Bush's Pasture Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bush's Pasture Park (90.5 acres) is a public park and botanical garden in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is also the site of the Asahel Bush House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. [1]
The park and Italianate Victorian house date to 1877-1878 when they were built for Asahel Bush II, founder of the Oregon Statesman newspaper and subsequently of the Ladd and Bush Bank. In 1882 Bush added a still-extant conservatory for his daughters, claimed to be the first greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. It is now filled with period plants.
Today the park contains trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, natural groves of old Oregon White Oak trees, cherry and apple orchards, and a rose garden with over 2,000 roses. Willamette University's McCulloch Stadium (football, track and field) and Spec Keene Stadium (baseball) [2] are located in the park, hosting a variety of university and community events, such as the Salem Jaycees' Kids Relays [3] and the amateur soccer team the Cascade Surge of the USL Premier Development League. The park also has a soap box derby track that is home to the Salem Soap Box Derby [4] and downhill skateboarding events [5].
The park is open daily to the public without charge, however, admission fees are charged for the Bush House Museum and the Bush Barn Art Center, which are operated by the Salem Art Association. The Art Association also organizes the Salem Art Fair and Festival in the park each year on the third weekend of July.
