Mellon Park facts for kids
Mellon Park is a lovely park located in the Shadyside and Point Breeze neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It stretches across Fifth Avenue and is close to the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The park is famous for its special Walled Garden and hosts many fun events all year round. It also has several sports facilities for everyone to enjoy. Public buses make it easy to get to the park.
Mellon Park is so important that it's on the list of landmarks recognized by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. This means it's a special place with a lot of history!
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Park History
Mellon Park was created in 1943. It was built on the land where Richard B. Mellon's huge mansion used to stand. His house was the biggest mansion in all of Pittsburgh!
Italian immigrants from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, built the mansion. They were led by Monsignor Nicola Fusco. After the mansion was taken down during World War II, these same skilled builders used its materials to construct the impressive Mount St. Peter Church in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. That church is still standing and used today!
The gardens around the mansion were first designed way back in 1912 by Alden and Harlow. Other famous landscape designers, like the Olmsted Brothers, also added their ideas. Even after the sixty-room mansion was demolished, most of the beautiful garden remained. This garden was then turned into the city park we know as Mellon Park. The park also includes the Phipps Garden Center and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden is a very special part of Mellon Park. It's surrounded by walls made of brick and limestone, designed in an old, grand style. One of the walls was actually part of the original Mellon mansion before it was taken down.
A beautiful fountain stands between the garden and the rest of the park. The design for this garden was planned by Vitale and Geiffert.
Ann Katherine Seamans Memorial
The Mellon Park Project wanted to create a special memorial in the Walled Garden. This memorial is for Ann Katherine Seamans, who loved visiting the garden ever since she was a little kid.
An artist named Janet Zweig designed the memorial. She turned the floor of the garden into an exact map of the sky over Pittsburgh on the day Ann was born. There are 150 stars, and each one is a light on the ground. Each light also has a special message about the star it represents. You can even sponsor a star and make a donation to help the park.
LaQuatra Bonci Associates helped plan and supervise the garden's restoration. The Walled Garden officially reopened on June 12, 2010.
A Fair in the Park
Mellon Park is a great place for events! You can hold almost any kind of event there if you get permission from the City of Pittsburgh.
One popular event is "A Fair in the Park." The Craftsmen's Guild of Pittsburgh has put on this fair every year since 1969. It happens in September and is a modern craft festival with a small concert. There's even a special area just for kids! The best part is, you don't have to pay to get in.
Mellon Park Sports Facilities
Mellon Park has lots of ways to stay active!
Mellon Park Tennis Center
The Mellon Park Tennis Center is open all year long. It offers tennis classes for young children, starting from ages 4–7, and for all other age groups, including adults.
Besides the tennis courts, Mellon Park also has a fun playground for younger kids. There are also basketball courts and baseball fields, so there's something for everyone to enjoy!
