Stewart Park (Ithaca, New York) facts for kids

Stewart Park is a fun park in Ithaca, New York. It's right on the southern end of Cayuga Lake, which is the biggest of New York's amazing Finger Lakes. The city of Ithaca takes care of this park, making it a great spot for everyone to enjoy the outdoors!

What Can You Do at Stewart Park?

Stewart Park is packed with cool things to do for all ages. You can play frisbee, tennis, or basketball. If you love the water, you can go paddling or fishing in the lake.

Fun for Kids

The park has a fantastic carousel that spins all summer long. There's also a huge playground that's easy for everyone to use, even kids in wheelchairs. In the summer, a splash pad fountain is open, perfect for cooling off!

Relax and Explore

You'll find lots of picnic tables and grills if you want to have a meal outdoors. There are also covered areas you can rent for bigger parties. The Cayuga Waterfront Trail goes right through the park. It's a wide, flat path that's great for walking, biking, or rolling.

Nature and Wildlife

Fall Creek flows into Cayuga Lake right through Stewart Park. You can also visit the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary and Renwick Wildwood, which are awesome places to watch birds. The Cascadilla Boat Club's boathouse is also located here, where people practice rowing.

How Stewart Park Began

Stewart Park has a long and interesting history! It started as a large piece of land given to a soldier after the Revolutionary War. For over 100 years, it remained undeveloped.

From Private Land to Public Park

In the early 1890s, a school bought some of the land to build sports fields. At the same time, a company built a trolley line to Cayuga Lake and decided to create an amusement park nearby. This area became known as Renwick Park and opened in 1894.

Early Days of Renwick Park

When Renwick Park first opened, it had a zoo, a merry-go-round (like a carousel), and places to eat and dance. The dance hall even became Ithaca's first vaudeville theater, where people watched live shows! But by 1915, fewer people were using the trolley, and the park closed down.

A New Beginning

In 1920, the mayor of Ithaca, Edwin C. Stewart, thought it was wrong that people couldn't easily enjoy the lake. So, in 1921, the city bought the old Renwick Park land and opened it to the public. Mayor Stewart passed away before the park officially opened, but he left money to the city for the park. To honor him, Renwick Park was renamed Stewart Park.

Bird Sanctuaries and Filming

Before it became Stewart Park, some land was set aside as a bird sanctuary, now called Renwick Wildwood. Another bird-watching spot, the "swan pond" near the boathouse, is known as the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary. It was named after a famous bird expert, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, who died in 1927.

From 1915 to 1919, the park land was even used by a film studio called Wharton, Inc. They made silent movies and TV shows there during a time when Ithaca was a small center for filmmaking!

Changes Over Time

In 1934, the park's land was raised higher to help prevent flooding.

Bridge in Stewart Park

Even though people used to swim at the park, swimming has not been allowed since 1964. This is because the lake's bottom and currents can make the water very cloudy and unclear in that area.

In 2010, a part of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail was finished, connecting different areas and winding through Stewart Park.

Historic Buildings and Cool Spots

Stewart Park is home to several old and interesting buildings and landmarks.

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  Cacadilla Boathouse in Stewart Park circa 1895
• Cascadilla Boathouse - This building was started in 1894 and is still used today by the Cascadilla Boat Club for rowing. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991!

• Large Picnic Pavilion - Built around 1895, this beautiful building was designed with an Italian style. It was originally called the Restaurant Pavilion. It was fixed up most recently in 2019 and you can rent it for your own events.

• Small Tea Pavilion - Also built in 1895, this pavilion used to be where visitors arrived at the park after their trolley ride. It was moved a few times but found its current spot in the 1950s when the playground and carousel were put in. The original building was rebuilt to look just like it used to. You can rent this one too!

Large Picnic Pavilion in Stewart Park circa 1900

• Fuertes Overlook - This spot, near the "Swan Pond," was built in 1934 to make it easier to watch the birds and the pond. It was restored in 2017.

• Renwick Wildwood Arch - This arch was designed by Louis Agassiz Fuertes (the bird expert!) and built in 1917. It marked the original entrance to the Renwick Wildwood bird sanctuary.

• Carousel - The carousel was made by the Allan Herschell Company and installed in 1951. It's been running every season since then! The horses have been repainted by local artists, and in 2018, a ramp and special chariot were added so that wheelchairs can easily get on. In 2020, a permanent roof was added, so the carousel won't need to be taken apart each fall, which helps keep it in good shape.

• Wharton Building - This building was built in 1895 and was first called the Dance Pavilion. It hosted dances, vaudeville shows, and even movies! When the Wharton Brothers used the park for their film studio, they filmed movies and TV shows inside this building. You can still see tracks on the ceiling where they hung lights and sets! Today, it's used by the city, but there are plans to turn part of it into the Wharton Studio Museum and a Park Center with a cafe.

Making the Park Even Better

Restoration work on the Picnic "Large" Pavilion (built in 1895) was completed in 2019. The Pavilion is available for rent through the City of Ithaca.

A garden of pollinator plants grows near the new accessible playground in Stewart Park. The Tolley, Steamship, and film studio structures on the preschool section reference park history.

Since 2011, a group called the Friends of Stewart Park has been working hard to fix up and improve the park. They started by cleaning up the flag garden and some of the buildings.

Working with the City of Ithaca, they have done a lot of amazing things! They rebuilt the small Tea Pavilion, fixed up the Picnic Pavilion, and restored the carousel and the Fuertes swan pond overlook. They've also put new roofs on the Wharton Building and the Cascadilla Boathouse, plus many other smaller improvements.

Besides bringing back the park's history, the Friends of Stewart Park are also making it better for the future. In 2020, they finished building a brand new accessible playground. They also plan to add a new splash pad, more restrooms, and create the Wharton Studio Museum and Park Visitor Center with a cafe. It sounds like Stewart Park will keep getting better and better!