List of parks in Philadelphia

Summary

Philadelphia has a total parkland—including city parks, squares, playgrounds, athletic fields, recreation centers and golf courses, plus state and federal parks—that amounts to 11,211 acres (45.37 km2).[1] The Fairmount Park system historically encompassed 63 park areas prior to 2010,[2] including six city-owned public golf courses, along with the landscaped areas of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Roosevelt Boulevard and the Southern Boulevard Parkway, two farms and the Manayunk Canal.[3] Those 63 historic park areas have been included among 378 separate facilities which in turn contain the 7 large watershed parks (Fairmount and FDR Parks, plus the Wissahickon, Pennypack, Cobbs, Tacony and Poquessing Creek parks), 143 neighborhood parks and squares, 156 recreation centers and playgrounds, various playing fields, courts, rinks and swimming pools, 40 community gardens and orchards, as well as the six aforementioned golf courses.[4] All facilities are administered by the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation department since a merger of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation in 2010.[5] The new Parks & Recreation department also administers six older adult centers, three environmental education centers, 40 historic sites and 25 KEYSPOT computer labs.[4][6]

Map of the major parks within the city
(click to enlarge)

In terms of total park area to population, Philadelphia is ranked ninth among the most densely populated cities in the United States with 7.2 park acres per 1000 residents, and fourth among the same cities in total acres of parkland, behind New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.[1] Philadelphia has reserved 13.5% of its city acreage for parkland, which is the eighth highest percentage among the most densely populated cities.[1]

List of parks edit

 
LOVE Park, officially called John F. Kennedy Plaza
 
Franklin Square fountain
 
Dilworth Park during opening
 
Schuylkill Banks boardwalk and Center City
 
Schuylkill River Trail, Schuylkill Banks
 
Independence Mall
 
Swann Memorial Fountain in Logan Circle
 
Girard Fountain Park and bronze bust of Benjamin Franklin
Park Neighborhood / Area Acres Ref.
Fairmount Park West 2052 [7]
Wissahickon Valley Park Northwest 2042 [7]
Pennypack Park Northeast 1343 [7]
Cobbs Creek Park West, Southwest 851 [7]
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park South 348 [8]
Tacony Creek Park Northeast 304 [7]
Benjamin Rush State Park Northeast 275 [9]
Poquessing Creek Park Northeast 189 [7]
Morris Park Overbrook 147 [10]
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum Southwest 145 [11]
Morris Arboretum Chestnut Hill 92 [12]
Hunting Park North 87 [13]
Burholme Park Northeast 85 [14]
Awbury Arboretum Germantown 55 [15]
Independence National Historical Park Center City 55 [16]
Fernhill Park Northwest 50
Bartram's Garden Southwest 45 [17]
Wissinoming Park Northeast 42 [18]
Wister's Woods North 33
Penn Park University City 24 [19]
Fisher Park North 23 [20]
Marconi Plaza South 23
Glen Foerd on the Delaware Northeast 18 [21]
Stenton Park North 17
Pastorius Park Chestnut Hill 16 [22]
Makefield Park North 15
Tacony Park Northeast 13
Jardel Park Northeast 12
Bradford Park Northeast 9
Clark Park West 9 [23]
Malcolm X Park West 6 [24]
Kingsessing Park Southwest 8.4 [25]
Penn Treaty Park Fishtown 8 [26]
Schuylkill Banks Center City, South, West 10
Franklin Square Center City 9.6
Logan Circle (and surrounding square) Center City 9.6
Rittenhouse Square Center City 8.3
Washington Square Center City 8.3
Eakins Oval Center City 8 [27]
LOVE Park (JFK Plaza) Center City 3.4
Schuylkill River Park Center City 3
Dilworth Park Center City 2.8
Franklin's Paine Skatepark Center City 2.5 [28]
Sister Cities Park Center City 2
Matthias Baldwin Park Baldwin Park 2
Race Street Pier Center City 1
John F. Collins Park Center City 0.1
Korean War Memorial Park Penn's Landing 4
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Penn's Landing 2.4
Spruce Street Harbor Park Penn's Landing 0.9
Drexel Park University City 2.5 [29]
Cira Green University City 1.3 [30]
Columbus Square Passyunk Square 4.6
Wharton Square South 4.6
Stephen Girard Park Girard Estate 4 [31]
Dickinson Square Park Pennsport 3 [32]
Jefferson Square Southwark 3 [33]
Mifflin Square South 4.6
Starr Garden Park Queen Village 2.2 [34]
Pier 68 Pennsport 0.8
Gold Star Park South 1
Palmer Park Fishtown 0.9
Girard Fountain Park Old City 0.15

Approximate acres based on OpenStreetMap estimates
Philadelphia acres only—majority of the wildlife refuge is located in Delaware County

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "2014 City Park Facts" (PDF). tpl.org. The Trust for Public Land. pp. 9–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "Welcome to Fairmount Park - Philadelphia's Park System". fairmountpark.org. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. n.d. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  3. ^ "63 Neighborhood and Regional Parks". fairmountpark.org. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. n.d. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Pathport to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation" (PDF). phila.gov. The City of Philadelphia. December 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  5. ^ "Department History". phila.gov. The City of Philadelphia. n.d. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016. the Fairmount Park Commission, created in 1867, and the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, created in 1951...officially merged on July 1, 2010.
  6. ^ KEYSPOT - About us - What is KEYSPOT?
  7. ^ a b c d e f "The City of Philadelphia, Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan" (PDF). dcnr.state.pa.us. The City of Philadelphia. 2012. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016. The City contains approximately 6,781 acres of watershed parks including East/West Fairmount Parks (2052 ac.), Wissahickon Valley Park (2042 ac.), Pennypack Creek Park (1343 ac.), Cobbs Creek Park (851 ac.), Tacony Creek Park (304 ac.), and Poquessing Creek Park (189 ac.)
  8. ^ "Multi-Sport, Entertainment and Youth Development Center, and FDR Park Revitalization, Alternatives Analysis" (PDF). phila.gov. Project 250 for the City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission. November 2014. p. 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park covers some 348 acres
  9. ^ "Benjamin Rush State Park - History". dcnr.state.pa.us. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. n.d. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016. (History) Benjamin Rush State Park was created in 1975 on 275 acres no longer needed by the hospital.
  10. ^ History of Morris Park
  11. ^ John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge History
  12. ^ Morris Arboretum
  13. ^ Hunting Park
  14. ^ Ryerss Museum & Library, Burholme Park
  15. ^ Awbury Arboretum
  16. ^ Independence National Historical Park - Business Plan
  17. ^ Bartram’s Garden
  18. ^ Wissinoming Park
  19. ^ Penn Park
  20. ^ Fisher Park, Olney’s Safe Haven
  21. ^ Explore Glen Foerd - The Grounds
  22. ^ Pastorius Park
  23. ^ Clark Park
  24. ^ Malcolm X Park
  25. ^ Kingsessing Park
  26. ^ Penn Treaty Museum - Penn Treaty Park
  27. ^ The Oval (Eakins)
  28. ^ Franklin's Paine Skatepark
  29. ^ Drexel Park
  30. ^ Cira Green, Blue roof & green roof technologies
  31. ^ Girard Park
  32. ^ Dickinson Square Park
  33. ^ Jefferson Square Park History
  34. ^ Starr Garden

External links edit

  Media related to Parks in Philadelphia at Wikimedia Commons

  • Philadelphia's Nature, Parks and Gardens, at VisitPhilly.com
  • History of Philadelphia's public parks, at The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia