Most of America’s large cities have an iconic park, often a century old and sometimes much older. Belle Isle, in the middle of the Detroit River, opened in 1845. Central Park in Manhattan dates from 1858. Buena Vista Park, which offers a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, has been welcoming visitors since 1867. But the oldest city park in America is Boston Common, established in 1634. (Age isn’t everything. They may not be the oldest, but these are America’s largest city parks.)
About two million acres of public parkland flourish in the country’s 100 largest cities alone, according to The Trust for Public Land’s 2021 City Park Facts, the latest edition of the nonprofit’s annual parks data compilation. That’s roughly the size of Yellowstone National Park and larger than several states. An estimated 75% of residents in those 100 metros live within a 10-minute walk of a public park, up from 67.5% in 2012, the TPL notes.
24/7 Tempo reviewed data from the TPL report to identify the oldest city parks in the country. Nearly all of them commemorate or are reciassociated with historical events.
According to the Freedom Trail Foundation, America’s oldest park, Boston Common, was founded in 1634 when Puritan colonists bought the 44-acre site for 30 pounds from its owner, an Anglican minister named William Blackstone.
Local livestock grazed the pasture, or “common land,” until 1830. But Puritans being Puritans, Boston Common had also been the site of public punishments for witches, murderers, and other criminals, real or imagined. In 1775, Boston Common played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. It was there that British troops trained before clashing with colonists at the first battles of the war at Lexington and Concord. (Boston is one of the many American towns founded before the American Revolution.)
50. Coeur d’Alene Park, Spokane, Washington
> Year established: 1883
> Park agency: Spokane Parks and Recreation Department
49. White Park, Riverside, California
> Year established: 1883
> Park agency: Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
48. Drips Park, Kansas City, Missouri
> Year established: 1882
> Park agency: Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation
47. Baxter Square, Louisville, Kentucky
> Year established: 1880
> Park agency: Louisville Parks and Recreation
46. Lincoln Park, Long Beach, California
> Year established: 1880
> Park agency: Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine
45. Savage Park, Toledo, Ohio
> Year established: 1877
> Park agency: Toledo Division of Parks, Recreation and Forestry
44. Monroe Park, Richmond, Virginia
> Year established: 1877
> Park agency: Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
43. City Park, Dallas, Texas
> Year established: 1876
> Park agency: Dallas Park and Recreation Department
42. Pease Park, Austin, Texas
> Year established: 1876
> Park agency: Austin Parks and Recreation Department
41. Armory Park, Tucson, Arizona
> Year established: 1874
> Park agency: Tucson Parks and Recreation Department
40. Hyde Park, Fort Worth, Texas
> Year established: 1873
> Park agency: Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department
39. Hanscom Park, Omaha, Nebraska
> Year established: 1872
> Park agency: Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property
38. Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Michigan
> Year established: 1872
> Park agency: Detroit Recreation Department
37. Acacia Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado
> Year established: 1871
> Park agency: Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
36. Pantoja Park, San Diego, California
> Year established: 1870
> Park agency: City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department
35. Saint James Park, San Jose, California
> Year established: 1868
> Park agency: San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services
34. DeFremery Park, Oakland, California
> Year established: 1868
> Park agency: Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation
33. Mestizo Curtis Park, Denver, Colorado
> Year established: 1868
> Park agency: Denver Parks and Recreation
32. Cooper Park, Lincoln, Nebraska
> Year established: 1867
> Park agency: Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department
31. Pershing Square, Los Angeles, California
> Year established: 1866
> Park agency: Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
30. San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso, Texas
> Year established: 1858
> Park agency: El Paso Parks and Recreation Department
29. Murphy Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Year established: 1857
> Park agency: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
28. Hemming Park, Jacksonville, Florida
> Year established: 1857
> Park agency: Jacksonville Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department
27. Artesian Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
> Year established: 1854
> Park agency: Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department
26. Chapman Park, Portland, Oregon
> Year established: 1852
> Park agency: Portland Parks & Recreation
25. Fremont Park, Stockton, California
> Year established: 1851
> Park agency: Stockton Community Services Dept (CSD) Stockton Public Works Dept(PW)
24. Goodale Park, Columbus, Ohio
> Year established: 1851
> Park agency: Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
23. Orton Park, Madison, Wisconsin
> Year established: 1850
> Park agency: Madison Parks Division
22. Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia
> Year established: 1850
> Park agency: Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation
21. Rice Park, St. Paul, Minnesota
> Year established: 1849
> Park agency: Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department
20. Sutter Land Grants, Sacramento, California
> Year established: 1849
> Park agency: Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment
19. Portsmouth Square, San Francisco, California
> Year established: 1847
> Park agency: San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
18. East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Year established: 1844
> Park agency: Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
17. Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois
> Year established: 1837
> Park agency: Chicago Park District
16. Cathedral Square Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> Year established: 1835
> Park agency: Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture (within City of Milwaukee)
15. Van Vorst Park, Jersey City, New Jersey
> Year established: 1835
> Park agency: Jersey City Division of Parks and Forestry
14. Market Square, Buffalo, New York
> Year established: 1830
> Park agency: Buffalo Division of Parks and Recreation
13. Patterson Park, Baltimore, Maryland
> Year established: 1827
> Park agency: Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks
12. Columbus Park, Memphis, Tennessee
> Year established: 1819
> Park agency: City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods
11. Piatt Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
> Year established: 1817
> Park agency: Cincinnati Park Board
10. Gravois Park, St. Louis, Missouri
> Year established: 1812
> Park agency: St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry
9. Settlers Landing, Cleveland, Ohio
> Year established: 1796
> Park agency: Cleveland Department of Public Works
8. Moore Square & Nash Square, Raleigh, North Carolina
> Year established: 1792
> Park agency: Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
7. National Mall, Washington, DC
> Year established: 1791
> Park agency: National Park Service, Region 1 – National Capital Area
6. Military Park, Newark, New Jersey
> Year established: 1775
> Park agency: Newark Department of Public Works
5. San Augustín Plaza, Laredo, Texas
> Year established: 1767
> Park agency: Laredo Parks and Recreation Department
4. Bowling Green, New York, New York
> Year established: 1733
> Park agency: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
3. San Pedro Springs Park, San Antonio, Texas
> Year established: 1729
> Park agency: San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department
2. Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana
> Year established: 1721
> Park agency: New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways
1. Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts
> Year established: 1634
> Park agency: Boston Parks and Recreation Department