Goodale Park

Goodale Park. The oldest and best park in the city. When Dr. Lincoln Goodale presented it to the city in 1851, Goodale Park was nothing more than forty acres of woods. , Today the park is the epicenter of the Short North Arts District’s biggest events, one of the unequaled public spaces in Columbus, and a great place to explore nature in the center of urban life. , Over the years, Goodale Park has served as a Civil War military camp, a classic Victorian park complete with lake and boathouse, and the home of a petting zoo featuring two bears, two wolves, three foxes, and nineteen rabbits. , On hot summer nights before the advent of air conditioning, nearby residents filled the park for a cooler night’s sleep. , During the ’70s and ’80s, the park and the surrounding area experienced a dramatic decline. In 1987, the Friends of Goodale Park began to transform the space into the gem it is today. It is now home to Community Festival (ComFest), the Columbus Pride Festival, the Goodale Park Music Series, and countless weddings and events around the gazebo. , Sites to see: The caretaker’s residence (1912), lily pond, and open air gazebo . 650 trees, representing 180 different varieties . the bronze bust of Dr. Lincoln Goodale near the south entrance . the carvings of Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man on the pagoda gate at the northwest entrance to the park . the beautifully restored Victorian mansions bordering the park including Peter Sells “Circus House” designed by Frank Packard adjacent to the northwest corner . the Goodale Park Fountain, created by artist Malcomb Cochran in 2013, depicts a pair of elephants atop in tribute to the Sells Circus family.