Peace Parks Around the World
(Both Small & Large)
Click herefor peace gardens (which can be the same as peace parks except in name).
Click here for Wikipedia article on peace parks.
See below for special section on Pacific Rim Parks.
Click here for website of the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), Stellenbosch (South Africa).
Click here for information about "Peace Parks: Conservation and Conflict Resolution," MIT Press.
Click here for website of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland (Switzerland).
Click here for information about Peace Parks Across Canada, a 1992 project of the International Insititute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT), Stowe, Vermont (USA).Right click image to enlarge.
October 28, 1893 - Penn Treaty Park, Delaware (Columbus) Avenue & Beach Street, Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). Alleged site of famous peace treaty signed by William Penn [1644-1718] and the Lenape Indians in 1683. Click here for Wikipedia article. See associated virtual PennTreatyMusuem.org. Mentioned by Tom Flores (2008).
Circa 1908 - Peace Park, Hopkinsville, Kentucky (USA). Bequest by Hopkinsville native John C. Latham [1846-1909] of New York City, whose large tobacco warehouse on this site was destroyed by disgruntled tobacco growers (Night Raiders) on December 8, 1907. Click here for info about a Confederate Monument dedicated by Latham on May 19, 1887.
1910 - Gippeswyk Park, Ipswich, Suffolk (England). 45-acres presented by Felix Thornley Cobbold MP JP [1841-1909] "to be maintained as a public park and recreation ground, and not to be used for the drilling, or instruction of soldiers, or for any military purposes whatsoever." "Gippeswick was a seventh-century town centred near the quay." Info & photo from Gerard Lössbroek (Pax Christi) 05/09.
August 16, 1914 - Morokulien, between Magnor (Norway) and Eda (Sweden). Tiny international territory commemorating the 1905 negotiations which created peace between Norway and Sweden and led to Norwegian independence. Both images show the 18-meter Fredsmonument / Peace Monument. The name Morokulien combines the Norwegian and Swedish words for "fun."
September 6, 1921 - International Peace Arch, Peace Arch Park, US/Canadian Border between Seatte, Washington (USA), & Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). Commemorates the centennial of the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812 between the US & Great Britain. Click here for the Wikipedia article. Entry #1211 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
1927 - Memorial Peace Park & Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant Grounds, Medicine Lodge, Barber County, Kansas (USA). Text of Kansas historical marker: "Medicine Lodge Peace Treaties. In October 1867, Kiowa, Comanche, Arapahoe, Apache and Cheyenne Indians [the Five Nations] signed a peace treaties with the Federal government. 15,000 Indians camped near by during the council, among them the famous chiefs Satanta [c1820-1878], Little Raven [d.1889] and Black Kettle [c1803-1868]. 500 soldiers acted as escort for the U.S. commissioners. Interest in this colorful spectacle was so widespread that Eastern papers sent correspondents, among them Henry M. Stanley [1841-1904], who later was to find Livingstone in Africa. While the treaties did not bring immediate peace they made possible the coming of the railroads and eventual settlement. The site of the council was at the confluence of the Medicine river and Elm creek, a little southwest of Medicine Lodge. Every five years a treaty pageant is re-enacted in this amphitheater. In Medicine Lodge there is a commemorative monument on the high school grounds." Second image shows old entrance posts. Third image shows Peace Treaty Statue in town of Medicine Lodge.
June 18, 1932 - Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Alberta (Canada) & Montana (USA). Oldest international peace park. Established on the initiative of Rotary International. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Left image is cover of Saturday Evening Post for August 5, 1961, showing a happy family on the international border. Click here for Glacier Waterton National Parks Visitors Association. Click here for Wikipedia article. Entry #1210 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
1940 - International Peace Gardens, Jordan Park, Salt Lake City, Utah (USA). 8.25 acres. 24 gardens developed by ethnic & national groups 1948-1989. Initiated by Mrs. O. A. Wiesley, SLC Council of Women. Includes Little Mermaid from Copenhagen, the Matterhorn, Olmec Head from Mexico, "Peace on Earth" statue (qv), & 84 peace poles from the 2002 Winter Olympics (qv). Image shows Japanese garden added in 1950. Entry #996 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
September 2, 1940 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), North Carolina & Tennssee (USA). 814 square miles (2,108 square kilometers) divided almost equally between the two states. Only US national park created entirely from privately owned land. Dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage area in 1983. Never called a "peace park" but meets all of the criteria of a "transfrontier conservation area" (TFCA) as defined by the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) or of a "transboundary protected area" (TBPA) as defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
1941 - International Peace Monument (Bench), Belle Isle Park, Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan (USA). Carved on the back of the bench are an eagle with 13 stars for the US and a crown and lion for Canada. Entry #494 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
April 25, 1947 - Theodore Roosevelt National Park, National Park Service (NPS), Medora, North Dakota (USA). Includes Roosevelt's two ranches: Maltese Cross (restored) & Elkhorn (remote). Established as Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park in 1947 and became a National Park in 1978. Roosevelt first went to ND in 1883 and spent about 300 days there over a 10 year period. Theodore Roosevelt [1858-1919] was US President 1901-1909 and received the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.
