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Bowne Park

29 Ave., 32 Ave. bet. 155 St. and 159 St.

Queens

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This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

What was here before?
This was once the site of former State Senator and New York City Mayor Walter Bowne’s summer residence, “Clifton,” which was built circa 1825. The two-story mansion was destroyed by a fire in March 1925. Mayor Bowne was a decedent of John Bowne (1627-1695), one of the earliest immigrants to Flushing and a Quaker, known for his fight for religious freedom. The Bowne family and its decedents owned large portions of land throughout this area of Queens.

How did this site become a park?
The City acquired this property in June 1925 by condemnation and it opened as a playground under the Parks Department in 1935. On June 10, 1969, Bowne Park made headlines as the first city park with an “instant playground.” This creation provided ready-made modular playground equipment which consisted of eight-sided colorful fiberglass play-cubes.

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This map is designed to represent parks as they are used by the public. It should not be used to represent the legal boundaries of property under Parks jurisdiction. If you would like to view all City property under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks, please visit NYC OpenData.

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Clean & Safe

91
Park Condition Score
$2.7M
Recent Investment

Green & Resilient

285
Mapped Trees
No natural areas present at this site.
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Volunteer Engagement

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