Maplecrest, located near the Hilton Branch of the Library on Springfield Avenue, is one of six public parks in Maplewood. Its playing fields and tennis courts make it a popular destination for town and area residents. Also, each summer, the Springfield Avenue Alliance holds its Mayfest festival in the park, which features live music and activities for children such as egg tosses and the moon bounce.
Founded in 1923 by Cora Hartshorn, whose father developed Short Hills, the arboretum includes both a garden and untouched woodlands in its 16-acre tract. When Hartshorn died, she willed the arboretum to the town for all to enjoy. There are trails in the woods behind the stone barn, which anyone can use. The arboretum staff just asks visitors to close the gate behind them when they use the trails.
The stone barn is a historic structure from Hartshorn's days and was renovated in 2007, which included an addition. Programming for children and adults takes place in the barn, which features a kitchen classroom and an area dedicated to animals. The animals include assorted reptiles and a chinchilla, which is popular with children.
Programming takes place during the day for preschoolers and after school for older children. Teenagers also serve as volunteers and mentors to younger children. There is a variety of adult programming as well, including trips and hikes.
In addition to the trails and indoor programming, the arboretum has a bird watching area with assorted bird feeders. The birds are also captured on a Web cam, which people can watch on the organization's Web site.
The Recreation Department oversees the town's parks and recreation programs. This includes various recreational events, youth programs and Memorial Pool. The department does not oversee the work of the private sports leagues in town. The department is run by the Recreation Commission and the town's Director of Recreation.
M. Bruce Kaufmann is the Recreation Director. Jim Martin is the Chairman of the Recreation Commission and commission members are Michael Cash, Peter Echausse, Gary Fox, Jonathan Jones, Bill Kelly, Jeff O'Connor, Bill Palatucci, Tom Ripperger, Stacey Ukrainsky and Loren Weinstein. Councilman Mark Ciarrocca and Board of Education President Ginny Leiz are liaisons to the commission.
Part of the Bergen County Parks System, the Wild Duck Pond is a living oasis in the middle of suburbia. Complete with a dog park, bike trail and ducks, the park is nestled on East Ridgewood Avenue just inside the Paramus border. A one-way paved road wraps around the complex, and parking is aplenty. Several covered picnic areas make the Wild Duck Pond great for company outings or barbecues.
The facility features a visitor center and New Jersey's first natural history museum, built in 1941. Its purpose is to interpret the natural and human history of the Watchung Reservation and to foster an awareness and appreciation of the environment.
The duck pond is adjacent to South Orange Middle School, off Ridgewood Road. Ducks and Canadian geese can be seen there. Off to the side is a shaded area with bocce courts and horseshoes. Famed sculptor Tony Smith's "TAU" was just installed at the intersection of Ridgewood Road and Mead Street.
Silas Condict is part of the Morris County Parks Commission. This impressive 265-acre park has quite a lot of features, including multiple hiking trails with scenic overviews, picnic sites both in the woods and out and about, horseshoe pits and a ball field. The lake at its heart is seven acres, and in summer it has rentals of paddle boats and rowboats (Memorial Day through Labor Day). In the winter the park still has plenty of opportunities for enjoyment, including ice skating and ice fishing on the lake and cross country skiing.
The large stone building, renovated in 1993, is called "The Casino at Silas Condict Park" (there is no gambling, though) and is available for weddings, parties and meetings.
Silas Condict was a farmer surveyor and politician, and in 1775 was a member of the committee which drafted New Jersey's first constitution. Silas Condict was a Revolutionary War patriot.