April 1, 1954 - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Contains the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Hiroshima Peace Bell, and many other peace monuments. Left image is air view. Right image shows the cenotaph (right) and Hiroshima Boys Choir (left) during the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6 (Hiroshima Day). #26 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour. Click here for Wikipedia article.Click here for peace monuments in Hiroshima.
About 1973 - Big Spring International Park, Corner of Church & Williams, Huntsville, Alabama (USA). "First picnic area established in 1898. Got its international flavor from various gifts given to the city from other countries. In 1973 Norway gave a 1903 light beacon as well as a 1924 fog bell. In 1987 Japan gave the city the red bridge which is now a main attraction in the park. The park also boasts 60 cherry trees from Japan and a park bench given by Great Britain."
February 4, 1974 - Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, Texas (USA), & Parque Público Federal "El Chamizal," Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico). Corresponding parks in the US & Mexico. Both commemorate the peaceful settlement of the century-long Chamizal boundary dispute [1852-1963] and are located in the formerly disputed area. Image shows the US park and international border on the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo.
1986 - Canberra Peace Park, Canberra, Australian Capitol Territory (Australia). Established for UN International Year of Peace. Monument added in 1990.
1987 - Seaforth Peace Park & Fountain, Burrard Street Bridge (south end), Vancourver, British Columbia (Canada). Click here for air view.
1988 - Seattle Peace Park, Tashkent (Uzbekistan). "Covers a territory of 1.5 acres. The Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association along with Peace Corps Volunteers created the park, decorating it with a fountain, a mosaic map of the world [in image], a striking sculpture by a Seattle-based artist, many decorative and unique tiles designed by Seattle citizens, and planting the trees that have grown over the years and now shade half of the park." Photo courtesy of Anatoly Ionesov 11/08.
September 1988 - Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA) / La Amistad International Peace Park (Costa Rica & Panama). "Lies along the Talamanca mountain range. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. ...a little less than half of it is in Costa Rica. That leaves 207,000 hectares on the Panama side. Nearly all of this land is in the province of Bocas del Toro, but the 3 percent of it that pokes into Chiriquí province is far more accessible."
1990 - Parque de la Paz / Peace Park, Managua (Nicaragua). "One of Managua's most interesting monuments. Its reflection pool is empty and the light rarely shines, but what remains are weapons - machine guns, pistols, even a tank - forever encased in concrete by former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro."
Early 1990's - Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist Temple & Stupa Peace Park, Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) of Maryland, 18400 River Road, Poolesville, Montgomery County, Maryland (USA), near Washington, DC. 65-acre peace park. See similar stupa & peace park in Sedona, Arizona (USA).
1992 - Memorial Arch, Peace Park, Eau Claire Promenade, Prince's Island Park, 2 Avenue & 8 Street SW, Calgary, Alberta (Canada). "In 1992 the park was dedicated as part of a Canada 125 project to commemorate Canada's peacekeepers (one of 250 peace parks that opened throughout Canada that year). Memorial Arch acts as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War 1, 2 and the Korean War. Originally, the Arch was part of the Strathcona Building built during WW1. The Arch was salvaged when the building was demolished and spent several years in City storage before it was erected at the Bridgeland LRT station in 1985. It was dismantled block by block and reconstructed in Peace Park in 1992." Twelve elm trees arranged in a circle, an ancient Bosco Sacro design that represents peace, were also planted in the park.
May 1994 - Friendship Gate, Vladivostok (Russia). First of five parks sponsored by the Pacific Rim Park Project of San Diego, California (USA).
