Care of the Park in Essex County Branch Brook Park

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About Branch Brook Park Alliance

Location:

115 Clifton Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104, US

Mission Statement

The mission of the Branch Brook Park Alliance is to accomplish objectives it considers essential to the restoration and revitalization of Essex County Branch Brook Park, conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. in 1867 and designed by the Olmsted Firm. These include: to embrace and uplift an undervalued treasure; to commit to restoring this magnificent landscape work of art to its highest standards of use and beauty; to enlist a cadre of visionaries who support and sustain these efforts; to bring together a multitude of people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in the ongoing renewal and care of the park; to unveil a restored masterwork, one with the power to change the character of our city; enhance the appeal of our county; and elicit joy, pride and a sense of ownership in citizens throughout our state; and, to celebrate the revival of what makes cities most vibrant: a special place where the everchanging beauty of nature and artistry and invention can soothe, heal and inspire.

Description

About Branch Brook Park

Branch Brook Park is distinguished by being the first county park to be opened for public use in the United States. It has been placed on both the New Jersey (1980) and National (1981) Registers of Historic Places.

Located in the City of Newark and bordered at the southern end by U.S. Route 280, the park crosses Bloomfield Avenue, Park Avenue, and Heller Parkway, terminating near the Newark/Belleville line.

The park is nearly 4 miles long and averages 1/4 mile in width. At 359.72 acres, it is the largest developed park in the County. It features a combination of open meadowland and small patches of woodland on gently rolling terrain.

Named for a branch brook that flowed through the valley into the Passaic River, the park was originally intended to remain for passive recreation, but today is used largely for athletics activities as well as strolling, birdwatching and more passive activities.

More than 5,000 cherry trees that blossom during April are greater both in variety and number than the famed Washington, D.C., display the result of a 1927 gift from Mrs. Felix Fuld and the Bamberger family. At its height the Cherry Blossom Festival attracts over 10,000 people a day.