Roeding Park facts for kids

Roeding Park is a large city park in Fresno, California. It's one of four main parks in the city, covering about 90 acres. The park is a beautiful green space with a lake, several ponds, and many different kinds of trees like ash, cedar, pine, and redwood. It's home to the famous Fresno Chaffee Zoo and also has fun areas for picnics and tennis courts. There's even a special Japanese War Memorial in the park.

Fun Things to Do at Roeding Park

Exciting Theme Parks

Roeding Park is home to two cool theme parks: Playland and Storyland. Playland is an amusement park run by local community groups. Storyland is a magical place especially for younger kids, filled with interactive scenes from well-known fairy tales. You can walk through stories and see your favorite characters come to life!

To make it easy to go between Playland and Storyland, there's a fun miniature train. It looks like an old steam train but is actually powered differently. During the summer, students put on plays based on fairy tales at an outdoor theater in the park. Both Playland and Storyland got a big makeover in 2016. They updated everything to make sure visitors have the best time.

Meet Animals at the Zoo

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is a big part of Roeding Park. The zoo got a lot of help from a special city sales tax called Measure Z. This tax helps fund the zoo, allowing it to grow and improve. The zoo is now managed by a special non-profit group, even though the City of Fresno still owns the land and animals.

Over the years, the zoo has made many improvements. It has also received special approval from the AZA. This means the zoo meets high standards for animal care and education. There are always new plans to make the zoo even better. The park land was given to the city a long time ago to be a public park. Because of this, there are ongoing discussions about how much the zoo can expand within the park.

History of Roeding Park

Roeding Park has a rich history. In 2009, experts looked at the park and decided it was a very important historical place. It's recognized for its role in entertainment, community planning, and its beautiful design. The park has many original features from its early days, especially from 1903 to 1953. These features help tell the story of the park's past.