Peter Pan Park
S. Congress and S. West Streets, Emporia, KS
Phone: 620-341-4365
Web site: http://www.emporia-kansas.gov
Peter Pan Park is located on the south side of the City, between South Congress and South West Streets from Kansas and Randolph Avenues south to the Cottonwood River. The size of Peter Pan Park including its 4 acre lake is 51.7 acres. Peter Pan is certainly considered as one of Emporia's major parks, and its busiest.
The original 50 acres of the park was donated to the City in two parcels; 40 acres in 1926 and 10 acres in 1927, by William Allen White. The donation of this land was made in the memory of his daughter, Mary, who died as the result of a riding accident at the age of 17. William Allen White had written of his daughter -- "she was a Peter Pan who refused to grow up" -- hence the name of the Park. A bronze statue of Peter Pan is a central figure. There are many stone WPA structures including a pagoda, and amphitheater, horseshoe gallery, grape arbor and wading pool.
A memorial to Mr. White, a famous Kansas newspaper editor, featuring a bronze bust by noted sculptor Jo Davidson, was dedicated in July, 1950, by Herbert Hoover. Accompanying the bust is a plaque with a story relating to Mary White. This is located by the fishing lake, on the way to the amphitheater.
Heated smoking area? No
Smoking porch? Yes
booker5m (anonymous) says...
I down at the park this pass week and some clowns have spayed the bust of White. Its a shame such trash of so called humans came be turned loose
April 12, 2010 at 7:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )