Riverside Park, park located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Riverside Park is a large green space covering about 80 acres along the Speed River in Guelph, Ontario, with wide paved paths, grassy areas, and shaded trees throughout. The park features a wooden playground with mixed natural and modern structures, a wooden antique carousel from 1919, a miniature train, a 28-foot floral clock with rotating seasonal patterns, rentable pavilions, paddleboat rentals, and three baseball diamonds.
The park was founded in 1905, originally covering only about 14 acres, as part of Guelph's strategy to promote its streetcar system - a naming contest led to the selection of Riverside Park. Throughout the twentieth century, the park expanded significantly and acquired landmark attractions such as the antique wooden carousel built in 1919 and later the floral clock from the 1950s, which remains the only patented clock of its kind in Canada.
The park takes its name from its location beside the Speed River, a feature that shapes the place's identity. Visitors today notice how the river defines the park's character - the sound of flowing water is present everywhere and creates a natural backdrop for families and relaxation.
The park is free to enter with complimentary parking at Woolwich Street or Marilyn Drive entrances, and wide paved paths allow visitors to move strollers and wheelchairs with ease. A concession stand operates from noon to 7:30 pm in summer, and four rentable pavilions are perfect for picnics or gatherings, while supervision near the river is recommended due to the strong current.
The 1919 wooden carousel with hand-carved animal figures including horses, pigs, and roosters is one of the few remaining antique carousels in North America with its original wooden horses. The city acquired it in the 1970s and continues to operate it daily to preserve this rare piece of cultural heritage for future generations.
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