List of parks in Omaha, Nebraska

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Docks at Dodge Park

This is a list of parks in Omaha, Nebraska. It includes cemeteries and golf courses. Most parks in Omaha are governed by the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Department.[1]

History[]

In 1854 Alfred D. Jones drew four parks on the original map of Omaha City. They were called Jefferson Square, which was paved over by I-480; Washington Park, which is where the currently sits at North 16th and Farnam Streets; Capitol Square, where Omaha Central High School is now located, and; an unnamed tract overlooking the river with Davenport Street on the north, Jackson Street on the south, North 8th on the east and North 9th Street on the west.[2] Jefferson Square lasted until 1969, when it was razed to make way for a new interstate in downtown Omaha. The riverfront from the interstate south to the headquarters of ConAgra Foods is now the Heartland of America Park.

Hanscom Park became Omaha's first park. Miller, Fontenelle, Elmwood and Riverview were Omaha's largest parks in 1920. (Riverview Park Zoo eventually became Henry Doorly Zoo.) Levi Carter Park was its largest, at 220 acres (0.89 km2). Other parks in the system that year were Bemis, , Kountze Park, Curtis Turner, Harold Gifford, , Jefferson Square, Hixenbaugh, Burt playground, Bluff View, Spring Lake, Highland, McKinley, Clear View and Morton.[3]

Omaha's boulevard system was designed to be part of the parks system in 1889 by renowned landscape architect Horace Cleveland.[4] The Omaha Park and Boulevard System was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[5]

Administration[]

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Public Property is the City of Omaha's agency responsible for administering public parks.[6]

Current parks[]

