List of city parks of Erie, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Erie, Pennsylvania, is a city with many amazing parks and playgrounds! These green spaces are super important for everyone living here. They offer places to play, relax, and enjoy nature. Some parks are managed by the city, while others are looked after by the Erie City School District or nearby towns like Millcreek and Harborcreek.

Park Facts and Fun
Working Together for Parks
List of Parks
See also

Park Facts and Fun

In 2000, the Erie Times-News newspaper shared some cool facts about the city's parks. Erie has 56 city parks in total, which include:

3 golf courses
10 undeveloped parks (like Roma Park and Woodlawn Park)
12 passive parks, which are well-kept but don't have play equipment (like Perry Square and Gridley Park)
28 active parks, which have playgrounds or sports areas
- 12 baseball fields (3 at 21st and Bauer Sts)
- 19½ basketball courts (4 at Burton Park)
- 14 tennis courts (6 at Frontier Park)
- 1 skate park (at Columbus Park)

The newspaper also ranked the parks for different things:

Largest: Glenwood Park
Smallest: 19th and Wayne, and Euclid Park (each only 1/3 acre)
Most Popular: Glenwood Park, Frontier Park, Walczak Park, and Rodger Young Park
Hidden Gem: E 41st and Brewer has unique playground equipment
Underappreciated: Hillside, McKinley, Columbus, Lighthouse, and Barbara Nitkiewicz Parks
Best Playgrounds: Glenwood, Burton, Rodger Young, and Liberty Parks
Prettiest Views: Chautauqua and Branch Parks have nice views of Lake Erie. Walczak Park offers a wide view of the city and lake. Frontier Park has a beautiful tree collection.

Working Together for Parks

The City of Erie works with different groups to manage many of its parks. These groups care about green spaces and how they make the city a better place to live.

Big parks like Frontier Park and Perry Square have special groups that work with the city and local businesses to support them. Other parks, like McClelland Park, Washington Park, and Woodland Avenue Park, are helped by neighborhood groups. These groups raise money and speak up for their local parks.

The mayor is even planning a special "adopt-a-park" program. This will celebrate all the non-government groups that help keep the city parks looking great. The city also includes park improvements in bigger city projects. For example, Griswold Park is getting a big makeover near Union Station.

List of Parks

Attorney Richard D. Agresti Baseball Field at Victory Playground is located at West 13th Street and Lincoln. It has a small playground, a covered picnic area, and parking. (Ward 3) (See Victory Park)
Ainsworth Field is a baseball stadium between West 22nd and West 24th Streets. It's on the grounds of Roosevelt Middle School. This field used to be home to Erie's minor league baseball team. It was replaced by UPMC Park in 1995. The field was named in 1947 to honor J. C. Ainsworth, a leader and friend to the youth of the community. The Erie City School District helps fund the stadium.

Baseball at Ainsworth Field

Ted Amendola Memorial Field is just south of the Bayfront Parkway at Front Street and Wallace. It's part of Wallace Playground. (Ward 1)
Asbury Farm Community Park is in Millcreek Township. It has four tennis courts, a baseball field, sand volleyball, a playground, and a large covered picnic area. Millcreek Township operates it.
Asbury Woods Nature Center is a 200-acre park in Millcreek Township. It has educational areas, a pavilion, gardens, and fountains. On the other side of Asbury Road, there are miles of hiking trails through forests and wetlands along Walnut Creek. It's a quiet and peaceful place. The Millcreek Township School District operates this nature center.

Asbury Woods Nature Center

Avalon Park is a small wooded park just outside the city in Millcreek Township. It was started in 1926.
Gregory Stuart Baldwin Park is on West 26th Street between Berst Avenue and Geist Road. (Ward 6)
Bayview Park has a large open field, a basketball court, and a small playground. It includes Allen-Hetico Memorial Field. The park offers a great view of Liberty Park and nearby marinas along West 2nd Street, overlooking Lake Erie. (Ward 4)

Basketball at Bayview Park

Belle Valley Park is located in Millcreek Township.
Roman Blaszczyk Field is a baseball field developed in 1983. It's located within Kosciuszko Park. (Ward 2)
George "Pat" Brabender Memorial Park is a baseball field developed in 1983. (Ward 6)
Burton Park is a park and playground south of East 38th Street. It has tennis courts, basketball courts, and a large grassy area. (Ward 5)
Woodlawn Avenue Park is a small park on Woodlawn Avenue and Cameron Road. (Ward 5)
Cassidy Park is a 22-acre park with a nature trail along Walnut Creek. It's a passive recreation park, meaning it's more for relaxing and enjoying nature.
Chautauqua Park is a small park in a quiet neighborhood along Lake Erie. It was developed in 1993. It has a covered picnic area, a grill, and benches to enjoy the lake view. (Ward 1)
Chestnut Street Park is at Bayfront Parkway and Chestnut Street. It has two boat launch ramps.
Columbus Park is a small park off Cherry Street. It's named after Christopher Columbus. (Ward 3)
Cranch Park is a small park on Lakeside Drive. It has a grassy hill, rocks by the lake, and benches for enjoying the view. (Ward 1)

