City Park, a public
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
in
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, is the 87th largest and 20th-most-visited urban public park in the United States. City Park is approximately 50% larger than
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the municipal park recognized by Americans nationwide as the archetypal urban greenspace. Although it is an
urban park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...
whose land is owned by the City of New Orleans, it is administered by the City Park Improvement Association, an arm of
state government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
, not by the New Orleans Parks and Parkways Department. City Park is unusual in that it is a largely self-supporting public park, with most of its annual budget derived from self-generated revenue through user fees and donations. In the wake of the enormous damage inflicted upon the park due to
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism began to partially subsidize the park's operations.
City Park holds the world's largest collection of mature
live oak
Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are not more closely related to each other than they are to other oaks.
...
trees, some older than 600 years in age. The park was founded in 1854, making it the 48th oldest park in the country, and established as the "City Park" in 1891.
History
The Dueling Oaks
![CityParkNewOrleans2005-07OakTrees](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/CityParkNewOrleans2005-07OakTrees.jpg)
The park was originally a location used for
dueling
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and la ...
. In the 1800s, men would defend their pride and honor by dueling each other under the oaks at what is now City Park but then was a normally quiet spot secluded from the rest of the city. Originally, there were two "dueling oaks," but one was lost in a hurricane in 1949.
Some of the city's most notable figures who participated in duels in City Park include
Bernard de Marigny
Jean-Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville (1785–1868), known as Bernard de Marigny, was a French- Creole American nobleman, playboy, planter, politician, duelist, writer, horse breeder, land developer, and President of the Louisia ...
, a nobleman and president of the Louisiana Senate in 1822-23. Many of the disputes between parties were either reconciled before the duel or after one party sustained a minor injury. Dueling deaths were reported, however. In 1805, Micajah Green Lewis, Gov.
William C.C. Claiborne
William Charles Cole Claiborne ( 1773–1775 – November 23, 1817) was an American politician, best known as the first non-colonial governor of Louisiana. He also has the distinction of possibly being the youngest member of the United State ...
's private secretary and brother-in-law, was killed by Robert Sterry, a Claiborne opponent. By 1890, dueling was outlawed.
New Orleans City Park lost approximately 2,000 trees after
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
and the federal levee failures, but the Dueling Oak still stands where Dueling Oaks Drive meets Dreyfous Drive between the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and the
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art (or NOMA) is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the ...
. There’s a small sign in front of it.
Park history
City Park was established in the mid-19th century on land fronting Metairie Road (now City Park Avenue), along the remains of
Bayou Metairie
Bayou Metairie was a stranded distributary bayou that was located in present-day New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, USA, that extended from the area known as River Ridge to Bayou St. John. Bayou Metairie was filled in du ...
, a former distributary of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. The tract of land, formerly the Allard Plantation, became city property in 1850 through John McDonogh's will and was reserved for park purposes. In 1854, the 4th District Court pronounced the property a public park. The park originally extended 100 acres back from City Park Avenue, as
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
land covered most of the landscape between Bayou Metairie and the south shore of
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...
. This area, to the north of the original park, was actually platted for streets by city planners, though none was ever realized. In 1891, the City Park Improvement Association was founded, and the property was officially established as "City Park."
![CityParkLagoonCanoeShade1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/CityParkLagoonCanoeShade1900.jpg)
The carousel, originally mule-driven, opened in 1897, and was updated to a mechanical carousel in 1906. The miniature train opened in 1898 and the original golf course was built in 1902. A racetrack opened February 11, 1905, but closed only 3 years later in 1908. In the first two decades of the 20th century, numerous improvements were undertaken by the City Park Improvement Association. The
Peristyle
In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=fou ...
was constructed in 1907 and the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, later renamed the
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art (or NOMA) is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the ...
, opened in 1911. Two years later, in 1913, the Casino building opened offering refreshments. The Casino building is currently occupied b
Cafe Du Monde The Popp Bandstand was constructed in 1917 and dedicated on July 4. The Irby swimming pool was built in 1924. City Park's governing board also accomplished a number of large land acquisitions, such that the park assumed its current boundaries.
In 1915, the
Gen. Beauregard Equestrian Statue was erected at the entrance to City Park. On June 24, 2015, New Orleans Mayor
Mitch Landrieu
Mitchell Joseph Landrieu ( ; born August 16, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 2004 to ...
acknowledged the impact of the June 2015
Charleston church shooting
On June 17, 2015, a mass shooting occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine African Americans were killed during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Among those people who were killed was the senior past ...
, and called for the removal of several city memorials to
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
slaveholders. On December 17, 2015, the
New Orleans City Council
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The current mayor-council form of city government was created in 1954, following the 1950 amendment of the state constitution that provide ...
voted 6-1 to remove the Gen. Beauregard statue, along with three other historical monuments; the Beauregard statue was removed on May 16, 2017.
In 1919, William McFadden purchased property on the park and built a mansion. In 1949, this mansion began to be used as Christian Brothers School, an all-boys middle school for grades 5-7, and still remains a boys' school today. In 1927, the city extended the park by 900 acres, and the first tennis courts were built in the following year. In 1928,
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...
performed at the Popp bandstand.
The park was expanded in the 1930s due to a $12 million grant from the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. A master plan, by
Bennett, Parsons & Frost of Chicago was commissioned to guide the development of the greatly enlarged park; this plan was largely implemented in the 1930s by the W.P.A. This included the installation of many sculptures by WPA artist
Enrique Alférez
Enrique Alférez (1901–1999) was a Mexican artist who specialized in sculpting architectural reliefs and the human form.
Early life and education
Born in a rural village in northern Mexico, Alférez was introduced to sculpture by his fath ...
, construction of buildings, bridges, roads, and much of the electrical and plumbing infrastructure that were still serving the park when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. A formal rose garden was developed, the genesis of today's
New Orleans Botanical Garden
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. The first classical garden in New Orleans, it was funded by the Works Progress Administration.
History and development
1930s: Planning and cons ...
. The WPA also planted Couterie Forest and constructed Popp Fountain, City Park Stadium, a second 18-hole golf course - home for many years to the New Orleans Open golf tournament - and a golf clubhouse, which was later partially demolished to accommodate
I-610.
Many events have taken place at
Tad Gormley Stadium
Tad Gormley Stadium (originally City Park Stadium) is a 26,500 seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium, located in City Park, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The stadium is home to the University of New Orleans Privateers men's and women's track and field ...
in City Park. Actress
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...
from New Orleans traveled the country selling
war bonds
War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are a ...
, and in 1942, made a stop in her hometown to sell war bonds in Tad Gormley stadium.
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
performed in the stadium in 1944.
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
and
Trigger
Trigger may refer to:
Notable animals and people
;Mononym
* Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers
;Nickname
* Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist
* "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster
;Surname
* Bru ...
appeared in the stadium in 1959. Even the
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
performed in the stadium in 1964, and tickets costed just $5. In 1992, Tad Gormley Stadium was remodeled to host the US Olympic Track & Field Trials.
After World War II, two additional 18-hole golf courses were added, I-610 was constructed through the park, a new golf clubhouse was erected, the Wisner Foundation subsidized the development of a scenic
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
running almost the entire length of
Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John () is a bayou within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Bayou as a natural feature drained the swampy land of a good portion of what was to become New Orleans, into Lake Pontchartrain. In its natural state, it extended much ...
(Wisner Boulevard), and multiple rounds of expansion and improvement occurred involving various park facilities. By the 1970s, City Park featured four 18-hole golf courses, over 50 tennis courts, numerous other athletic fields and facilities, and the newly expanded
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art (or NOMA) is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the ...
. However, as was the case with many urban parks during this period, City Park began to suffer neglect, the result of insufficient maintenance due to budget cuts. Towards the end of this period the Friends of City Park were formed (1979) to rally support and raise resources for the park.
The first
City Park Big Bass Fishing Rodeo took place in the park in 1946. In 1960, 593 fishermen from around the country participated in the rodeo.
Until 1958, two years after Storyland opened, all park amenities, including the playground and Storyland, were restricted to white residents. African American children and families were banned from entering the park.
![FEMA - 15017 - Photograph by Jocelyn Augustino taken on 08-30-2005 in Louisiana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/FEMA_-_15017_-_Photograph_by_Jocelyn_Augustino_taken_on_08-30-2005_in_Louisiana.jpg)
Since 1999, City Park has been the venue for the
Voodoo Experience
The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience (formerly The Voodoo Music Experience), commonly referred to as Voodoo or Voodoo Fest, is a multi-day music and arts festival held in City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Voodoo Experience has hosted more t ...
, which has become the largest of the live music events held in the park.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
in August 2005 did $43 million in damage to the park, with winds toppling an estimated 1,000 trees and damaging many more. The subsequent failure of multiple floodwalls brought about the inundation of much of the city, and 95% of the park was flooded with to of water that remained for two to four weeks, damaging all buildings, amusement rides, maintenance equipment, electrical systems and vehicles, and causing the death of more trees and landscaping - including nearly the entire plant collection in the
New Orleans Botanical Garden
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. The first classical garden in New Orleans, it was funded by the Works Progress Administration.