The fountain in Heartland of America Park, with the Omaha skyline behind
Gene Leahy Mall, looking west towards Downtown Omaha
Big Boy #4023 at Kenefick Park
The Grand Court of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition of 1898 in what became Kountze Park
The USS Marlin at Freedom Park
The USS Hazard, also at Freedom Park
A trail at Wehrspann Lake in southwest Omaha
Heartland of America Park, looking south
Parks in Omaha (alphabetical)
Name Location Notes
Adams Park 3121 Bedford Avenue Created in 1960, this park includes a playground, picnic area, an overlook, paths, restrooms, and open space. There are also ball fields, tennis courts and an outdoor tournament-quality basketball complex with glass backboards, scoreboards and fan seating.
134th and Cottner streets, Millard
764 N. 164th Street
Bemis Park 3434 Cuming Street Founded in 1891, this park includes 10 acres (40,000 m2) with a playground, tennis courts, walking paths, picnic area and shelter located in the Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District.
2005 North 66th Street 2 acres (8,100 m2) with a playground and ball field
Benson Park 7002 Military Avenue Created in 1931, this 200 acres (0.81 km2) park offers a playground, football and soccer fields, horseshoe pits, basketball and tennis courts, fishing, walking paths, indoor ice rink, lagoon, and a pavilion.[7]
Bowling Green Park 7065 Blondo Street 7 acres (28,000 m2) with a playground, ball field, basketball court, football field and walking trails
Boyd Park 4201 North 16th Street Location of Omaha Central High School's baseball field[8]
2310 S. 105th Ave.
Brown Park
Cancer Survivor Park 1111 S. 105th St.
3501 Ames Avenue Located next to Butler-Gast YMCA[9]
Levi Carter Park 3100 Abbott Drive Carter Lake has opportunities for water skiing, fishing and boating. The park has baseball fields, football fields, and basketball courts, as well as paths, picnic areas, shelters, restrooms, a pavilion and open space. It was founded in 1891.
50th and C streets
728 S. 154th st Paved walking and biking paths, playground, basketball courts
Democracy Park
Dodge Park 11001 John J. Pershing Drive This park offers fishing, water skiing and boating on the Missouri River, as well as hiking, Baseball fields, soccer fields, horseshoe pits, tennis courts, a cricket field, a picnic area, pavilions, historical monuments and a campground.[10] It was founded in 1930.
Elmwood Park 802 S. 60th Street, adjacent to the University of Nebraska at Omaha 1889
Erskine Park
Essex Park
Esther Pilster Park 4088 North 88th Avenue The park is named after Esther Pilster, a former Omaha Public Schools principal and philanthropist.[11] It has a playground, a ballfield, a soccer field, trails, shelters, and a picnic area.[12]
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
Florence Park 3015 State Street Located in historic Florence, this park is 2.6 acres (11,000 m2) and includes a playground, walking paths, a historical monument and a shelter area.
Fontenelle Park 4575 Ames Avenue Founded in 1893, currently has 108 acres (0.44 km2) with a lagoon, playground and paths, basketball courts, tennis courts, football fields, and a nine-hole golf course.[13]
Freedom Park 2497 Freedom Park Road Home of the , USS Hazard and the USS Marlin
Gallagher Park 2936 North 52nd Street 18 acres (73,000 m2), including a playground, ball fields, a swimming pool and a historical monument to the former Krug Park
6317 Military Avenue 2.4 acres (9,700 m2), including a playground, ball field and basketball court
Gene Leahy Mall 1302 Farnam on the Mall
Gifford Park
Glenn Cunningham Lake 8660 Lake Cunningham Road 1977
Graham Park
Hanscom Park 1899 South 32nd Avenue 1889
Heartland of America Park
Hefflinger Park
2512 D Street
Hillsborough Park
Hitchcock Park
Hummel Park 11808 John J. Pershing Drive Created in 1930, this park is 202 acres (0.82 km2), including a historical monument for Fort Lisa.
Kenefick Park 100 Bancroft Street (next to the Lauritzen Gardens)
Kellom Park 2310 Nicholas Street 6-acre (24,000 m2)
Keystone Park
Kingswood Park
Kiwanis Park
Kountze Park 1920 Pinkney Street 10 acres (40,000 m2), including a playground, ball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, a community center, shelter area and restrooms
Lake Forest Park
Lawrence Youngman Lake 192nd and West Dodge Road Includes a lake, playground, fishing, and boating
Lee Valley Park
Lewis & Clark Landing
Kenifick Park 100 Bancroft Avenue
Memorial Park 6008 Underwood Avenue This park was created in 1948 as a memorial for Douglas County's citizens who have served in the armed forces.
Metcalfe Park 1700 Country Club Avenue 3.1 acres, playground, trails, open space, named for former mayor of Omaha, Richard Lee Metcalfe
Miller Park 6201 North 30th Street Founded in 1891, the park includes a lake, artesian well fountain, golf course, trails, picnic areas, pavilion, playground, baseball fields and soccer fields.
Miller's Landing Park
Neale Woods 14323 Edith Marie Avenue 600-acre nature preserve; prairie and forest hiking trails; Millard Observatory (astronomy); operated by Fontenelle Forest
Oakbrook Park
Omaha Botanical Gardens (aka Lauritzen Gardens) 2001 South 6th Street 1982
Peterson Park
Pipal Park 7802 Hascall St
Pulaski Park
Rambleridge Park 11424 Fort Street
7901 Raven Oaks Drive
Ridgefield Park
Ruser's Park 53rd and Center Street Privately owned German Summer Garden, with shooting range, athletic fields, bowling, picnic area and dance hall.
Seymour Smith Park 6802 Harrison Street 1962
Somerset Park Wenninghoff Road and North 86th Street 1994
Spring Lake Park
Standing Bear Lake 6404 N. 132nd st 1977
North 16th and Storz Expressway
Upland Park
Walnut Grove Park
Walnut Hill Park
Wentworth Park
Westgate Park
Yale Park 3377 Lake street
411½ N. Elmwood Road
163rd and Farnam Streets
Zorinsky Lake Park 156th and F streets Created in 1993, this park includes over seven miles of paved trails, biking, fishing, boating, playgrounds, covered seating, public restrooms, and soccer fields.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Omaha Parks and Recreation. City of Omaha. retrieved 8/22/07.
  2. ^ City of Omaha Board of Park Commissioners. (1912) Annual Report. City of Omaha. p 4.
  3. ^ Morton, J.S. and Watkins, A. "Chapter XXXV: Greater Omaha," Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine History of Nebraska: From the Earliest Explorations of the Trans-Mississippi Region. Lincoln, NE: Western Publishing and Engraving Company. p. 831.
  4. ^ Morton, J.S. and Watkins, A. (1918) "Chapter XXXV: Greater Omaha," Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine History of Nebraska: From the Earliest Explorations of the Trans-Mississippi Region. Lincoln, NE: Western Publishing and Engraving Company. p. 831.
  5. ^ Omaha Park and Boulevard System, National Park Service.
  6. ^ "Parks, Recreation, and Public Property", City of Omaha. Retrieved 8/24/08.
  7. ^ Benson Park. City of Omaha. Retrieved 10/5/07.
  8. ^ Boyd Park. Central Baseball. Retrieved 10/5/07.
  9. ^ Butler-Gast Branch. Metro Omaha YMCAs. Retrieved 10/5/07.
  10. ^ (nd) "N.P. Dodge Memorial Park". City of Omaha. Retrieved 7/4/07.
  11. ^ "Former Omaha principal Esther Pilster dies at 97". omaha.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Esther Pilster Park". ohranger.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Fontenelle Park," City of Omaha. Retrieved 9/25/07.

External links[]

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