Spring in the park At over 110 years old Highland Park is one of Rochester's oldest parks. In fact the initial gift of 20 acres from Mount Hope Nurseries in 1888 caused Rochester to form a Parks Department, which hadn't yet existed.
A little pre-history: Started in 1840, Mount Hope Nurseries quickly grew into the area's largest nursery and ultimately the worlds when it peaked in 1888 at over 650 acres on the city's south side. During that same year the owners ![[WWW]](http://rocwiki.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small}
George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry decided to donate a small parcel of their land set on the side of a foothill to the city to create a public area to view all of what the duo could offer.
Beginning with a pair of everything they carried and handfuls of hardwoods the parks landscape was started. In 1892 under direction of the new superintendent of parks Calvin C. Laney, horticulturist John Dunbar began the park's Lilac collection with 20 varieties, some of which were descendants of native plants brought over by early settlers. Overseeing the parks design was Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame), his goal to give the park a random and natural feel.
Almost immediately people started gathering at the park when the lilacs would bloom and in 1898, Rochester held it's first official Lilac Festival for a crowd of around 3,000. Today over half of a million people visit the 1,200 specimens that make up about 500 different varieties of lilacs covering about 20 of the parks now 155 acres.
Of course Highland Park is not just about Lilacs. There are many other reasons to visit including other plants like Azaleas, Cherry Blossoms, Forsythias, Rhododendrons and more! In fact there are over 35 varieties of Magnolias alone. Visit in spring for the thousands of bulbs and wildflowers and in the fall for the large number of trees. Don't forget to check out the big rock garden with little evergreens, the Lilac Arches, Lamberton Conservatory and the Sunken Garden.
Some of the several interesting attractions at the park:
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Warner Castle is a real castle, home to the Rochester Civic Garden Center. It has a library and sunken garden. Admission is free.
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Pansy Bed - A Lilac Festival tradition since 1904, the pansy bed is located in the main lilac display area on Highland Avenue near Goodman Street. It contains 10,000 pansies, hand-planted anew every year by dedicated Monroe County Parks Department personnel. The oval floral "carpet" measures 20 feet by 50 feet, and each year the pattern is changed. The Pansy Display begins in early May and reaches its flowering peak in May and June.
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Rhododendron and Azalea Collection - Highland Park's famous collection can be found in one of the park's sheltered valleys; the many varieties bloom from May into mid-summer. Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Mountain Laurel, and Andromeda thrive in the cool, moist atmosphere of the Rhododendron Dell. This narrow protected valley lies just east of the Highland Reservoir.
Also see: Highland Cemetery and Highland Bowl
Online Landmark Society
General Information Page (City of Rochester)
Credits: Hours of searching many City of Rochester online resources along with the Landmark Society of Rochester resources.
