Brandywine Park

Established in 1886, Brandywine Park became the official first park established in the city of Wilmington. The park was designed by Samuel Canby, the commissioner of the city’s parks, in consultation with Frederick Law Olmsted. The land was originally supposed to be a bucolic park with just paths and roadways. In later years, recreational facilities have been added to the park.

In 1886, the city of Wilmington would get its first state park in the form of Brandywine Park. Designed by Samuel Canby, the park is estimated to be about 178 acres of land in total spanning between the north and south banks of Brandywine. It’s a very open park having walking trails and scenic routes into the surrounding forest for travelers. The open space section of the park includes a formal rose garden and a cherry blossom garden. It would soon be fitted to hold playgrounds and recreation facilities for more activities.

The Brandywine Zoo covers about 4.75 acres of the park and was opened in 1905. It is managed by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation and supported by the Delaware Zoological Society. The land that is now home to the zoo includes a space that was previously home to an amphitheater. Vice President John C. Calhoun and two former Secretaries of State, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, were among the attendees of events at the former amphitheater.

Another landmark inside the park is Baynard Stadium which was a gift from Samuel Baynard, former president of the Board of Park Commissioners. It first opened in 1922 having only two baseball fields and a running track at the time. The stadium has been operated by the State of Delaware through the Department of Natural Resources since 1998. The park itself made it onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is also a unit of Wilmington State Parks.

“Brandywine Park”, Friends of Wilmington Park. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://www.friendsofwilmingtonparks.org/brandywine/.

“Brandywine Creek State Park”, Delaware State Park. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://www.destateparks.com/brandywinecreek.