Eden Park is one of Cincinnati’s most well-known and attractive parks between the Mount Adams and Walnut Hills districts.
The park has many lakes, a stunning overlook with sweeping views of the Ohio River, several walking trails, a basketball court, a gazebo, a large pond with a fountain, theKrohn Conservatory, an outdoor pavilion, and lots of green areas for picnics, and it extends almost 190 acres.
One of the best things is that Eden Park is open all year and is offers free entry to the public.
We have put together a guide to Eden Area, complete with a brief history and a visual tour of the park.
Eden Park’s Brief History
The park’s current location was once held by Nicholas Longworth, a famous Cincinnati landowner who used the area as a vineyard and dubbed the estate “the Garden of Eden” in honor of the biblical Garden of Eden. In 1869, the city of Cincinnati purchased the land from Longworth and kept the name “Eden” for the park.
In the 1870s, the city built a 12-acre reservoir on the property. Water was pumped from the Ohio River into the dam and subsequently into the Eden Park Stand Pipe by Eden Park Station No. 7.
In the 1960s, the pond was discontinued, and the land was converted into the Mirror Lake reflecting pool, which can still be found in the park today. Eden Park Station No. 7 and the Eden Park Stand Pipe, and a portion of the original reservoir dam wall remain in the park today.
The last remaining piece of the lake wall is currently mostly utilized as a rock climbing wall for local recreational climbers, with a basketball court and a vast open field surrounding it.
Eden Park: A Visual Tour
The park’s layout is indicated on the map below:
The Mirror Lake reflecting pool, which has a large fountain in the center and a paved walking route around it that is popular with both walkers and runners, is perhaps the most identifiable site of Eden Park.
The lake looks out over an area that used to be the old reservoir and is now home to a green open field and a basketball court.
One of the ancient reservoir’s remaining granite walls, often used as a bouldering wall by recreational rock climbers, is close to the court.
Continue trekking until you reach Eden Park Station No. 7, which pumps water from the Ohio River into the reservoir.
Spencer Overlook, which offers magnificent views of the Ohio River and the hills of Northern Kentucky, may be found a bit further up the hill. This location, in our opinion, has some of Cincinnati’s most beautiful vistas.
Krohn Conservatory, which opened to the public in 1934 and continues to serve as one of the greatest sites in the city to watch a range of plant species, is located near the overlook at the bottom of the hill.
The playhouse admission fee is $7 for adults and $5 for juniors.
You’ll come across two side-by-side lakes called Twin Lakes and another smaller viewpoint location as you proceed into the park. As you return to the park’s entrance, you’ll discover that there are numerous different paved walking pathways to choose from, allowing you to enjoy the landscape in whichever loop you want.
The Spring House Gazebo, built in 1904 and is the oldest remaining park structure in the whole Cincinnati Parks system, may be found as you circle back towards the Mirror Lake reflecting pool.
On the park’s edges are the Seasongood Pavilion, a public pavilion that organizes various events throughout the year, and the Cincinnati Art Museum, a completely free art museum with over 60,000 modern and historical art pieces.
The Park truly has something for everyone because of the variety of activities available in the park, including walking, running, basketball, rock climbing, picnicking, scenic views, and visiting the Krohn Conservatory.
Eden Park is Worth Visiting!
The location of Eden Park is 950 Eden Park Dr. Cincinnati, OH.
The Park is available year-round from sunrise to sunset and is free to the public. Parking is available throughout the park, with both street parking and parking lots dispersed throughout.
Follow Seasongood Pavilion on Facebook to learn about upcoming public activities and The Krohn Conservatory on Instagram about forthcoming events and seasonal exhibits.
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