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.
This park, located in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, has historically been a neighborhood park. Located adjacent to Algonquin Elementary School (now demolished), Algonquin Park is the home of a playground and wading pool.
Baran Park has primarily been a baseball park, housing several ball diamonds. Nestled between the freeway and the neighborhoods of Bay View, Baran Park has provided a quiet island adjacent to several highly populated areas on Milwaukee's south side.
The original site (called "First Ward Triangle") was donated to the City of Milwaukee by a real estate developer named James H. Rogers in 1847, making it one of the oldest parks in the city. The city soon changed the name to Franklin Park, the later renamed the park in honor of Scottish poet Robert Burns, to whom there is statue.[5]
Caesar's
1939 N Warren Ave
3.7-acre (15,000 m2)
Southern end of the "east bank trail" on the East Side, adjacent to the east bank of the Milwaukee River and the former North Avenue dam. Site was originally acquired by the City of Milwaukee Water Department in 1889 and was named Milwaukee River Dam Park. In 1929, it was transferred to the city's parks department and named Caesar's Park in honor of Caesar Paikowski.[6] In 1997, the city of Milwaukee removed the central section of the North Avenue dam, allowing the water to flow faster.[7]
A portion of the current site has a history of park use which dates back to 1853. At that point in time, Quentin's Park, a private facility, occupied the site of what is now Roosevelt Middle School plus much of the southerly part of Carver Park. In 1879 this land was sold to the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company and Schlitz Park (a popular beer garden) was created.[8] Through the 1940s, the park was called Lapham Park[9] and featured the Lapham Memorial.
The exact site of Milwaukee's second courthouse (1873–1931), as well as neighboring land to the first courthouse, which was just north of the park.[10] Next to St. John's Cathedral and location of "Jazz in the Park," an outdoor summer concert series.
Center Street
6420 W Clarke St
4.5-acre (18,000 m2)
Chippewa
11500 Park Hill Ave
10.5-acre (42,000 m2)
Clarke Square
2330 W Vieau Pl
2.1-acre (8,500 m2)
Donated in 1837 by Nathaniel Brown and Norman and Lydia Clarke, who at the time were real estate developers in the area.[8]
Clas
930 W Wells St
1.0-acre (4,000 m2)
Located adjacent to the south entrance of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The Park Commission acquired the land (which had been a parking lot) from the County Board in 1967. A fountain was added during redevelopment of the space in the 1980s. The park was named after Alfred C. Clas, a prominent architect and planner who also served as a County Park Commissioner (1907–1917)[11]
Columbus, Indigeneous Peoples'
7301 W Courtland Ave
10.4-acre (42,000 m2)
Cooper
8701 W Chambers St
8.4-acre (34,000 m2)
Named for William H. Cooper who served as a member of the Milwaukee County Parks Commission from 1948 to 1955, the park contains a rental pavilion, softball diamonds, a play structure, and a wading pool. The Friends of Cooper Park partner with the county for park improvements, volunteer activities, and community events.[12]
Photo of the Cooper Park pavilion from SE
Copernicus
2150 W Klein Ave
20.3-acre (82,000 m2)
Cudahy
3000 E Ramsey Ave
17.6-acre (71,000 m2)
Cudahy Nature Preserve
501 E College Ave
42.2-acre (171,000 m2)
Cupertino
2000 E Iron St
7.1-acre (29,000 m2)
Named after County Supervisor Daniel Cupertino, this area was previously the northernmost portion of Southshore Park.
Located on the northwest side of Milwaukee, the park land was first acquired in 1951, with major developments in the 1960s. Named in honor of Cornelius R. Dineen, Park Commissioner (1927–1955).[13]
Doctors
1870 E Fox Ln
54.8-acre (222,000 m2)
Doyne
5300 W Wells St
35.4-acre (143,000 m2)
Dretzka
12020 W Bradley Rd
326.0-acre (1,319,000 m2)
The majority of park land was acquired in 1956. The park was named after Jerome C. Dretzka, a member of the Park Commission (1920–1963). The 210-acre (0.85 km2) golf course opened in 1964. Other facilities include a golf driving range, picnic areas, sand volleyball, a multi-use athletic field, a disc golf course, a segment of the Oak Leaf Trail, and a groomed cross-country ski trail.[14]
Located along the easterly bank of the Milwaukee River between Hampton Ave and Capitol Drive. Initial acquisition of land for the park started in 1916. Significant development took place in the early and mid-1930s, led in part by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The historic Benjamin Church House—built by pioneer builder Benjamin F. Church—was moved to the park in 1938.[15] The WITI TV Tower is also located within the park.
