Schenley Park () is a large municipal park in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It is located between the neighborhoods of

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, Greenfield, and

Squirrel Hill Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated a ...

. It is also listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

. In 2011, the park was named one of "America's Coolest City Parks" by ''

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly Wyndham Destinations, Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation) is an American timeshare company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It develops, sells, and manages timeshare properties under several vacation ownershi ...

''. The park is made up of donated by

Mary Schenley Mary Elizabeth Croghan Schenley (April 27, 1826 – November 5, 1903) was an American philanthropist to the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Early life Mary Elizabeth Croghan was born April 27, 1826, near Louisville, Kentucky, to Col. William ...

in 1889 and another that the city subsequently purchased from her. Another were acquired at a later date, bringing the park's total size to , and making it the second largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, behind

Frick Park Frick Park is the largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, covering . It is one of Pittsburgh's four historic large parks. History The park began when Henry Clay Frick, upon his death in 1919, bequeathed south of Clayto ...

. The park borders the campuses of

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

and the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

, and technically Carnegie Mellon University is actually within Schenley Park.

Facilities

Schenley Park features a grand entrance,

Schenley Plaza Schenley Plaza is a public park serving as the grand entrance into Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The plaza, located on Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive in the city's Oakland district, includes multiple gardens, food kiosks, public m ...

, and several miles of hiking trails and a large pond in

Panther Hollow Panther Hollow is a small, somewhat isolated neighborhood at the bottom of Joncaire Street in Junction Hollow that runs along Boundary Street and is located in the Central Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood was settle ...

. Across from the

Phipps Conservatory Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden set in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a City of Pittsburgh historic landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens wer ...

Flagstaff Hill Flagstaff Hill usually refers to a hill on which a flag was erected. It may refer to: Place names Australia * Flagstaff Hill, near Linton, Victoria * Flagstaff Hill, Melbourne, a hill in the historic Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne * Flagstaff Hill, S ...

, a popular place to watch outdoor movies in the summer. In the early days of Schenley Park, the area known as "The Oval" was used for horse racing. Today, it has 13 tennis courts, an all weather running track, and a soccer field. There is also an ice skating rink, public swimming pool, and an 18-hole disc golf course nearby. Schenley Park also contains the

Bob O'Connor Golf Course Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park, formerly known as Schenley Park Golf Course, is located in the rolling hills of Schenley Park between Oakland and Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is the only golf course within the ci ...

. The golf course includes an indoor practice facility where golfers can play a " virtual" round on

Pebble Beach Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...

and other famous courses. Cross country running meets are held in the park. It is the home course for the

men's and women's cross country teams. The 1921

USA Cross Country Championships The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as ...

were held in the park.

Annual events

Since 1983, Schenley Park has been home to a vintage motor sports car race, the

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is a vintage motor sports car race and 10-day Motorsport Festival that takes place annually in mid-July in Schenley Park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. With an estimated 200,000 spectators ...

, that takes place annually in mid-July. Additionally, since 1993, the park has been home to the Komen Pittsburgh

Race for the Cure Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States. Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...

, an annual fundraising event for breast cancer and

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

tradition with more than 35,000 participants.

's annual

Spring Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

contests its Sweepstakes, a buggy race, on Tech Avenue, Schenley Drive, and Frew Street.

History

In 1842, Mary Elizabeth Croghan of Pittsburgh, who was 15 at the time,

elope Elopement is a term that is used in reference to a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting ma ...

d with 43-year-old Captain

Edward Schenley Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

. The couple moved to England. Mary's father attempted to terminate her inheritance in a lawsuit, but was unsuccessful. Mary's maternal grandfather, General James O'Hara, bequeathed to her a parcel of land known as the "Mt. Airy Tract." Mary's wealth attracted the attention of several land developers in the Pittsburgh area as well as Edward Bigelow, the Director of the Department of Public Works in Pittsburgh. In 1889, Bigelow learned that the agent of a land developer planned to travel to London to attempt to purchase the land from Mary. Bigelow sent an East Liberty lawyer by train to

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 ...

where he then boarded a steamer bound for England. The lawyer beat the real estate agent by two days. After negotiations with Mary, Bigelow's lawyer entered into an agreement to give of the Mt. Airy Tract to the city of Pittsburgh with an option to purchase more, under the conditions that the park be named after her and never be sold. The city agreed and immediately purchased the additional land. Bigelow began to develop the newly renamed Schenley Park for recreational uses. He hired William Falconer to lead the

Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden set in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a City of Pittsburgh historic landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens wer ...

which was built in 1893. In 1895,

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

built the Carnegie Museum and Music Hall, establishing Oakland and Schenley Park as a cultural icon.

Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of t ...

, the home field of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, was adjacent to Schenley Park during its lifespan (1909–1970).

Recent developments

*In 2001, after extensive renovations, the Schenley Park Visitor Center opened in one of the park's original buildings. The building had previously served as a tool shed, the home of the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, and a nature museum, until closing in the late 1980s. *In spring 2006, the

area was converted to its original use as a grand entrance to Schenley Park. Although it was originally designed as a grand entrance, it had been used as a parking lot for many years. The new park area features a carousel and several small food stands. *In 2022, Judge John McVay approved the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park. The bronze and granite statue is 13-feet tall, and has stood in the park since 1958. City of Pittsburgh officials decided to remove the statue in 2020 due to Columbus’ association with racism and colonialism. The Italian Sons and Daughters of America challenged this decision, but McVay’s 2022 ruling stated that the city was free to take down the statue.

Gallery

File:Westinghouse Memorial Schenley Park 2.jpg, The

Westinghouse Memorial The Westinghouse Memorial is a bronze monument located in the U.S. city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It commemorates George Westinghouse, an engineer, founder of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and inventor of the railway air brake. The memo ...

in Schenley Park File:Panther Hollow Bridge.jpg,

Panther Hollow Bridge Panther Hollow Bridge is a steel three-hinged deck arch bridge carrying Panther Hollow Road over Panther Hollow in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This bridge in the city's Oakland district has a main span of , total length , and a ...

seen from Panther Hollow Lake in Schenley Park File:Christopher Columbus monument in Schenley Park 2.JPG, Statue of Christopher Columbus File:Bob O'Connor Golf Course.jpg, Bob O'Connor Golf Course clubhouse

Notes

References

*Patricia Lowry (2006)
Schenley Plaza Dedication: story by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Retrieved June 4, 2006. * *Ben Muessig (2006)

Retrieved February 17, 2007.

External links

*

* {{Pittsburgh Panthers football navbox Carnegie Mellon Tartans College cross country courses in the United States Cross country running courses in Pennsylvania Defunct college football venues Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Motorsport venues in Pennsylvania Parks in Pittsburgh Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks Pittsburgh Panthers football Urban forests in the United States Urban public parks Works Progress Administration in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh 1889 establishments in Pennsylvania Protected areas established in 1889