| Vander Veer Botanical Park | |
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The lagoon at Vander Veer Park |
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Davenport, Iowa |
| Area | 33-acre (0.13 km2) |
| Created | 1885 |
| Operated by | Davenport Parks and Recreation |
| Open | All year |
The Vander Veer Botanical Park is a 33-acre (130,000 m2) botanical garden in the Vander Veer Park Historic District of Davenport, Iowa. It is believed to be one of the first botanical parks west of the Mississippi River. The park was listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties on August 4, 1993.[1]
Vander Veer Park was established in 1885. The city of Davenport purchased the land for $13,000 ($316719 in 2012 dollars).[2][3] The park was built on the old Scott County Fairgrounds land and modeled after New York City’s Central Park.[3] Vander Veer was originally named Central Park. In 1912 the park was renamed after the first secretary of the Davenport Park Board of Commissioners, A.W. Vander Veer.[3]A conservatory, music pavilion, and decorative fountains were added after World War I.[3]
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