Forest Park (Springfield)
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Forest Park (735 acres), on the banks of the Connecticut River in Springfield, Massachusetts, is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.
In 1884, O.H. Greenleaf offered 65 acres (260,000 m²) for the establishment of Forest Park. At least 178 acres (720,000 m²) were once the estate of Everett Hosmer Barney, initially a Civil War arms producer and later a clamp-on rollerskates magnate, although the areas of the park that included the Barney mansion itself and a significant portion of the estate were wiped out to construct the Springfield/Longmeadow sections of Interstate 91. The mausoleum of Barney's son and a carriage house still survive from the estate.
Bordering Longmeadow, Massachusetts, among the park's notable attractions is a locally renowned petting zoo, a hockey and ice-skating rink (Cyr Arena), a baseball grandstand and diamond, a rose garden, a bocce court and many miles of walking trails. Other attractions include basketball courts, tennis courts, a beach-sand volleyball court, playgrounds, picnic areas, a swimming pool, a small water spray park for children, a snack bar, ponds with a wide variety of waterfowl, and a small exhibit of dinosaur tracks. A major attraction during the Christmas season is Bright Nights. The trees of the park are decorated with lights in the form of various characters (including many from the works of Springfield native Dr. Seuss) and scenes, some of which are animated. Viewers in automobiles queue up to drive their along a meandering path through the park to see the exhibits.
