Patterson Park, Baltimore: Public Green Space Since 1827

Baltimore has its own park system, consisting of lovely escapes like Patterson Park, Baltimore. Patterson Park, Baltimore is one of the region's great splendors, offering public green space for residents since 1827.

Patterson Park offers all the typical recreation on its 137 acres of space, with everything from tennis courts, playing fields, and an outdoor pool to places to sled, bike and run, monuments and even an ice skating rink. It has also seen quite a bit of history through the decades. During the Civil War, the park was turned into a Union troop encampment. The park was also divided with “separate but equal” facilities for blacks and whites, including pools, playgrounds and picnic pavilions. They were de-segregated in 1956.

Today, everyone together enjoys the ice skating rink and the boat lake with fishing, admiring the 60-foot-tall Pagoda  (designed by Charles Latrobe in 1891) where sledding takes place if there's ever snow, the two swimming facilities, a marble fountain and the sports fields. A castle-themed playground is a popular place for little ones, and many dogs and people like to go biking or jogging through the park. Many soccer, football, kickball and baseball or softball games take place throughout the evenings and weekends, which are fun to play and to watch as a passer-by. It's highly suggested not to go through the park after dark.

Throughout the year, Patterson Park also hosts several events, such as a summer concert series, yoga-in-the-park, wine tasting, running races, art events, flea markets and a Latino festival. There are also on-going classes, such as basketball, karate and swimming. Gardeners can rent a plot of 150 square feet to grow their own vegetables and flowers as part of the community gardening program that's been around since 1904.

Patterson Park Baltimore public park