Euclid
3200 S 88 St
9.1-acre (37,000 m2)
Falk
2013 W Rawson Ave
215.8-acre (873,000 m2)
Franklin
10400 W Oakwood Rd
164.5-acre (666,000 m2)
Froemming
8801 S 51 St
16.9-acre (68,000 m2)
Garden Homes Square
2600 W Atkinson Ave
1.8-acre (7,300 m2)
Gilman Triangle
2475 N Lake Dr
0.4-acre (1,600 m2)
Gordon
2828 N Humboldt Blvd
25.0-acre (101,000 m2)
The City of Milwaukee purchased the site for Gordon Park in 1907. In 1937, it was turned over to Milwaukee County as part of the consolidation of parks.[16]
Grant
100 E Hawthorne Ave
379.3-acre (1,535,000 m2)
Located in South Milwaukee, established in 1911 after Horace Fowle's sale of farm land.[17]
Milwaukee County's first dog park. Established in 1998, Granville Dog Park sits in what was once the town of Granville before it was annexed by the City of Milwaukee. Originally created by a combination of political leaders and a non-profit group, Partners in Parks, Granville Dog Park is now run exclusively by the Milwaukee County Parks department.
Located in West Allis at the source of both the Root River and Underwood Creek. The majority of land for the park was acquired in 1921. The golf course, designed by George Hansen, opened in 1923. The park's pool became the county's first outdoor swimming pool when it opened in 1932.[18]
Grobschmidt
3751 W College Ave
152.0-acre (615,000 m2)
Composed of oak-hickory woodland, sedge meadow, and a six-acre pond named Mud Lake. Formerly used by Native Americans and is virtually undeveloped except for the park sign and walking trail.
Hales Corners
5765 S New Berlin Rd
33.1-acre (134,000 m2)
Hansen
9800 W Underwood Creek Pkwy
51.4-acre (208,000 m2)
A.C. Hanson
9100 N Maura Ln
13.5-acre (55,000 m2)
This small park in Brown Deer houses a great playground.
First named Reynolds Grove in 1907, renamed in honor of Andrew Jackson in 1910. The park contains the Statue of Commerce or "The Pewter Lady." This statue by sculptor Gustav Haug had originally stood over the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce building in downtown from 1880 until 1909.[20]
Jacobus
6501 W Hillside Ln
26.0-acre (105,000 m2)
The original name of the site was Sholes Park in honor of Christopher Sholes. In 1932, the site was renamed in recognition of the role Charles C. Jacobus, a former county supervisor from Wauwatosa, had in development of the park system.[21]
Named after Solomon Juneau. Overlooks Lake Michigan just north of downtown. Originally under the jurisdiction of the public works department. The original park was a narrow strip of land along the bluff above a busy railroad depot.[8]
Kern
3614 N Humboldt Blvd
30.2-acre (122,000 m2)
King
1531 W Vliet St
21.4-acre (87,000 m2)
Named after Martin Luther King, Jr.. The County Park Commission acquired park land in 1968 from the City of Milwaukee redevelopment agency. The community center opened in 1976, which continued to provide a range of programming.[22]
Kinnickinnic Sports Center
3070 S 20 St
20.0-acre (81,000 m2)
Kletzsch
6560 N Milw. River Pkwy
140.5-acre (569,000 m2)
Adjacent to the Milwaukee River within the City of Glendale. Acquisition of land for the park began in 1918 when the 35-acre (140,000 m2) Blatz farm was purchased. Named after Alvin P. Kletzsch, a member of the Park Commission (1907–1941). Archaeological studies done in the early 1930s indicated that a portion of the park once contained an Indian camp and burial ground.[23]
Kohl
7603 W County Line Rd
273.2-acre (1,106,000 m2)
Named after real estate developer, Sydney Kohl, this land was donated to Milwaukee County but has become undeveloped thus far. Previous to being named the land was called Park Site 71. An effort to explore development of the property was torpedoed by neighbors adjacent to the park in 2000 amid fears of what development could bring.
