Cities can be a lot to take, especially if you live in them. That’s why it’s important to get away once in a while—immerse yourself in the green scene and the country’s culture after, perhaps, a long week of urban stress. Whether a skyline, ancient oak trees, or collections of art soothe your soul, one of these 15 city parks is certainly for you to call.
Central Park
Revered as the first landscaped park in the United States, Central Park in New York City boasts 843 acres of meadows, lakes, and forests. Truly an escape from the busy lives in the city, Central Park has beautiful landscapes one can get lost in amid the bustle of Manhattan. It also has walking paths for those who need a peaceful stroll, gardens for people who love sightseeing, and other areas for recreation like the Central Park Zoo.
Golden State Park
Home to the de Young Museum of Fine Arts and the California Academy of Sciences, the oldest scientific research center in the United States that caters to living native plants, Golden State Park in San Francisco, California is truly the best city park for people with cultured tastes. Its 1,000 acres of wonder also feature other attractions such as the oldest Japanese Tea Garden and the historic water-pump Dutch Windmills from 1903, ensuring a breath of fresh air in the fast-paced city of California.
Balboa Park
A city park that is rich in both culture and nature, Balboa Park in San Diego, California boasts Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, 18 museums, and the infamous San Diego Zoo. Its unique landscape houses the iconic California Tower, while its museums feature art, natural history, and science in the midst of lush gardens. Situated at the heart of San Diego, this 1,200-acre city park offers an accessible escape for those needing both a breather and a cultural experience at the same time.
Millennium Park
This park is one for the eco-friendly art enthusiasts. Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois is infamous for its artistic attractions like Cloud Gate or “The Bean” that aesthetically reflects the city’s skyline, the Crown Fountain that visitors can interact with, and the bandshell Jay Pritzker Pavilion that houses concerts. Aside from these iconic features, this city park also boasts a green roof that captures rainwater, enhances air quality, and reduces flooding.
Forest Park
A place of entertainment, culture, and attractions, Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri features 1,300 acres of green spaces and five cultural institutions such as the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, and Saint Louis Zoo, making it a perfect escape from city life. It boasts a vast nature reserve of forests, prairies, and savannas that offer a peek into the wildlife. Most of its attractions are also freely accessible, enabling its visitors to get the best of all worlds.
Piedmont Park
With only 189 acres, Piedmont Park at the heart of Midtown Atlanta in Georgia may not be as large as the other parks, but its natural beauty and eventful background surely make up for it. It boasts peaceful open fields, vast walking trails, and a swimming pool that’s accessible in the summertime. It is also the site for events such as the annual Atlanta Pride Festival and the filming of Avengers: Infinity War. Historical and cultural, indeed.
Zilker Metropolitan Park
A 350-acre place for recreation and sightseeing, Zilker Metropolitan Park in Austin, Texas is the city’s largest park. It boasts the natural Barton Springs Pool that has a consistent temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit all year long, the Lady Bird Lake that’s perfect for kayaking and canoeing, and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden that guards the dinosaur footprints discovered in 1992. Indeed, with these attractions, who needs a zoo?
Discovery Garden
Truly a green oasis in the middle of the city, Discovery Garden in Houston, Texas offers interactive attractions that let its visitors connect with, learn about, and investigate nature. Its 12-acre land is jam-packed with natural gardens and landscapes such as the Allen Family Rose Garden along with an acre for an amphitheater, kayaking, and dog runs. With its educational and interactive quality, this city park is especially perfect for families who want to reconnect with nature and with each other.
Audubon Park
This city park, situated in New Orleans, Louisiana, is best known for its ancient oak trees that effortlessly create a serene atmosphere in the place. Audubon Park also houses a lagoon with Bird Island, a migratory base for countless birds, a sports area for tennis and soccer, and a 1.8-mile manicured and neat path for jogging. Certainly, this park is for those active individuals who do not mind sweating while relaxing.
Fairmount Park
This city park is the largest landscaped urban park in the world with a size of over 2,000 acres. This is not surprising given its inclusions: several colonial-era mansions, historic collections of sculptures in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the infamous Boxers’ Trail that was used by Philadelphia boxer Joe Frazier for training. On top of all these, Fairmount Park boasts diverse terrain, meadows, and river landscapes, fitting for art lovers who also appreciate nature’s craft.
Griffith Park
This park is arguably the most photographed park in the world, with it being the home of the infamous Hollywood Sign. On top of that, Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California also has various attractions including the Griffith Observatory, which lets the visitors take a panoramic view of the Hollywood Sign and the Pacific Ocean, and the Greek Theatre, which has welcomed countless popular artists. This star-studded city park also offers recreational activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and even swimming, making a visit to this park a once-in-a-lifetime experience, indeed.
Hermann Park
Home to the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, this city park effectively combines recreation with culture. Hermann Park in Houston, Texas is a 445-acre land for hiking, running, and biking along the Brays Bayou, and for sightseeing in McGovern Centennial Gardens, which displays some of the flora of the country’s top landscape architects, and the Japanese Garden, which features oriental plants.
Prospect Park
Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York is both a feast to the eyes and to the heart with its carefully-curated diverse landscapes, zoo, and concert groves. Definitely, some of its attractive features are the 90-acre long, grassy meadow, sections of ravine studded with waterfalls and streams, and Brooklyn’s only 60-acre lake. On top of all these, this city park also preserves a big portion of the city’s surviving indigenous forests.
Liberty Park
Liberty Park offers an extensive glance at the World Trade Center, the site for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and a monument for American Special Forces. It also houses “The Sphere” sculpture, a significant representation of the original World Trade Center. This history-laden park in New York City also brags about its magnificent view of the skyline, which brings definite tranquility and peace amid the bustling city.
Discovery Park (Seattle)
Situated in Seattle, Washington, Discovery Park shows off its almost 12-mile long trails, rich wildlife, cultural center, and scenic beaches across its 534-acre land. In fact, the Seattle Audubon Society has found 270 species of birds in the park alone. The 4.5-mile Lighthouse Loop trail on its ground is also a popular site for running, hiking, and birding on top of its panoramic beaches, which are a home to various marine life. A trip to this park surely takes one’s mind away from the stress in the city.
