Palisades Park (Santa Monica) facts for kids
Palisades Park is a beautiful park in Santa Monica, California. It stretches for about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) along Ocean Avenue, sitting on top of cliffs that offer amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the mountains nearby.
The park runs from the famous Santa Monica Pier in the south all the way to Adelaide Drive in the north. This long, narrow park has lots to see and do! You can find cool public art, a lovely rose garden, and old historic buildings. There are also benches for relaxing, picnic areas, and even courts for a game called pétanque (which is like bocce ball). Don't forget to check out the historic Santa Monica Camera Obscura, a device that uses mirrors and lenses to project an image of the outside world onto a screen inside a dark room!
It's important to stay safe at the park. There are barriers to keep visitors from getting too close to the edge of the cliffs. This is because the cliffs can sometimes erode (wear away) or have landslides, where parts of the land slide down.
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Cool Art and Old Features
Palisades Park is home to many interesting artworks and historic items. These pieces tell stories about the park's past and add to its beauty.
Historic Structures and Artworks
The oldest structure in Palisades Park is the Idaho Gate, built in 1912. It's a beautiful archway named after the street next to it. In 1926, a unique Native American totem pole was given to the city. Later, in 1934, a statue of Santa Monica (the city's namesake) was added. More art has been installed in the park since then.
Here are some of the cool art and historic features you can find:
- A Civil War cannon (from 1908) – You can find this at the end of Colorado Avenue and Broadway.
- Idaho Gate (built in 1912) – Designed by famous architects Greene and Greene, it's at the end of Idaho Avenue.
- A totem pole (around 1925) – The artist is unknown, but it's located at the end of San Vicente Boulevard.
- Statue of Santa Monica (from 1934) – Created by Eugene H. Monrahan, this statue is at the end of Wilshire Boulevard.
- Bust of Arcadia Bandini de Baker (from 1987) – This sculpture by Masahito Sanae is near the rose garden, at the end of Palisades Avenue.
- Wood sculpture Gestation III (from 1993) – Made by Baile Oakes, this sculpture aligns with the sunset during the winter solstice. It's also at the end of Palisades Avenue.
- Sculpture Beacon Overlook (from 2000) – Created by Jody Pinto, this artwork is near the California Incline, at the end of California Avenue.
Amazing Park Trees
Palisades Park is like a giant outdoor classroom for trees! It has more than 30 different kinds of plants and trees. You can see many types, including gum trees, yate trees, pine trees, palm trees, and fig trees.
Two special stone monuments with plaques honor two people who loved and studied the trees of Santa Monica: George Hastings and Grace Heintz. Both of them wrote books about the trees in the area. Their work, which spans from 1944 to 1989, helps us understand the history of the park's trees and the trees all over Santa Monica.
Types of Trees in the Park
Here are some of the tree species you might spot in Palisades Park:
- Monterey cypress
- Indian laurel fig
- Rusty-leaf fig
- Yate
- Murray River red gum
- Italian stone pine
- Canary Island date palm
- European fan palm
- Mexican fan palm
- Mexican blue palm
- Windmill palm
- Cuban royal palm
- Senegal date palm
Images for kids
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Civil War cannon (1908) in Palisades Park, Santa Monica
