Author: Savanne Giroire, Marketing and Events Intern
Sunny and 70°- How better to celebrate beautiful weather than a day in your favorite Downtown Jacksonville park? Our city is proud to be home to the largest urban park system in the country, covering more than 80,000 acres, including 400 city parks, 7 state parks, 2 national parks, and multiple gardens and arboretum. Here’s a list of our favorite parks found in the heart of Downtown.
St. Johns River Park
Source: by DJJJp on Trip Advisor
St. Johns River Park, also known as Friendship Fountain Park, is located at St. John’s River on the Southbank. When the park opened in 1965, the Friendship Fountain was considered the largest fountain in the world. Today, the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) resides directly next to this park. Friendship Fountain Park offers stunning views of Downtown Jacksonville, with access to the South Bank Riverwalk. With its large public spaces, picnic tables and adjacency to the Riverwalk, the St. Johns River Park is the perfect location for a fun family day.
James Weldon Johnson Park
Source: James Weldon Johnson Park
James Weldon Park is Downtown’s oldest, most historic park and is the center for a variety of community events, fundraisers and celebrations. The park is equipped with a kids zone, two performance stages and several public art projects. The park’s programming includes live music and food trucks each week, children’s activities, weekend festivals and markets. Adjacent to City Hall, the main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Jacksonville), it’s the perfect place to start a day in Downtown.
Riverfront Plaza
Source: Rendering by Perkins&Will
Riverfront Plaza, formerly known as the location of the Jacksonville Landing, is an open green space on the bank of the St. Johns River in the heart of Downtown. Connecting the local community to the St. Johns River, we look forward to the public outdoor art piece pitched by Perkins&Will coming to the site hopefully this year. The wide open field makes this park the perfect place to play fetch with your favorite pup or throw a football with friends!
Jessie Ball DuPont Park | Treaty Oak
