Philadelphia's Fairmount Park is the largest city-owned park system in the world. What many residents don't even know, however, Fairmount Park is not just one single park but 63 neighborhood parks comprising over 9,200 acres and over 10% of the land within the City and County of Philadelphia.
Within this vast park system you'll find a Japanese tea house and garden, athletic fields, eight world-class museums, five historic city squares, historic Colonial mansions, magnificent sculpture gardens, a modern outdoor summer theater, numerous picnic areas, the nation's first zoo, one of the nation's top botanical gardens, paths for biking, the site of the nation's Centennial Exposition of 1876, six golf courses, trails for jogging and walking, woods for hiking, a world famous parkway modeled after the Champs-Élysées and much more.
The origins of Fairmount Park actually date back to a survey done for the city's founder William Penn in 1682 which identified the hill where the Philadelphia Museum of Art currently sits as "Faire Mount." It was this same area that the city selected for its new reservoir and water supply in 1812. The recently resorted Fairmount Water Works still stands today.
In 1822, a dam was completed across the Schuylkill River in order to increase the city's water supply. As a result the Schuylkill River north of the dam widened.
The city began to buy and landscape areas of either side of the river to protect the water quality from industrial pollution. The river's banks became a popular area for city residents.
In 1844 the city purchased Robert Morris' nearby estate, Lemon Hill and dedicated it as a public park called Fairmount Park. Finally in 1855, the city officially placed all of these lands in the public trust and, in 1867, the Fairmount Park Commission was established to oversee the creation of a public park along the Schuylkill.
Over the next 150+ years, the park has grown to what we know today as Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.
Of the 62 neighborhood parks that make up Fairmount Park, the largest are: East and West Parks (along the Schuylkill River), Franklin D. Roosevelt Park (in South Philadelphia), Pennypack Park (near the Montgomery County border), Poquessing Park (in the Far Northeast), Tacony Creek Park (near Cheltenham Township) and Wissahickon Valley Park (in the Northwest section of the city). View a map of all 62 parks.
In addition Center, Franklin, Logan, Rittenhouse and Washington Squares are also part of Fairmount Park as are the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, JFK Plaza (a.k.a. Love Park) and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The Fairmount Park system has 368 athletic fields and outdoor courts, a number of scenic horse trails and open cross-country terrain, 34 miles of waterways for fishing, countless picnic spots, six golf courses and one driving range and even a skate park (located in FDR Park in South Philadelphia).
Lloyd Hall on Boathouse Row has the dual role as a community recreation center as well as a public boathouse for the city where some of the best rowing in the nation can be found on the Schuylkill River. Edgeley Field in East Fairmount Park is a great place to see or participate in organized Frisbee games.
Within the park are over 215 miles of scenic, recreation trails perfect for hiking, jogging or biking. You'll find sidewalks, off-road trails, paths through the woods and walkways along a creek or river. Be sure to check out Fairmount Park's Trail Rules and Regulations.
The historic mansions of Fairmount Park offer beautiful examples of Colonial architecture and interiors from an age when these were the country homes of Philadelphia's elite. Among these homes are Cedar Grove, Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Strawberry Mansion, Sweetbriar, and Woodsford. At various times of the year tours are offered to take you through several of these mansions.
Some of the historic sites found within the park include the Japanese House and Garden (Shofuso) originally sent by the Japanese government to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and relocated to its present location in 1957.
Memorial Hall, a National Historic Landmark, represents the only significant structure remaining from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Beginning in 2008 Memorial Hall will be the new home to the Please Touch Museum.
Contrary to popular opinion, the large columns at the entrance to Memorial Hall were not part of the Centennial Exposition. They constitute the Smith Civil War memorial which was built in 1890 to honor the heroes of the Civil War.
Surprising to many, the museums along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway actually sit on land that is part of the Fairmount Park System. These include: The Academy of Natural Sciences, The Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum.
The American Swedish Historical Museum sits in Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia.
The newly restored Fairmount Water Works sits behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the banks of the Schuylkill.
The Ryerss Museum and Library with its magnificent collection of oriental art is located in a large Victorian mansion in Burholme Park in Northeast Philadelphia.
Gardens:
Often overlooked, the Azalea Garden on the grounds of the Philadelphia Museum of Art features four acres with 150 different species of azaleas and rhododendrons intermingle with irises, tulips, sycamores, oaks and hundreds of blooming annuals and perennials.
Bartram's Garden, America's oldest living botanical garden contains the National Historic Landmark house and garden of America's first native born botanist John Bartram (1699-1777) as well as native plants, wildflower meadow, and wetland. It is located along the western bank of the Schuylkill River in the Greys Ferry area of the city.
The Horticulture Center, a modern exhibition hall and greenhouse, was built for the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. It sits on the site of the former Horticultural Hall, an 1876 Centennial Exposition building, and is just a short walk from the Japanese House and Garden. Within its walls are a visitor center and greenhouse where one can see many tropical plants and a fine collection of statues interspersed in the greenery. Outdoors are lovely gardens in which to take a leisurely stroll.
Philadelphia Zoo:
Perhaps Fairmount Park's most popular attraction with over 1.1 million visitors per year is the Philadelphia Zoo. The nation's first zoo features over 1,300 rare and exotic animals from around the world within 42 acres of picturesque Victorian gardens and historical architecture.
The Zoo’s new $20 million exhibit, Bank of America Big Cat Falls, opened in May of 2006 and features a stunning landscape of lush habitats and waterfalls where guests come face to face with 16 endangered big cats from around the world. Three frisky, 12-week-old Amur tiger cubs, the newest and smallest of the big cats at Bank of America Big Cat Falls, made their public debut in August 2006.