History and development
1930s: Planning and cons ...
.
About 75,000 local and national volunteers assisted in repair projects that began in 2005. As of 2017, City Park is administered and being redeveloped according to its 2005 master plan, the existence of which proved invaluable to the effective channeling of rebuilding assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The park has recovered since Hurricane Katrina with the facilities having reopened and many new attractions being added, including a water park coming soon and many future plans such as a skate park and an Environmental Education Center. A dedicated bikeway was added between Wisner Boulevard and Bayou St. John for the length of the parkway, another was installed between Bayou St. John and Marconi Drive along the park's northern boundary, and a third was introduced alongside Harrison Avenue. Most recently, a landscaped walk debuted surrounding Big Lake, adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art. This new amenity, called for in the park's 2005 master plan, has realized the long-held wish of surrounding neighborhoods for a pedestrian- and bicycle-only scenic walk akin to the popular facility long offered in
Audubon Park,
Uptown
Uptown may refer to:
Neighborhoods or regions in several cities
United States
* Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
* Uptown, area surrounding the University of C ...
.
Facilities
Athletic facilities
![Tad Gormley Stadium (New Orleans, LA) - Away Grandstand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Tad_Gormley_Stadium_%28New_Orleans%2C_LA%29_-_Away_Grandstand.jpg)
*
City Park Cross Country Course
The City Park Cross Country Course is a cross country course in City Park in New Orleans. The 2.00 mile/3.22 km grass loop cross country course is all flat and starts near the corner of Wisner Boulevard and Harrison Avenue.
The course is the hom ...
* City Park Disc Golf Course
* City Park Driving Range
*
City Park Golf Courses
*
City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center
The City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center is a tennis facility located in City Park in New Orleans, United States. The facility, built in 2011, serves as the home of the Loyola Wolf Pack and Tulane Green Wave tennis teams.
The facility offers 26 lighted ...
*
City Park Practice Track
The City Park Practice Track or City Park Track is a 400-meter polyurethane track located in City Park (New Orleans), City Park in New Orleans. It was originally built as the practice/auxiliary track for the 1992 United States Olympic Trials (trac ...
*
City Park Rugby Pitch
* City Putt
*
Lagoon Soccer Fields
*
Matt Savoie Soccer Complex
*
Pan American Stadium
*
Quadruplex (Softball)
*
Rotary Baseball Field
*
Scout Island Athletic Fields (Lacrosse)
*
Tad Gormley Stadium
Tad Gormley Stadium (originally City Park Stadium) is a 26,500 seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium, located in City Park, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The stadium is home to the University of New Orleans Privateers men's and women's track and field ...
Attractions and Recreation
* Bike and Boat Rentals
*
Carousel Gardens Amusement Park
Carousel Gardens is a seasonally operated amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana at City Park (New Orleans), City Park. It features many rides, including the Live Oak Ladybug Roller coaster, Rollercoaster, a ferris wheel, a drop tower ca ...
* Celebration in the Oaks
* Christian Brothers School
* City Park Birding Corridor
* Couturie Forest: this 60-acre forest is made up of eight distinct ecosystems and is home to New Orleans’ highest point of elevation: Laborde Mountain. The entrance to the forest is on Harrison Avenue.
* Dog Park
* Festival Grounds
* Fishing
![Wildflower field at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Wildflower_field_at_City_Park_in_New_Orleans%2C_Louisiana.jpg)
* Gift Shop and Welcome Center
*
Gondola
The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull ...
Rides
* Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn
* Helis Foundation Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden
* Historic Structures
* Horse Stables
* Louisiana Children's Museum
*
New Orleans Botanical Garden
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. The first classical garden in New Orleans, it was funded by the Works Progress Administration.
History and development
1930s: Planning and cons ...
*
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art (or NOMA) is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the ...
, considered one of the finest art museums in the South
* Storyland
![City Park 12-12-12 Morning Call Exterior 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/City_Park_12-12-12_Morning_Call_Exterior_1.JPG)
* Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
* Trails: Zemurray Trail, Couturie Trail, Scout Island Trail, and bike paths
* Water Park
* Weddings & Catering
* Wildflower fields
Dining
* Ralph's on the Park
* Cafe Du Monde
* Parker’s Café
* Parker’s Pizza
References
External links
New Orleans City Park official websiteCelebration in the OaksFriends of City ParkEquest FarmNew Orleans Museum of Art and Besthoff Sculpture Garden
{{Authority control
Music venues in Louisiana
Parks in New Orleans
Works Progress Administration in Louisiana
1854 establishments in Louisiana