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Riverside Park
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Entrance to Riverside Park
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| Location: | Roughly bounded by Vulcan, Tonawanda, Crowley, and Niagara St., Buffalo, New York |
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| Area: | 21.9 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Built: | 1898 |
| Architect: | Olmsted Bros. |
| Governing body: | Local |
| MPS: | Olmsted Parks and Parkways TR |
| NRHP Reference#: | 82005026[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | March 30, 1982 |
Riverside Park is a historic park located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. Riverside Park (stadium) may be related. Located in northwest Buffalo, it is an individual park designed by the Olmsted Architectural Firm in 1898 after Frederick Law Olmsted's retirement. It is on a 22-acre (8.9 ha) site on a bluff overlooking the Niagara River. Riverside Park was designed for active recreation and periodic alterations have occurred as the community's recreation needs have changed. Despite the changes, the park retains numerous original design elements and remains as the final element completed as a part of Olmsted's Buffalo parks plan.[2]
The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]
Some attractions include a playground, picnic areas, two public pools, tennis court, and a basketball court. The lighthouse facing Tonawanda street was recently relit after years of inoperation. The Bud Bakewell Arena, located on the Niagara Street side of the park directly facing the river, is an ice rink and lacrosse field, as well as home to youth hockey, Hasek's Heroes, and other sports affiliations. The Park is also home to several baseball diamonds maintained by the River Rock Baseball League, a youth baseball and softball organization, and a fully renovated football field, home to the Black Rock Riverside Little League Football and Cheerleading organization. A winding road, Hotaling Drive, bisects the park at the edge of the football field. Riverside Parks hosts the annual Friendship Festival along this road during the Independence Day holiday in conjunction with Fort Erie, Canada. In addition, the park hosts a seasonal farmer's market and other community events. In July 2011, the park received additional grant funding for future development.