Ault Park
| Ault Park | |
|---|---|
 View from pavilion second floor | |
Interactive map of Ault Park | |
| Location | Cincinnati, OH |
| Area | c. 224 acres (91 ha) |
| Created | 1911 |
| Operator | City of Cincinnati Parks Department |
Ault Park is the fourth-largest park in Cincinnati at 223.949 acres (0.9 km2), owned and operated by the Cincinnati Park Board. It lies in the Mount Lookout neighborhood on the city's east side. The hilltop park has an overlook which commands extensive panoramic views of the Little Miami River valley.[1]
The park is named in honor of Ida May Ault and her husband Levi Addison Ault, who was prominent in the development of Cincinnati parks.[2] In the park's early years, 97 sheep were employed to trim the lawns and shrubs.[3]
The park sports a soccer field, playground, and a flower garden, first designed by George Kessler and later modified by A. D. Taylor. At the center of the park is a large Pavilion, built in 1930 in the Italian Renaissance-style.[4] The Pavilion is used frequently for dances, parties, and weddings.
Public Garden
In 1980 the Cincinnati Park Board asked its volunteer organization based out of Krohn Conservatory to implement an adopt-a-plot program for the Ault Park gardens, encouraging citizens to adopt a plot of the garden. The program's success was recognized by the 1983 Daniel Flaherty Park Excellence Award. The adopt-a-plot program is still in use today and has become popular in parks over the whole country.[5]
Events
Ault Park plays host to a large 4th of July celebration and fireworks display. It also hosts the Ault Park Concours d'Elegance, an invitational display of antique and exotic cars that is the second-oldest of its type in the United States. The park also hosts a summer concert series and an annual dance Night.[6]
On October 9, 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of about 15,000 from atop the Ault Park Pavilion.[7]
References
- ↑ Federal Writers' Project (1943). Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors. p. 310. OCLC 831684. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
- ↑ "Ault Park". Ault Park Advisory Council.
- ↑ Rolfes, Steven (Oct 29, 2012). Cincinnati Landmarks. Arcadia Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9780738593951. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
- ↑ John H. Russell & Thomas S. Spencer (Jul 28, 2005). Gardens Across America, East of the Mississippi: The American Horticulatural Society's Guide to American Public Gardens and Arboreta. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 307. ISBN 9781461733669. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
- ↑ City of Cincinnati Parks Department webpage Archived October 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Knott, Sarah, The Cincinnati Enquirer, March 6, 2003
- ↑ WCPO-TV Cincinnati, October 10, 2008 Archived October 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine