LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Parks system boasts 120 different parks covering more than 14,000 acres of land. Some cover massive amounts of land, but other neighborhood parks are much, much smaller.
Parks and Recreation Acting Director Margaret Brosko said Gnadinger Park, at the corner of Ellison and Reutlinger in Germantown, is by far the smallest.
“The park is three hundredths of an acres, 0.03, you can walk around it in like ten seconds," Brosko said.
Gnadinger Park's history though, might be bigger than the park itself.
The small, triangular plot of land that now makes up the park was once owned by Louisville's Gnadinger family.
The Gnadinger family planned to build another house on the tiny plot of land, but in 1974, they sold the plot to the city.
"It just wasn't enough space," Brosko said. "So, they gave it to the city for one dollar, which is the best deal ever."
Brosko says the city has about 20 "pocket parks," small, neighborhood parks scattered across the park system.
“Some neighborhoods don't have backyards, they don't have opportunities for kids to play," Brosko said. "So, any place where we can get a green space so that people can come hang out, play, enjoy."
Brosko said as cities become more and more urbanized, it's important to preserve parks and green spaces like Gnadinger.
"When you think about parks and green spaces they come in all shapes and sizes and anywhere we can fit one, we're going to do it," Brosko added.
Brosko encourages people to not only visit large parks like Jefferson Memorial Forest, but to also explore the smaller parks in their own neighborhoods.
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