Luis Muñoz Rivera Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
Landscape of Luis Muñoz Rivera park
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Type	Public Space Park
Location	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Area	27.2 acres (110,000 m²)
Designer	1925 by Bennett Parsons Frost Architects
Status	Open all year

The Luis Muñoz Rivera Park (or Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera in Spanish) is a big, fun public park in Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico. It covers about 27.2 acres (which is like 20 football fields!). This park is named after a famous Puerto Rican leader, Luis Muñoz Rivera. It's the largest park of its kind in the San Juan area, perfect for relaxing and enjoying nature.

Park's Story: How It Began

Statue of Luis Muñoz Rivera, located at the park which bears his name.

The idea for Luis Muñoz Rivera Park started a long time ago. In 1917, a special rule called Law 43 was made. This law said that a park named Muñoz Rivera Park should be built in San Juan. Land was put aside just for this park.

Old Defenses and Buildings

The land where the park now stands was once part of San Juan's old city defenses. These defenses were built in the 1700s to protect the city. A very old building called "El Polvorín de San Gerónimo" is still in the park today. It was built in 1769 and was used to store gunpowder.

San Geronimo Powderhouse, an old building in the park.

The park is surrounded by other important places. On its east side, you can find the Puerto Rican Supreme Court building. To the north, there's a public beach called "Escambron." You can also see the Parque del Tercer Milenio and the Sixto Escobar Stadium, where baseball teams like the San Juan Senators used to play.

Designing and Building the Park

The park was designed by a group of architects from Chicago called Bennett, Parsons & Frost in 1925. Building the park took several years, from 1926 to 1934. Two important people, William Parsons and Francisco Valines Cofresí, led the construction work.

A sculptor named Victor M. Cott created the park's unique benches and decorations in the 1930s. These pieces look like wood but are actually made from other materials. Over the years, the park has been fixed up and improved many times. Architects like Orval Sifontes, Otto Reyes Casanova, and Andres Mignucci have helped with these big repair projects.

Park Activities and Events

In 2015, the mayor of San Juan said that the park would be used for learning activities. This means the park helps teach people new things. Later, in 2018, a big fashion show was held at the park. This event helped bring attention to an important health issue.

Gallery

• 

  A view of the Park

• 

  A view of the Pabellon de la Paz (transl. Peace Gazebo)