Kops
3321 N 86 St
8.2-acre (33,000 m2)
Named in honor of Milwaukee County Supervisor, Gerald Henry Kops, the park is located near Mount Mary College. Attorney Kops received his undergraduate degree from NYU and his law degree from Marquette University. He served as Milwaukee County Supervisor for over 20 years in the 1930s nd 1940's. The park includes a wading pool, tot lot and 2 softball diamonds.
The city acquired initial land in 1890 from J. C. Coleman, and the site was referred to as the Coleman Tract and Coleman Park. During the mid-1890s the site was renamed Lincoln Avenue Park and ultimately in 1900 it was named after General Tadeusz Kościuszko, to which there is a statue.[24]
Initially called Silver Spring Park, later renamed in honor of William R. McGovern, the longest serving Park Commissioner (1919–1964). Initial acquisition of the land took place in 1910 when the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors purchased acreage as part of the House of Corrections farm which was located in that area.[25]
McKinley
1750 N Lincoln Memorial Dr
103.3-acre (418,000 m2)
Meaux
1904 W Villard Ave
25.8-acre (104,000 m2)
Melody View Preserve
7300 N 91 St
13.9-acre (56,000 m2)
Prior to acquisition by Milwaukee County, this land was owned by MPS who sold the land to Walgreens who wanted to put a pharmacy on Good Hope Road. Amid neighborhood concerns, the County Supervisor at the time negotiated donation of the land between Walgreens and the Melody View Neighborhood. A walking path which was planned of the park was scrapped amid budget concerns in the late 1990s.
The Tree of Life is at the North end of the park along Bluemound Rd.
Moody
2200 W Burleigh St
4.1-acre (17,000 m2)
Morgan Triangle
3404 S Kinnickinnic Ave
0.9-acre (3,600 m2)
Nash
7800 W Nash St
9.3-acre (38,000 m2)
Noyes
8235 W Good Hope Rd
71.6-acre (290,000 m2)
Housing a par 3 golf course, Noyes Park is a short course on Milwaukee's Northwest side. It also houses a great playground on the western part of the park.
Oakwood
3600 W Oakwood Rd
276.0-acre (1,117,000 m2)
Initial acquisition of land for the park occurred in 1958, the rest was purchased by 1961. The 18-hole golf course (opened in 1971) occupies over one-half of the park and it is the county's longest course at approximately 7,000 yards.[26]
O'Donnell Park
E. Wisconsin Avenue & Prospect
9.3-acre (38,000 m2)
Has views of the lakefront and downtown skyline from benches and picnic tables. Home to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, banquet facilities and plaza gardens used for weddings and other events. The park links the east end of Wisconsin Avenue and the "Calatrava" addition of the Milwaukee Art Museum through the Reiman Bridge. A great place[original research?] to watch daily opening and closing of the Calatrava's white "wings" ("Burke Brise Soleil"), as well as fireworks and sunrises. North half of park was originally part of adjacent Juneau Park and dates back to 1868.
Location of Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church (1904–1967), which stood west across N. Jackson St. from present-day Pompeii Square. The church (known as "the little pink church") was razed for freeway expansion in 1967.[28]
Popuch
8500 W Granville Rd
11.6-acre (47,000 m2)
This small, neighborhood park is a little green oasis with an ADA compliant playground.
