
The aviary opened to the public in 1938. Today, Tracy Aviary has about 400 birds from 135 different species. Some of these birds are part of a program called the Species Survival Plan (SSP). This program helps make sure that birds born in zoos and aviaries are healthy and diverse. Tracy Aviary is also a special facility accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums). It is one of only two stand-alone aviaries in the whole country!
Aviary Exhibits
The Tracy Aviary has many different areas where you can see birds from all over the world.
Destination Argentina
South American Pavilion
Owl Forest
Kenncott Wetland Immersion
Pelican Pond
King of the Andes
Treasures of the Rainforest
History of Liberty Park
In 1860, the land that is now Liberty Park belonged to Brigham Young. He planted many different kinds of trees there. In the early days, people called it Mill Farm, Forest Park, or Locust Patch.
In 1881, Salt Lake City bought the land from Brigham Young's family. That same year, the city held a contest to design the park. Joseph Don Carlos Young, Brigham Young's son, won the contest. He was Utah's first architect who had studied at a university. On June 17, 1882, the 80-acre park officially opened as a place for fun and was named Liberty Park.
A city zoo used to be inside the park. But in 1931, it moved and became the Hogle Zoo. Then, in 1938, the Tracy Aviary opened its doors.
Many of the park's trees were knocked down by a strong windstorm in 2020.
Red Butte Creek Incident
In June 2010, about 20,000 gallons of oil spilled into Red Butte Creek from a pipeline. This oil spill caused Liberty Park to close for a time. The oil also spread to the nearby Jordan River.
About 150 to 200 birds, including many Canada geese, got oil on them. They were taken to Hogle Zoo to be cleaned and cared for. Officials told people and animals to stay away from the water in Liberty Park, the Jordan River, and Red Butte Canyon during the cleanup.
Images for kids
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Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts
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Liberty Lake
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900 South Entrance
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Free Wi-Fi in the park
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Re-enactment of Mormon pioneers in the 1912 Pioneer Day Parade in Liberty Park
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Isaac Chase Mill, August 1968
