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Memorial
Park
Location:
6005
Underwood
Size: 67 Acres
Facilities: Memorial Park contains many amenities that make it popular
amongst the people of Omaha. Floral
displays and historical monuments make the park unique.
It also contains a playground, a baseball field, paths, trails,
and plenty of open space.
Commercial
Federal hosts an amazing fire works display at this park every year to
celebrate Independence Day.
 History:
Memorial Park resulted from a suggestion by Mrs. J. W. Broad, owner
of the Gypsy Tea Shop, in a letter to the Omaha World Herald.
She urged the city of Omaha to provide an appropriate monument or
shrine to honor the over 950 men and women of the armed forces from
Douglas County who had given their lives in World War II.
In
July 1944, a group of business and civic leaders met to discuss a suitable
memorial. Members of the
group included Robert H. Storz and Henry Doorly.
This group became the Memorial Park Association.
Fund raising was begun in November 1944. A 65-acre site in the
area, formerly occupied by the Happy Hollow Golf Club and later, the
Dundee Golf Course, was identified as the perfect site for the park.
In
May 1948, the Memorial Park Association paid $112,450 for the site and
presented it to the City of Omaha. It
was the first time thousands of area residents contributed to a public
improvement. No city, county,
state or federal funds were used.
The
Leo Daly architectural firm was hired to design the monument.
Plans drawn included a memorial colonnade, an amphitheater with a
capacity of 12,000, an open grassy area and several gardens. The Daly Plan
for the park was never fully carried out, with only the colonnade, one
formal garden and grassy area completed. Construction began October 1,
1945 with Carlson Construction as the primary contractor.
When completed, the colonnade was inscribed with the names of the
men and women of Douglas County who died in the War.
President
Harry S. Truman gave the dedication message on June 5, 1948.
A bronze plaque commemorates that event.
A second bronze marker was placed at the park on September 1, 1995
as part of the Victory ’95 event to commemorate the 50th
Anniversary of the end of World War II. In 1976, a monument to Korean and
Vietnam War veterans was added to the park.
In
1959, the Omaha Rose Society planted a rose garden north of the colonnade.
The club planted 200 bushes. By
1963, more than 1,800 rose bushes graced the garden.
Today, the Rose Garden is among the most popular features of the
park.
The
garden is an All-American Rose Society Garden of which there are about 195
in the country and only two or three in the state of Nebraska.
As such, test roses are sent annually to the City to plant - about
nine each of two or three types. There
are 65 to 70 weddings on average per year in the garden.
In
1990, Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society presented an “Avenue
of Flags” for the park to the city of Omaha.
The flags line the drive to the monument. The gift was part of Woodman’s Centennial celebration
observed that year.
In
recent years, Commercial Federal Bank has sponsored a free community
concert with fireworks on the last Friday of June.
The activities take place on the west side of Memorial Park.
The theme is “Commercial Federal Celebrates America.”
On
August 22, 1998 a special event will “Remember Those Who Served” …a
50th anniversary will be held at the park.
A
$267,000 renovation project is currently underway in Memorial Park.
The city is restoring the monument to its original condition to
ensure the memorial will survive for future generations.
The project includes replacing deteriorating concrete walkways and
making general repairs to the colonnade.
The city is planting 274 trees and, where possible, is following
the original park landscape design. The
new tree and shrub plantings are largely being funded with a grant from
the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum as part of their Greenspace Initiatives
Program.
Click
here
to return to the Community Parks
Click
here to return to the main park
page
Click here
to view information about Regional Parks
Click
here for a listing of all city
parks, their address, size and facilities.
Click here
for map and directions.
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