Springfield Parks, Greenways, and Outdoor Spaces

4/25/16

Tonight we visited facilities in the Phelps Grove area then stopped at Gillenwater Tennis Complex on the way home.

#74 Phelps Grove Park 950 E Bennett St.
This historic 31 acre park is in center Springfield and features a track, several play structures, horseshoe courts, a rock picnic pavilion, gardens, the McGregor-McGee wading pool, and walled-in Fassnight Creek. This is the site of the Springfield Art Museum and there is a amphitheater near the museum. This is also the site of Perry Tennis Courts and a baseball field. There used to be several fitness stations along the perimeter of the park several years ago but there are just 4 remaining. We have been here several times. We walked around the park and over to the amphitheater then drove to the tennis courts. We spent about an hour and walked 1 1/3 miles.

#75 Xeriscape E. Linwood Circle
The garden is adjacent to the Perry Tennis Courts at Phelps Grove Park and we had never been here before. A xeriscape is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation and is maintained by local master gardeners. We walked through the gardens for about 10 minutes and walked about 2/10 mile. There were some very interesting and unusual plants in this garden.

#76 Gillenwater Tennis Complex and Park 3635 S. Jefferson Ave.
This facility is across from Kickapoo High school and we had never been here before. There were several tennis courts and a small playground and picnic tables. We walked around the complex for about 5 minutes.

Tonight we spent about an hour and a half and visited 3 facilities, leaving just 26 to visit.