Liberty Park456

Liberty Park is to Salt Lake City what Central Park is to New York City. It covers over 110 acres of ground and offers visitors playgrounds, a jogging and walking path, a bike path, tennis courts, a swimming pool, horseshoe pits, a small pond with ducks and paddle boat rentals, picnic facilities, a small amusement park, and the Tracy Aviary. Many of Salt Lake City's popular festivals and events are hosted in Liberty Park.

Some summer highlights for children are the Seven Canyons water feature, a small amusement park, and an all-abilities playground. Seven Canyons is a maze of water which starts at a small pool and ends at a water fountain. The pool is one foot deep and the "canyons" running out of it are only about three inches deep. The water is treated, so children are welcome to play in it. Swim diapers are required for young ones.

A little amusement park operates just outside the gates of Tracy Aviary. It opens when the weather warms up and closes in late October, or earlier if the weather dictates. The concessions stand at the amusement park sells kid favorites - cotton candy, hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers (very good!), ice-cream, etc. The rides are old classic kiddie rides - chair swings, little cars that go around in a circle, merry-go-round, and a Ferris wheel. Ride tickets are sold at the concessions stand, and paddle boats can be rented there as well for the nearby pond. For more information about the amusement park, concessions, or paddle boat rental, call 801.521.0962 during the summer months.

Just around the corner from the concession stand, sharing the same building, is the Liberty Park Grill. The grill is a small, indoor restaurant that opened in the summer of 2007. It offers friendly table service year round. Although it is known for its breakfast items (eggs, park potatoes, pancakes, berry blintzes, French toast, kids' happy face pancakes, omelets, croissant sandwiches, etc.), wonderful lunch items are offered as well (salads, burgers, sandwiches, etc.). Through the winter months, the grill is open Saturdays and Sundays 9am-2pm. The park is beautiful in the winter, and the restaurant is warm, with plenty of windows looking out on the park...a great combination. Our experiences in the Liberty Park Grill have been nothing but delightful...surprisingly good food, good service, very reasonable prices, and well-behaved kids (although we can't necessarily credit the restaurant with that...we just got lucky). The restaurant can be rented for private parties and special events; call 801.521.0962 for details. In the event of poor weather, always call the grill before going; they are sometimes closed due to the weather.

Toward the north end of Liberty Park is the all-abilities playground. It features swings, slides, games, musical instruments, an accessible tree house, sand lots, and a water feature, all of which can be used by children of any age or ability. This area has quickly become a popular feature of the park.

The tennis courts are just west of the playground, and are open throughout the year. A variety of lessons (group and private) for every level and age (four & up) are available. Call 801.328.4711 for more information about the tennis courts and its programs.

The pool is located just south of the tennis courts. It opens on weekends from Memorial Day until the first week of June, and then daily until Labor Day. Swimming lessons are available. Register at Fairmont Aquatics at 1044 Sugarmount Drive (2225 South). For more information, call 801.468.2529 or the pool, at 801.538.2097, during the summer.