Following our 2024 Centennial anniversary, we will continue to share the story of New York State’s park and historic site system through our interactive history timeline, Blazing a Trail: A History of NY State Parks and Historic Sites. In recent months, we have added two eras detailing the latter half of the 20th century. Starting in 1960 and spanning to the turn of the millennium, these stories outline some of the largest periods of expansion in the system’s history and explore radical changes which defined the modern-day mission of New York State Parks.
Continue reading State Parks’ 20th Century EvolutionCategory Archives: Park History
Behind the Scenes of ‘From Land to Legacy: 100 Years of NY State Parks and Preservation’
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of New York’s park and historic site system, we knew we wanted to do something special. Telling our full story in-house in a documentary style — and ensuring that the agency’s 100-year legacy was shared accurately and completely — seemed like a daunting task for our small (but mighty!) Public Affairs team.
Above all else, it required bringing the right voices to the table:
- Professional storytellers who value public resources.
- Team members with vast institutional knowledge, from Indigenous history to environmental conservation and New York State’s recreation evolution.
- Powerful visuals that do our 250+ facilities justice.
- Staff and like-minded individuals who are passionate about our open spaces and rich cultural resources, and are working to preserve and protect them, day in and day out.
Thankfully, from discussions early on, Capital region PBS affiliate WMHT demonstrated enthusiasm for working on a documentary that would share our state park and historic site system’s Centennial story with New Yorkers. And it was this author’s honor to play a small role in seeing the enormous undertaking come to life.
Continue reading Behind the Scenes of ‘From Land to Legacy: 100 Years of NY State Parks and Preservation’
A New Outdoor Aesthetic: New York’s Postwar Park Architecture
Many buildings and features built for New York state parks during the 1930s mimicked the natural environment. In the period after World War II, this rustic style started sharing space with more modern designs.
One of the busiest construction periods of the New York State Parks system was during the 1950s and 1960s, when park planners were expecting to welcome record numbers of visitors. You can learn more about that history in our Blazing a Trail timeline project. But, for a deeper dive into the architecture leading up to that era, keep reading…
Continue reading A New Outdoor Aesthetic: New York’s Postwar Park Architecture
Seneca Culture Lives at Genesee River Valley State Parks
Any settlement story of the state parks along the Genesee River in the western part of New York State begins with the Onöndowa’ga:’, the People of the Great Hill.
The Genesee River’s sweeping valley, with naturally re-nourishing floodplains, hills, and well-draining glacial moraines ideal for farm towns, is the dominant land feature of the region. Flowing to Lake Ontario in Rochester, the Genesee River’s tributaries branch through Monroe, Livingston, Wyoming, Genesee, Ontario, Allegany, Steuben, and Orleans Counties. The Onöndowa’ga:’ are master agriculturalists who established the first permanent towns on this landscape, known regionally today as the “Genesee Country.”
On Your Mark… Get Set… Parks!
A typical first experience visiting a New York state park might include swimming, camping, hiking, fishing, picnicking, volunteering, or maybe hands-on learning with an environmental educator. But for some high schoolers, their initial introduction to state parks comes from the thrill of running a cross-country race held at our parks throughout the year.
Every cross-country course is unique and can vary in length and terrain. The courses at our state parks are no different. Some pass through flat grassy fields or golf courses, while others traverse steep wooded trails. Our state parks provide their own scenic backdrop and have continued to welcome many high school competitors in annual races coordinated by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) as well as other organizations.
Continue reading On Your Mark… Get Set… Parks!
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 