Reservoir Park

Reservoir Park, the largest park in south-central Pennsylvania, crowns Harrisburg's summit and complements the city's riverfront. Originally known as Prospect Hill for its lofty vantage points, it was renamed when the first reservoir there opened in 1874. Before that, Harrisburg's principal reservoir stood just north of the Old Capitol on North Street, and a standpipe added to the Old Waterworks at Front and North Streets created a stronger mechanical system that pumped water to a higher elevation so it could flow by gravity to homes and businesses. By the late 1880's, land around the park reservoir had been cleared and cultivated, making it a popular recreational destination. At the beginning of the 20th century, with guidance from the Harrisburg League of Municipal Improvements, landscape architect Warren manning designed major improvements. The park was expanded to 90 acres, and additional reservoirs, tennis courts, picnic pavilions, a nine-hole golf course, and an observation tower were developed. Its band shell, now the Levitt Performing Arts Pavilion, was erected and remains a site for outdoor concerts, plays, and special events through a major restoration project. Under the Mayor's Parks Improvement Program in the late 20th Century, major upgrades included fountains, statuary, the Reservoir Park Village, and The National Civil War Museum at the park's summit, described as the largest museum in the world related to this pivotal period. With an original entrance at 18th and Walnut Streets marked by two salvaged columns from the old Dauphin County Courthouse on Market Street, the park's panoramas and vistas showcase the city's natural beauty.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania · United States