Date
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Milestone
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Oct
2005 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Pavillion opens |
April
2005 |
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|
| |
New boat dock and overlook open |
June
2003 |
|
|
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| |
Eco-Earth Ball opens to visitors |
June
2001 |
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|
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| |
Riverfront Carousel opens |
| 1998 |
|
|
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| |
Park spurs development of Children's Museum |
Oct
1996 |
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| |
Riverfront Park opens |
| 1980's |
|
|
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City purchased land for larg park from Boise Cascade |
May
1975 |
|
|
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Riverfront -
Downtown URA
established |
| |
|
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Aerial view of the future site of Riverfront Park in 1974
Aerial view of Riverfront Park in 2005
|
Description
Riverfront Park is located on 23 acres next to downtown Salem, adjacent to the Willamette River. It was designed for the 
citizens of Salem and for local events - but has become a regional event site too. In the 1980's the City, utilizing tax-increment from the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area , purchased the site from Boise Cascade. After the first phase of development, Riverfront Park opened to visitors in October 1996.
Riverfront Park - A Catalyst for Development
- In 1998, A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village opened on the north side of the park. It houses a children's science museum and science discovery playground.
- Salem's Riverfront Carousel opened June 2001 and was built by a citizen-based group interested in developing a carousel with beautiful hand-carved horses.
- The Eco-Earth Globe officially opened to visitors on the south side of the park on June 30, 2003. The acid ball originally stored the acid used to break down wood chips into pulp. After cleaning, it took about five years to cover the globe with approximately 86,000 tiles.
- The overlook, ramp, and new floating boat dock were added to the park in 2005. The dock can accommodate canoes and kayaks and is home to the Willamette River Queen paddle boat.
- The open-air Pavilion opened in October 2005, after the Salem Rotary Club generously raised funds and built it as their centennial project.
- The park is the site of annual regional events and also features a major outdoor amphitheater, a large children's playground, large festival lawn sites, bike racks, restrooms, a path system throughout the park, picnic tables and park bench sites, and more. Check out the Salem Parks Division link below to learn more.
Links
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