Emancipation Park and Emancipation Community Center are situated at 3018 Emancipation Ave in the Third Ward area of Houston. It is the oldest park in Texas and Houston. It served as the only public park that African-Americans could access during portions of the Jim Crow era.
Previously enslaved African Americans bought Emancipation Park in 1872 because they were all in favor of getting their own piece of property to commemorate Juneteenth and use it for community improvement and cultural enrichment. Richard Brock (1824–1906) of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Rev. Elias Dibble (1811–1855) of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Jack Yates (1828–1897)of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, and Richard Allen (1831–1909), a civic leader and elected official, served as the main leaders.
It required the entire village and surrounding churches to help raise money by utilizing strong community organization abilities, business savvy, and political savvy.
The park was initially only used for Juneteenth celebrations because its owners lacked the money to keep it open all year.
In 1872, the park was given its present name. Since Houston’s city government had declared its parks to be racially segregated in 1922, it served as the only park for African-Americans in the city from 1922 to 1940. Emancipation Park hosted a lot of concerts, musical acts, and Juneteenth celebrations.
The new Emancipation Park is designed as an intertwined tapestry of buildings and landscape that embraces the present and future of the neighborhood while celebrating the park’s rich past.
Visitors can take advantage of newly renovated playgrounds, landscapes, two historic buildings that have been renovated, as well as a new building and courtyard. The Poole House was recently renovated and enlarged, and the former recreation center has been transformed into a lovely community center.
The park’s importance to Houston’s African-American population is still felt today in the same way that it was in 1872. Emancipation Park is a genuine testament to Texas’ African-American history and a gift to all humankind.
Location: 3018 Emancipation Ave, Houston, TX 77004
Hours: 6 am to 8 pm daily
Parking: Free lot and street parking are available in the surrounding area.
Phone: (713) 284-1911
10 Reasons You Should Visit Emancipation Park In Houston
1. Kids Play Zone
This creative play area’s modern design fits a fun active-play water feature.
Children of all kinds are welcome in this play area.
It is divided into parts, each of which contains different challenges for kids’ imaginative play. The terrain has been sculpted to add areas of visual variation and play areas with natural elements. Modular components not only encourage assembly but also serve as the foundation for learning and developmental activities that aid children in achieving mastery at various developmental stages.
Both kids and adults enjoy the pop jet water deck, where they spend hours attempting to capture or avoid a mysterious eruption of water. When the water is shut off, the deck becomes a tiny stage for musical performances, puppet shows, or family storytelling.
2. Cultural Center
William Ward Watkin, a well-known New York builder, designed the recreation house, which is now the Cultural Center, as well as the bathhouse and swimming pool in 1939.
The Cultural Center currently has an auditorium, meeting spaces, offices, a food serving area, and a space that can be built out for a food concession. Since then, this building has been used for after-school and summer programs for kids, neighborhood gatherings, adult and teen classes, lectures, workshops, events, and other community educational and informational activities. The public can access this area after paying a nominal rental fee.
3. Aquatic center
Children can have fun all year long, particularly during the hot summer months, at the water spray grounds maintained by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
The swimming pool and bathhouse were dedicated in June 1939. Like the baseball field, the swimming pool was a part of the initial park building.
While the majority of park pools are square, permission was obtained to construct this pool in a zigzag pattern.
A pool entrance ramp and a mechanical lift are some of the new handicap features that allow people with disabilities to enter and exit the pool. The pool’s four-foot maximum depth serves to further reinforce the idea that it is intended for families with young children.
During summer hours, which are usually from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, the Emancipation Aquatic Center pool is accessible and free of charge.
4. Baseball Field
This particular baseball field was renowned for hosting the most thrilling semi-pro softball matches in the city in the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, it displays the sporting passions of countless neighborhood kids.
Additionally, it offers a place where volunteers and young leaders can provide organized sporting events for the community’s kids.
Bookings for Baseball Field: 832-394-8804
5. Picnic Pavilion
Beautiful picnic places with well-designed tables and grills are scattered throughout Emancipation Park’s scenic surroundings. This area provides fantastic venues for your upcoming family reunion or business gathering.
Community members of all ages have a spot to sit, relax, and take in the scenery thanks to picnic tables and seating.
6. The Grand Lawn
The grand lawn was a former site of the picnic grounds and is now used for movies in the Tre, concerts, and festivals. It also functions as a gallery for changing exhibitions of visual arts. Be sure to visit the rotating exhibitions.
7. The Porch
This area used to be a portion of the picnic areas. This porch-like outdoor setting with rocking chairs recalls the welcoming atmosphere of a homestead.
The southern front porch is a culturally significant, common gathering spot that is essential to understanding the African-American experience. It is a place to discover folklore, traditions, and spiritual teachings.
8. Blessings Theater
This area was the former site of the tennis courts built in 1928. This amphitheater is now called the blessing theater. It has always been a feature of the original building.
However, its use was discontinued in 1974 when the windows of the building were covered with bricks.
It now serves as a primary performance space that hosts small theoretical spoken word and musical performances outdoors. It is located at the end of the cultural center.
9. Gateway Arch
A striking chrome monument called “And Still We Rise” that is currently situated at the heart of the park captures the essence of the liberation of the mind, body, and soul. It anchors a central gathering place and towers over the surrounding region.
Deepen your understanding of freedom as liberation, release, opportunity, and creativity as you explore the writings on the monument.
10. Tennis Court
Play with other tennis partners at the emancipation park. There are 2 public tennis courts at this park.
There are practice walls on the lighted tennis court as well.
For details on the youth tennis program or general tennis information please contact: 832.395.7561
To get more information about visiting go here.