Cranch Park at dusk

Elk Creek Access is a small park along Elk Creek in Girard Township. It's popular for steelhead fishing.
Erie Bluffs State Park is a 540-acre Pennsylvania state park with a mile of undeveloped Lake Erie shoreline. It features 90-foot bluffs, deep forests, wetlands, and great views of the lake. It's popular for hiking and bird watching.
Euclid Park is a small park along the eastern shoreline of Lake Erie. (Ward 1)
Larry Fabrizi Park was named in 2005, formerly called Cloverdale Park. It's a small grassy park south of West 26th Street. (Ward 6)
Franklin Park is a playground off East 10th Street. It has a baseball field. (Ward 1)
Friendship Park is an urban park north of East 14th Street. It has flower gardens and birdhouses. It was created as a community project.

Friendship Park

Frontier Park is one of Erie's most important parks, used for many fun and educational activities. It covers 33 acres along the Bayfront Parkway. This community park was developed in 1974.

West branch of Cascade Creek babbles through Frontier Park

- It has several fields for soccer, picnics, and other activities. There are six lit tennis courts and a children's playground. Paved paths wind through the park, crossing Cascade Creek. You can jog, bike, or walk on these paths, exploring flat and hilly areas, lawns, and wooded spots. A bike path connects Frontier Park to the Bayfront bikeway.
- The Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park (LEAF) was dedicated in 2001. It's like a "tree museum" with over 225 types of trees. There's also an outdoor classroom called the Patricia McCain Outdoor Classroom, which is an amphitheater with stone seating. (Ward 4)

Children playing soccer on one of the many fields at Frontier Park

Garden Heights Park is at East 40th Street and Brewer. (Ward 5)
Garden Park is a small park at Sassafras Street and Norman Way. (Ward 5)
Glenwood Park is a very important park in Erie. It's accessible from Glenwood Park Avenue. The main entrance to the Erie Zoo, the Flo Fabrizo Ice Center, and Kuschinski Family Horseshoe Courts are all here. The Joseph Martin Golf Club is in the park's southwest corner. Magyar Park, with a monument to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, is also in Glenwood Park. (Ward 5)
Gridley Park is named after Charles Vernon Gridley, a US Navy officer. A memorial to him stands in the park. The park has central garden areas with sidewalks. It was first called Cascade Park. (Ward 4)

Gridley monument

Griswold Park was dedicated in 1927. It's near Union Station. The park is named for Matthew Griswold, a US Congressman. Griswold Plaza, dedicated to his son, is also nearby. The park has a marker honoring the famous magician Harry Kellar, who grew up near here. The park is being renovated with new homes, better lighting, gardens, and water features. The Erie Farmers' Market used to be here but moved to Perry Square. (Ward 3)
C. Francis Haggerty Park is a large park along Route 79. It has a baseball field and basketball courts. Lohse Playground is also in this park. (Ward 6)
East Erie Nature Trail Park is a park with a nature trail that connects East 26th Street to East 30th Street or East 26th Street & McClelland Avenue.
Harborcreek Community Park is a large park in Harborcreek Township. It hosts Harborfest every July and is used by local schools and groups for sports and recreation.
Headwaters Conservation Park is a 35-acre park in Millcreek Township. It has forests, wetlands, and grasslands at the start of Mill Creek. It's managed by the Erie County Conservation District and has a Natural Resource Center for environmental education.
Hillside Park is a playground established in 1996. It has two baseball fields, one named after local baseball player Sam Jethroe. (Ward 5)
Martin Luther King Jr. Park is a small park named for the civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr..
Kosciuszko Park is located south of East 12th Street. It's named after Tadeusz Kościuszko. Roman Blaszczyk Field is within this park. (Ward 2)
Lake Erie Community Park is in Lake City, Pennsylvania.
Lake Park is a small, grassy area in a quiet neighborhood along Lake Erie. (Ward 1)
Lakeside Park is a green space north of West 2nd Street.
Land Lighthouse Park is along the Lake Erie shoreline. The Erie Land Light, Lake Front Drive Park, and McCarty Playground are all here. (Ward 1)

