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Newton Park and Conservation Lands
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Norumbega Park Conservation Area |
LONGEST WALK : 1 mile (a longer walk that includes this park)
ACQUIRED: 1976
ADMINISTERED BY: Conservation
Commission
FEATURES:
Trails wind through a meadow, steep pine
and hemlock covered riverbanks, and wooded knoll opening to a scenic
view of the Charles River. There are tagged, honorary trees and
shrubs in the meadow.
HISTORY:
| 1897 |
 Part
of Norumbega
Park, a 27-acre privately owned park situated at the end
of the streetcar line from Boston. The park originally had a
deer park, small zoo, popular canoeing facilities, amphitheater,
and later the famous Totem Pole Ballroom.
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| 1976 |
Using state funds,
the City of Newton took by eminent domain the 13 acres of old
Norumbega Park that remained after the 1969 construction of
the Marriott Hotel on the western portion. |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Charles
River Canoe and Kayak offers rentals from a site near this
park.
 The NorumbegaPark.com website has historic information and photos. A Boston Globe article talks about the creator of the website, and about the park.
Canoeing
on the Charles is an online exhibit from the Newton History
Museum at Jackson Homestead. The City of Newton website has a collection of historic postcards of the park.
An AMC
book, Exploring the Hidden
Charles, gives information about canoing the Charles River.
The Charles
River is an out-of-print book, available from online sellers.
It also provides information about canoing
the Charles River and hiking near its banks. It includes USGS
maps of the entire length of the Charles.
Wikipedia entry
Photo gallery
Photos on Flickr
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