Parks of all types and sizes are located throughout cities across the world, but some contain features and monuments that make them far more than just green spaces in urban environments. Pioneers Park, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, features similarly notable features and monuments across the 668-acre park that celebrates the prairie pioneers. Critically, it does so in a way that connects with both residents and visitors to create a notable economic and cultural impact on the city and region.
The History of Pioneers Park
Pioneers Park was established on land given to the city in 1928 and 1930 by a former Lincoln resident. John F. Harris donated 500 acres of rolling prairie grassland to the city of Lincoln as a Christmas gift. He wrote that he hoped the space would become a source of pleasure to everyone who visited “for as long a period as one dare to prophesy.” Much of the work was completed by local and federal unemployment relief programs such as the Works Progress Administration, the National Youth Administration, and the Civil Works Administration.
The Pioneers Park Nature Center (PPNC) was dedicated on May 21st, 1963. Located within Lincoln’s Pioneers Park, this area was originally set aside as a 40-acre wildlife sanctuary with one paid naturalist to lead tours. Presently, PPNC includes two interpretive facilities, 668 acres of woodland, wetland, and prairie habitats, and over eight miles of trails.
Visitors can have numerous experiences across the park and in the PPNC, which include the historical artifacts in the PPNC, a look at the bison, elk, and deer which are cared for by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Southwest District as well as the many monuments that the park contains.
The Expereinces and Icons of Pioneer Park
Like other famous parks that contain notable monuments, Pioneer Park features numerous landmarks that have become icons for the park and region. These pieces have creates a sense of identity for Pioneer Park that extends across all of Lincoln and Nebraska.
The are multiple entrances to the park, but the two most prominent ones contain sculptures of animals that are synonymous with the area. The Bronze Bison Statue was designed by George Gaudet and installed in 1930. At one of the other entrances, an Elk Statue that was a gift to the citizens of Lincoln from Leonard J. Stransky and Angeleen Stransky was erected in 2001. It was their wish to dedicate the elk to the natural beauty of Pioneers Park.
The “Smoke Signal” statue of Native American Chief Red Cloud was created in 1935. Although the originally intended “Smoke Signal” site was Toboggan Hill, the present site was chosen to provide a more suitable elevated location. The statue is sculpted in the position of just having lifted his blanket to signal by smoke.
Iconic Columns between which President Lincoln once stood were removed from the US Treasury Building in Washington DC in 1908. In 1916, Commissioner of the District Excise Board paid to have four of the columns shipped to Lincoln in honor of Nebraska politician William Jennings Bryan and they were installed that same year.
The natural settings and multiple points of interest in Pioneers Park are just as notable. Bison grazing at Pioneers Park Nature Center is a regular sight, and many other animals can be observed throughout the park. Volleyball courts, baseball fields, playgrounds and even a golf course provide visitors with a plethora of activities to choose from.
All of the elements have come together to enable unique experiences for both residents and visitors that have proven to drive activities for both in especially powerful ways.
Events and Activities for the Whole Community
The Nature Center acquired 56 acres in 1996 as a donation from the Robert Powell family, neighboring property owners. It was named the “Verley Prairie” in honor of Robert’s uncle Ben Verley. The nature center contains a collection of native wildlife and other ecologies that offer learning opportunities for visitors of all ages. It is also within walking distance of several notable historic buildings, including the Hudson Cabin and the Heritage School. This popularity has also created direct revenue opportunities for the region.
Proclaimed as one of Lincoln’s most unique rental spaces, Pioneers Nature Center is a comfortable, affordable, versatile meeting room that overlooks a pond, prairie and with a view of the wildlife. Auditorium style seating for 60 comfortably at tables is readily available, and the auditorium is available for rent throughout the year. For birthday parties, the space is available from 10-noon on Saturdays and 1:30-3:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Nature Center Teacher/Naturalists can bring a variety of programs to groups of any age featuring live animals or information on the prairie and herbs. The gift shop also has numerous items for purchase.
As an additional means of engagement and revenue, the Pioneers Golf Course has been serving Lincoln since 1930. It is very popular with local golfers and it has played host to the Nebraska Open. The clubhouse sits on a hill with a scenic view of the rolling countryside of West Lincoln. Many of its lush bluegrass fairways are lined by pine trees.
Pinewood Memorial Bowl provides park visitors with an outside amphitheater. The site of the Bowl was chosen by Nebraska’s first academically trained landscape architect Ernst H. Herminghouse, the chairman of the selection committee tasked with choosing the master plan design for this new park. It was Herminghouse that determined that “an outdoor amphitheater would utilize and enhance a naturally occurring bowl within the park.” Numerous events take place in the amphitheater throughout the year.
These events and activities underscore what it has meant for the community to congregate at Pioneers Park and for visitors to see it as an attraction. That impact has enabled it to create a legacy that is set to resonate far into the future.
A Legacy About More Than Preservation
The Nature Center is open 362 days a year, and Pioneers Park offers many activities including school programs, preschool programs, scout badge work, nature day camps, night hikes and other special events. Admission is free, further underscoring how both residents and visitors are impacted by the surroundings and what it can mean when a park creates a legacy that is about so much more than the preservation of green space.