Erie Land Light and playground

Liberty Park is a community park on Pier III, right on Lake Erie. It has 8.5 acres of walkways, playgrounds, and sand volleyball courts. The Burger King Amphitheater hosts many events here. Water taxis can take you to Presque Isle State Park from here. (Ward 4)

Burger King Amphitheater at Liberty Park

William McKinley Park is at East 21st Street and East Avenue. It has basketball and tennis courts.
Nate Levy Park (also known as Nate Levy - Jaycee Park) is at East 2nd Street and Holland Street. It has a playground and tennis courts.
McClelland Park is in the Eastlawn Hills & Diehl neighborhoods. It covers 56 acres and has a stream called McDannell Run. The southern part is a hardwood forest. The park has been getting major renovations, including a parking lot, a dog park, and nature trails. In 2021, more improvements were announced, like a paved road, more parking, and plans for more trails and picnic areas.
19th and Wayne is a recreational area with basketball courts at East 19th Street and Wayne Street.
Barbara Nitkiewicz Field is a small park with a grassy lawn, trees, and a playground. It's at West 3rd Street and Cascade Street. (Ward 4)
Crush Park is described as a narrow strip of land that covers a sewer line. It's largely used by nearby property owners.
Pebble Lake Playground is on the east side of Washington Avenue at West 26th Street. (Ward 6)
Perry Square is a major park in downtown Erie. A statue of Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero from the War of 1812, stands in the park. City Hall and courthouses are next to it. The park is getting upgrades as part of the city's downtown revitalization. The Erie Farmers' Market moved here in 2007. (Wards 1 and 4)
Presque Isle State Park is the largest park in the region, covering most of the Presque Isle peninsula. It offers many activities for millions of visitors each year.
Pulaski Park is a park and playground north of East 12th Street. It's named after Casimir Pulaski. It includes Jim Brutcher Field and Joseph Wronek Memorial Field, both baseball fields. The park also has trees and a playground. (Ward 2)
Ravine Park is a large, undeveloped wooded park surrounding Ravine Drive. It's a secluded area that provides access to the Erie Yacht Club. (Ward 4)
Reservoir Park is located south of West Grandview Boulevard.
Roessler Park was developed in 1973. It has a playground, a covered picnic area, benches, and a grassy lawn.
Roma Park is currently undeveloped and often used for dumping. However, people are trying to clean it up. It's between Zimmerman Road and Roma Drive. (Ward 5)
Ruby Schaaf Park is south of West 19th Street on Myrtle Street. It has a playground and basketball courts. It used to be called the Myrtle Street Playground. (Ward 6)
William L Scott Park is a large park operated by Millcreek Township. It was once an Erie County park. It's named after William Lawrence Scott, who was a US Congressman and Erie's mayor. The park has two baseball fields, a small playground, beach volleyball, and a picnic area. The Bay Trail hiking trail is also here.
Shades Beach Park is a lakeside recreation area, beach, and marina in Harborcreek Township. It has a boat launch and other improvements.
Six Mile Creek Park is 450 acres of undeveloped land around Six-Mile Creek in Harborcreek Township.
South Pier is at the northern tip of Port Access Road. It offers views of Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie, and the channel. There's parking and picnic areas. The Captain John E. Lampe Marina is nearby.
UPMC Park is a baseball stadium where the Erie SeaWolves minor league baseball team plays.

UPMC Park

Viaduct Playground is at East 17th Street and Franklin Street. (Ward 2)
Victory Park is a small park south of West 12th Street. (Ward 3) (See Agresti Baseball Field at Victory Playground)
Joseph A Walczak, Sr. Park was developed in 1974. It has a baseball field with bleachers, a playground, basketball courts, and a covered picnic area. (Ward 5)
Wallace Playground is south of the Bayfront Parkway at Front Street and Wallace. It has a playground, soccer, and softball facilities. The field is called the Ted Amendola Memorial Field. (Ward 1)
Washington Park is between Raspberry Street and Cascade Street. (Ward 6)
Wayne Park is in northeastern Erie. It's named after Anthony Wayne, a general from the American Revolution. (Ward 1)
West Grandview Park is in Erie Heights. The headquarters of the Lord Corporation are next to it.
Woodland Park is an undeveloped wooded park in northwestern Erie. (Ward 3)
Woodlawn Park is a small park at West 32nd Street and Harvard Boulevard.
Rodger Young Park is a park on Downing Avenue. It has Bobby Harrison Field, a football/soccer field with stadium seating.
Zuck Park is in Millcreek Township. It was given to Millcreek Township by the city in 1988 and reopened in 1989 after renovations.

List of city parks of Erie, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Contents

Park Facts and Fun

Working Together for Parks

List of Parks

See also