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Washington Park (1900) originally called West Park is a park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. From 1892–1958 the park was home to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It is one of the oldest parks in Milwaukee and it was added to the Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory in 2019.
The park was originally called West Park after the city purchased the 128.5 acres in 1891. The park is one of the oldest in the Milwaukee County Parks system. The Wisconsin Historical Society has said that the land was purchased for $387,793.75 USD.
In 1900 the park was renamed Washington Park. The park's designer was landscape architect
Washington Park (1900) originally called West Park is a park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. From 1892–1958 the park was home to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It is one of the oldest parks in Milwaukee and it was added to the Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory in 2019.
History
The park was originally called West Park after the city purchased the 128.5 acres in 1891. The park is one of the oldest in the Milwaukee County Parks system. The Wisconsin Historical Society has said that the land was purchased for $387,793.75 USD.
In 1900 the park was renamed Washington Park. The park's designer was landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
. The city of Milwaukee placed their first Zoo in the park and it remained there from the park's opening in 1892 until 1958. The neighborhood around the park came to be known as the Washington Park neighborhood of Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Historical Society surveyed the proerty in 2019 and added it to the Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory.
The Zoo had a Gorilla named Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
. The Gorilla was the main attraction for the Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee from the moment he arrived in 1950. The Zoo celebrated his fifth birthday with soda and a cake in front of his cage.
Design
Olmsted's design called for bridges, ponds, lagoons and trees and shrubs. The design eventually included a zoo, and there was also a one mile horse racing track. The park also had other sports facilities including grass tennis courts and a six hole golf course. In 1938 Emil Blatz built a bandshell in the park and it was called the Blatz Temple of Music.See also
*Parks of Milwaukee
Most parks in Milwaukee are owned and maintained by Milwaukee County as part of a county-wide system. However, some parks are administered by other entities, such as the state of Wisconsin, the city of Milwaukee, or neighborhood organizations.
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References
{{coord, 43.053, -87.968, type:landmark_region:US-WI, display=title Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Parks in Wisconsin County parks in Wisconsin Protected areas of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Urban public parks Geography of Milwaukee Tourist attractions in Milwaukee