May 14th, 2020

May 14th is History Day during Love Your Park at Home

lemon hill

Thursday, May 14th is History Day during Love Your Park @ Home! Here are all the things you can learn, share, and do to celebrate history in Philly parks.

5 14 history day lyp at home

LEARN: About 6 Historic Houses in 6 minutes

Join John Sigmund, Fairmount Park Conservancy Historic House Coordinator, and Justina Barrett, Philadelphia Museum of Art Site Manager, in a whirlwind bicycle tour of six historic properties situated in beautiful Fairmount Park. In just one minute per house, learn unique facts about these historic homes!

Watch video

SHARE: Your own historic photos of your Philly park

woodford mansion 1900 2

Woodford Mansion, 1900.

Share your favorite photos of Philadelphia park history! This can be historic photos of your neighborhood park, or a more recent photo of a fun day spent in your favorite secret park spot. #loveyourpark

DO: Enjoy a virtual Park History Happy Hour at 5pm

Grab a beer (or a stein of ye olde meade) and join John John Sigmund, Fairmount Park Historic House Coordinator, and other park historians as they kick back, relax, and spin some of their favorite Philadelphia park tales.

Join the virtual Happy Hour

BONUS: You're invited to a special webinar "Making history: The power of parks during COVID-19"

How will the COVID-19 pandemic shape the future of our urban parks?

On Thursday, May 14 from 12-1pm, join us for a conversation about resilience and the future of civic spaces with three leading park advocates:

Carol Coletta, President and CEO, Memphis River Parks
Maura McCarthy, Executive Director, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Host
Kathryn Ott Lovell, Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

Register for free

BONUS: Enjoy these free coloring pages of the Historic Houses of Fairmount Park!

Bring some color to these beautiful black-and-white sketches of the Historic Houses of Fairmount Park! These coloring pages are available to download for free – you can even draw your own Historic House! Share your creations by tagging us on social media at #loveyourpark. 

Download free coloring pages

Upcoming Love Your Park @ Home Events

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Cobbs Creek Park Cleanup

July 5th at 2:00pm
Cobbs Creek Pkwy & Thomas Ave, Philadelphia,PA 19143

Volunteers (14+ yrs) are needed to help preserve and restore Philadelphia‘s open space. Join the Cobbs Creek Ambassadors for outdoor volunteer experiences on the Saturdays and Sundays of every month! Projects will rotate along Cobbs Creek Pkwy - from Woodland Ave to Market St. . We bring the tools, gloves, and expertise. You bring the energy! Click the link below to register and learn more.

Learn More
roxborough manayunk conservancy

Two-On-Tuesday Tom's River Road Nursery

July 7th at 6:00pm
3 River Road Philadelphia, PA 19128

Volunteers meet at a different park each week to remove invasive plants, repair trails, pick up litter, and help beautify our green spaces—then stay for food and drinks with fellow volunteers! All experience levels welcome. Tools and guidance provided—bring gloves if you have them.

Learn More
rail park

Rail Park July Volunteer Clean-Up

July 8th at 5:30pm
1300 Noble Street Philadelphia, PA 19123

Join Friends of the Rail Park for a Volunteer Clean-Up! Over the years, our volunteers have played an integral role in keeping the park a clean, inviting space for our larger community. This monthly clean-up is a great way to get involved and connect with other people in the community! Volunteers will assist with litter pick up, graffiti removal, and other park management duties. All supplies will be provided, plus light refreshments!

Learn More