Fejervary Park

Fejervary Park is located in the west end of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The 75-acre (0.30 km²) park is dominated by rolling green grass hills and trees.^[1] It features play ground equipment and an aquatic center. The Putnam Museum and IMAX Theater are located just to the east of the park.

History

The property for Fejervary Park was given to the city by Celestine Féjerváry, a daughter of Nicholas Féjerváry.^[2] He was a Hungarian nobleman who came to Davenport as a refuge in 1853 following the failure of an insurrection in his native Hungary. The park was the site of Fejervary’s estate. He chose the location for his home because the steep bluffs with a view of the Mississippi River reminded him of his home on the Danube River.^[3] The house, which was on the site at the time of the donation, is now gone. All that remains of the buildings is a carriage barn.^[4] A municipal zoo was added to the park in 1909.^[5] It became known as Mother Goose Land. Patrons would enter the zoo through a large Mother Goose structure. There was also a feature called Monkey Island. The zoo closed in 2008.

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