Prospect Triangle
Bradford & Maryland
0.6-acre (2,400 m2)
Pulaski – Cudahy
5400 S Swift Ave
15.9-acre (64,000 m2)
Pulaski–Milwaukee
2677 S 16 St
25.9-acre (105,000 m2)
Rainbow
700 S 119 St
25.9-acre (105,000 m2)
Rawson
1400 E Rawson Ave
29.7-acre (120,000 m2)
Red Arrow
920 N Water St
1.2-acre (4,900 m2)
Named in honor of the symbol for the 32nd Infantry Division.[29] The original Red Arrow Park, between N 10th St and N 11th St south of Wisconsin Ave, was lost due to freeway construction. The county acquired the current site (just north of Milwaukee City Hall, east of the Marcus Center) in 1966 from the City of Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority. As part of recent redevelopment of the space, there is now a public outdoor ice-skating rink.[30]
Originally named after James A. Garfield in 1922. In the late 1970s, the park was renamed in honor of Clinton E. Rose who had served as a County Supervisor (1968–1977) and a Park Commissioner (1972–1976).[31]
This land adjacent to the former site of a Servite Order Monastery, the intention of this land was to be a planted and established and undeveloped prairie. The trail, designed by the County Supervisor at the time, was inspired by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Under a public-private partnership, the trail was built by WE energies in exchange for rights to access the power lines through the park.
This park is operated by Milwaukee County Park in the City of Cudahy. It was originally donated to the city by Patrick Cudahy in 1914. It lies on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1892. Originally named West Park, it was renamed Washington Park in 1900. It gradually became the location of the city's zoo in the late 1800s and continued there until 1963. A branch of the Urban Ecology Center opened in the park in 2007.[32] The park also includes a bandshell designed by Fitzhugh Scott, which seats 8,500 people, and opened on August 23, 1938.[33][34]
Location of the Boerner Botanical Gardens. Golf course designed by George Hansen in 1932. Largest park in the system, named after city planner Charles B. Whitnall who was instrumental in starting up the park system.
Located directly west of Wilson Park. Programming is done year around at the indoor ice arena for both open free style skating as well as private groups and clubs. The Milwaukee Admirals continue to use Wilson as a practice facility.[36]
Wisconsin Avenue
10300 W Wisconsin Ave
17.9-acre (72,000 m2)
Wyrick
5400 W Green Tree Rd
17.7-acre (72,000 m2)
Zablocki
3717 W Howard Ave
45.0-acre (182,000 m2)
Zeidler Union Square
301 W Michigan St
1.2-acre (4,900 m2)
First Milwaukee public park in 1835, as Union Square. Acquired by the county in 1937, as Fourth Ward Square. Now named after Milwaukee's 33rd mayor Carl Zeidler.[37]
76th street to 67th street Center to Burleigh/Lisbon
326.0-acre (1,319,000 m2)
Dorothy Enderis was a public recreation pioneer. In her time, this Lady of the Lighted Schoolhouse could look at a sandbox and see the possibility of a playground within walking distance of every child; could meet each playground attendant and see the possibility of training a future community leader; and could view the ravages of the Great Depression and see the city's recreation playfields as social centers that would knit our community together. Enderis Playfield is Home of the Magic Grove sculpture.
Located in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. The site of a summer farmers' market, neighborhood gatherings and Sunday concerts. Features native prairie plantings maintained by neighborhood residents. Named in part after nearby Gordon Park, four blocks east.
City-owned park. The last trace of a Milwaukee fishing village that had been settled by Kaszubs on Jones Island. Smallest park in Milwaukee.[38]
Kilbourn Reservoir
750 E North Ave
35-acre (140,000 m2)
The park was created with the removal of a 135-year-old underground drinking water reservoir that once held 20 million gallons of water. The land was donated in the 1870s to the City of Milwaukee by Mayor Byron Kilbourn.
Green space with a playground in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood alongside a former railroad right of way. It is located 1 block west of Garden Park and across Burleigh Street from the start of Milwaukee's Beerline Trail. It was known as "Baby Park" to Riverwest residents until 1990.
South bank of the Menomonee River, from approximately S. 35th St. to just east of S. 27th St.
24-acre (97,000 m2)
Opened in 2013 on brownfield and former rail yard site in Menomonee Valley. Land is owned by Milwaukee Development Authority, while park is administered jointly by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and nonprofit Urban Ecology Center.[40][41]
Located in the Bayviewneighborhood, and managed by the City of Milwaukee, Department of Public Works. Wisconsin State Historical Marker #373, erected at the park in 1998, honors Bayview's historic immigrant worker population.[43]
