Schuetzen Park (New Jersey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Schuetzen Park |
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Fritz Reuter Altenheim and Schuetzen Park
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| Location | North Bergen, New Jersey 40°46′37″N 74°02′09″W / 40.776830°N 74.03592°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Created | 1874 |
Schuetzen Park is a private park in North Bergen, New Jersey. It has been open since 1872. You can find it on the top of the Hudson Palisades. This park is near Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Turnpike. It is just north of the Marginal Highway.
The park shares its borders with two other places. One is the Fritz Reuter Altenheim, a home for older people. It is named after a German writer, Fritz Reuter. The other is Columbia Park, a big shopping center. Every year, the German-American Volksfest (a folk festival) happens here. It has been held at the park since it was built.
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History of Schuetzen Park
In 1864, a town called Union Hill became separate from North Bergen. German-Americans had settled in Union Hill as early as 1851. In 1872, a group called the United Schützen Association opened this park. It was built on the land of an old house that belonged to the Wright family.
Early Days and Expansion
The park first had a new dance hall, a music stand, and a shooting gallery. It also kept the beautiful gardens that were already there. In 1874, an organization called the Plattduetsche Volksfest Vereen (PVV) was formed. This group bought the park in 1894. They made it much bigger, turning it into an amusement park.
The park grew to have three dance halls and ten bowling alleys. It could entertain up to 50,000 people at one time! Visitors enjoyed vaudeville shows, tournaments, parades, and fireworks. The word "Schuetzen" comes from the German word "Schütze." This word means "shooter" or "rifleman."
Shooting and Changes Over Time
The park was originally about 32 acres big. Its spot on the side of the Hudson Palisades was chosen carefully. This way, bullets from shooting practice could be aimed safely into the hillside. People continued to practice shooting at the park until 1935.
Over the years, parts of the park's land were sold. A large part was bought by the government. This land was used to build Route 495. This highway leads to the Lincoln Tunnel.
Schuetzen Park in the 1900s
In 1911, an advertisement called it Schützen Park. The owner, Fred Hager, said it was the "largest park of its kind in New Jersey." It offered long rifle ranges and modern bowling alleys. It also had three dance halls. These could hold about 50,000 people.
The park had many fun things to do. These included vaudeville shows, parades, fireworks, and sports events. Schuetzen Park was one of the main places in Hudson County for German-speaking people. Other similar places included Armbruster's Schuetzen Park and Pohlmann's Hall.
From 1945 to 1975, Schuetzen Park was the home of Hoboken FC 1912, a soccer club. The sports field was later sold to a company that builds homes.
Schuetzen Park Today
Today, Schuetzen Park is used for many events. People hold banquets, weddings, and parties there. It also hosts public sports events like boxing and mixed martial arts matches.
The park is part of a group of green spaces in North Hudson County. These include the retirement home, the Bergen Crest Mausoleum, and the Garden State Crematory. There are also many cemeteries nearby. These are Flower Hill Cemetery, Grove Church Cemetery, Hoboken Cemetery, Machpelah Cemetery, and Weehawken Cemetery.
The German-American Volksfest still happens at the park every year. It has been held there since 1874.
Images for kids
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An 1873 map of North Bergen showing the park's original size.
Gallery
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1907 postcard of the Festival Hall
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Fritz Reuter Altenheim, a retirement home since 1897
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USGS Map from 1900 shows Schuetzen Park as a prominent landmark
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Schuetzen Park, as seen from Kennedy Boulevard
