A beautiful commemorative memorial park dotted with roses throughout the year. It is a must-visit to refresh the soul!
Designed by Olmsted, Vaux & Company in 1870. The upper portion features a scenic overlook and the lower consists of a meadow framed by paths circling a lawn. Read on to learn more.
Popular cultural locations here include the New Britain Youth Museum, New Britain Museum of American Art, and Copernican Observatory & Planetarium, all of which produce wonderful sightseeing memories and night-time activities. Top hotels near nature here provide straightforward access to these venues by public transport, plus dining choices with outdoor options too.
Location
The city’s 44 parks and open spaces provide a variety of events, facilities, and activities. This includes special events, concerts, and tournaments as well as baseball, cricket, football, soccer, softball, and basketball courts and fields. There are also tennis, racquetball, and fitness trails, a public swimming pool, and a skate park.
The 98-acre park still reflects the Olmsted, Vaux & Company plan of 1870. The main feature of the design is a hillside called Walnut Hill, surrounded by a meadow called the Common. A 90-foot-tall obelisk marks the uppermost point of the hill.
The obelisk was designed by the renowned memorial architect, Harold Van Buren McGonigle. He intended that a grand walkway, which followed the slope down to West Main Street, would connect to the monument. The walkway was not constructed until 1930 when steps were installed to match the scale of the obelisk. In the same year, a rose garden was planted on the site of the former reservoir.
Parking
In the heart of Downtown New Britain, this park offers residents and visitors a variety of monthly parking options. Residential driveways and garages offer security and protection from the elements, while commercial parking lots provide easy access for commuters. These parking spaces may also include amenities like motion-activated lighting and CCTV surveillance.
This 98-acre park still reflects the design of Olmsted, Vaux & Company, landscape architects of the famous Frederick Law Olmsted parks. Roads ascend a hillside to an oval lawn framed on a minor axis by colonnades and quadrants of rose bushes. At one end of the lawn is a monument to city soldiers who served in World War I, a structure designed by Harold Van Buren Magonigle.
The lawn is complemented by recreation fields and an upper outlook and monument. Street parking is available throughout the area, with additional parking near the rose garden and the memorial to the soldiers. Discover More about Plantsville here.
Facilities
This park is a beautiful place to get your daily steps in or take a relaxing stroll with the family. The park has a large band shell, a rose garden, 3 sizeable parking areas, and plenty of open field space for walking or running your dog.
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1870, the upper portion of the park was designed as a scenic overlook with a meandering walkway leading down to West Main Street. This area is now the home to a 90-foot limestone obelisk that was built in 1930 as a memorial to the city’s World War I soldiers.
The lower acreage was developed as an open meadow with paths circling the lawn, just as Olmsted originally planned. Today, Walnut Hill Park is a lovely composition of trees and turf just as Olmsted intended. The New Britain Parks and Recreation Department maintains this historic park with sensitivity to its Olmsted design, history, and character.
Events
The park offers a diverse selection of sports and recreation facilities and activities including tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, ice skating areas, and a jogging path. During the summer you can also enjoy the beautiful rose garden.
The New Britain Historic Walking Trail is a great way to learn more about the city and its history along 3 different loops that offer you an opportunity to discover many of the borough’s most prominent landmarks, distinguished citizens, and significant memorials.
The CT Race in the Park will take place in Walnut Hill Park this Mother’s Day Weekend, benefiting Connecticut Breast Health Initiative. Join thousands of people in honoring survivors, remembering loved ones, celebrating life, and raising much-needed funds to advance the fight against breast cancer! Runners can participate in either the 5K Run or 4K/1-Mile Walk, and children are encouraged to get involved with the Kids Fun Run. All runners will receive a commemorative event shirt, an exclusive survivor finisher medal, and more! Discover more interesting articles.
Driving directions from The Powerwashing Kings to Walnut Hill Park
Driving directions from Walnut Hill Park to New Britain Museum of American Art