Friday,
June 23, 2023
2:48pm
With July and August come summer's dog days and opportunities to hit the trails, gather at parks and explore Worthington's many recreational opportunities. In this exhibit, we will take a look at some of the ways residents kick back, relax and adventure.
Worthington's parks have offered spaces for recreation throughout the years. Local rotary clubs have historically contributed to the city's play areas, building playground equipment, landscaping and making other improvements, including painting U.S. maps on school playgrounds! Perry Park's playgrounds, sports fields and walking paths have kept kids entertained for years, while more recently, additions to McCord Park have provided novel fun like a ninja warrior agility playground, a community garden and a retired 1923 B&O Railroad caboose that visitors can tour and use as an observation area to watch passing trains.
The Village Green has been a popular spot for recreation since the very beginning of the town's history. Plotted in 1804, Old Worthington's Green has been the site of casual recreation as well as larger community events. The space has played host to concerts, festivals and farmers markets as well as library events like storytimes in the 1940s and an outdoor book sale in 1973. The Green and other open spaces have also made great picnic spots. For so many activities, the quadrants have been the place for fun-packed community recreation.
The Olentangy River has also been a hotbed of activities for the people of Worthington. In the early 20th century, Olentangy Park, once the largest amusement park in the nation, would have been a grand attraction to locals who ventured a few miles south of town. The Worthington Memory scrapbook contains an image of Edwin Viets Griswold, of Worthington, tending canoes at the park’s boathouse. Though the park closed during the Great Depression, its rides, performances and river excursions offered fun for locals and beyond for years. The Olentangy River is still a recreation hub, with river banks offering opportunities to fish and explore, while the Olentangy Greenway Trail provides space to walk, run, bike and connect to adventures around town.
Even in winter months, local recreational opportunities are available. For decades, thrill seekers could sled down a steep stretch in Colonial Hills dubbed “Devil’s Hill” for its dips and buried tree roots. Nowadays, the hill is less devilish, thanks to Park Boulevard Park improvements, and sledders can enjoy it or the large hill in the Olentangy Parklands.
No matter the season and no matter a person’s mood, Worthington’s outdoor spaces have consistently provided gateways to fun.
