Being one of the oldest parks in Cincinnati, Eden Park has done exceptionally well to retain its charm over a century. It is also known to contain the most diverse architectures amongst all parks in Cincinnati and Hamilton county. Spread across 186 acres situated across a hilltop between Walnut Hills and Mt. Adams by the Cincinnati side of the Ohio river, it offers numerous overlooks of the river valley and houses some of the most iconic landmarks in Cincinnati such as the Twin lakes and the Krohn Conservatory.
Originally named after the infamous biblical Garden of Eden and used as a vineyard by the prominent Cincinnati horticulturalist and landowner Nicholas Longworth, it was renamed after the purchase by the city in 1869. Meanwhile Adolf Strauch, the Prussian landscape architect had been made the superintendent of the city’s parks. He further went on to develop and expand Eden park leading to an unprecedented access to city’s parks for the residents.
Amongst its famous structures is the iconic Spring House Gazebo, which is considered to be the oldest enduring structure in a Cincinnati park. Other famous structures include the abandoned Standpipe which supplied water to the north of the city until 1916. There is the bronze Cormorant fisherman statue that was gifted to Cincinnati by her sister city Gifu, Japan and depicts a Japanese fishing tradition. The fisherman statue and many other such sculptures are featured together by Eden park’s iconic Twin Lakes. This picturesque location, once a quarry contains walking paths around itself and a footbridge in between and leads on to some of the most beautiful lookout points.
The famous Krohn conservatory replaced numerous smaller greenhouses within the park in 1933 and serves as a tropical getaway containing more than 3500 plant species with an array of impressive floral and bonsai collections not including exclusive tropical species like banana, palm and banyan trees.
Each November it also hosts the “Balluminaria”, one of the largest hot air balloon glow events in the country. Eden park over the years has served as a popular spot for nature trails, biking, picnicking and even has housed numerous events by the gazebo and in the conservatory. It truly remains as a cherished treasure in the heart of the city.