1994 - Prairie Peace Park, Seward, Nebraska (USA) -- 7 miles west of Lincoln on Interstate Highway 80 (exit 388). Peace museum primarily for children, created and owned by Don Tilley. Closed in 2005, but some of its outdoor displays remain. Included open globe (with doves of peace) and 16 sculptures of Sadako Sasaki. Entry #582 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
1995 - Vietnamese-American Peace Park, 30 miles north of Hanoi (Viet-Nam). A project of the Madison Quakers. Image shows Dove Mound, inspired by the Native American mound at the Highground Veterans Memorial Park, Neillsville,Wisconsin (USA).
August 26, 1995 - Peace Park, Highland Middle School, Highland, New York (USA). Peace pole by Jim Fawcett (shown in image) made with wood from Africa and added to the park on April 25, 2007.
1996 - Jane Addams Memorial Park, 600 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois (USA). Honors Jane Addams [1860-1935], founder of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and first US woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1931). Park includes black granite statue "Helping Hands" by Louis Bourgeois. Entry #272 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
1997 - Parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi, Avenida Jose Arrieta, Penalolen, Santiago de Chile (Chile). Villa Grimaldi was a complex of buildings used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners by DINA, the Chilean secret police, during the government of Augusto Pinochet [1915-2006].
Summer 1998 - Pearl of the Pacific, Shelter Island, San Diego, California (USA). Second of five parks sponsored by the Pacific Rim Park Project of San Diego, California (USA).
Before 1999 - Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) of Sedona, 2650 Pueblo Drive, Sedona, Arizona (USA). See similar stupa & peace park in Poolesville, Maryland (USA).
November 11, 1998 - Páirc Síochána d'Oileán na h'Éireann / Island of Ireland Peace Park, Mesen / Messines, near Ypres, Flanders (Belgium). A a war memorial to the soldiers of the island of Ireland who died, were wounded or are missing from World War I.Includes the Irish Peace Tower, a symbolic Irish round tower.
Date? - Peace Plaza, First Street (by the Mayo Cliinic), Rochester, Minnesota (USA). Renovated with ribbon cutting on June 19, 2008.
Date? - Peace Park, Layang-Layangan Village, Labuan Federal Territory (LFT), Borneo Island, Malayasia. Adjacent to Surrender Point where the commander of the Japanese Army surrendered to the Australians on September 9, 1945, leading to the end of WW-II in Borneo."This beautiful landscaped park was built as a memorial and renunciation of the horrers [sic] of war. A huge man-made mound is the focal point and there is a plaque signifying the renunciation of war." Formerly known as Victoria, LFT is "best known as an offshore financial centre as well as a popular tourist destination for the neighboring Bruneians and scuba diving aficionados."
July 23, 2001 - Phoenix, Yantai (China). Inscribed "One moon draws us together through stone gates" in four languages. Third of five parks sponsored by the Pacific Rim Park Project of San Diego, California (USA).
May 19, 2002 - International People's Park, Dili (East Timor). Park and its monument in central Dili [were] inaugurated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the presence of many dignitaries."
December 2002 - Green Island Human Rights Memorial Park, Tai-Tung County (Taiwan). Site of two prisons which held political prisoners. Educational center opened in 2008.
May 31, 2006 - Portland Peace Memorial Park, just south of Steele Bridge, Portland, Oregon (USA). Dedicated on Memorial Day. "Orchestrated by the Oregon chapter of Veterans for Peace. ...thought to be the largest memorial to the idea of peace in America [sic!]." Or called Portland Memorial Peace Park?
About 2007 - Manchester Peace Park, Podujeva (Kosovo). Nine hectares (22 acres). "A focal point in Podujeva's postwar healing process." The 22-acre park is a project of Manchester Aid to Kosovo (MAK).
October 7, 2008 - Mayo Memorial Peace Park & Garden of Remembrance, Castlebar, County Mayo (Ireland). "Honours the memory of all those from Mayo, who served and died in all wars worldwide and conflicts of the past century, with the Allied and Commonwealth Forces, a forgotten generation who were written out of local history until recent times." Opened by the President of Ireland, Mary Mc Alesee.
May 2009 - Pacific Rim Park, Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island (Philippines). Fifth of five parks sponsored by the Pacific Rim Park Project of San Diego, California (USA).
Future - United Nations Peace Park, Global NGO Complex & Map Museum, Global Campus, Kyung Hee University, Suwon (South Korea). "Expected to help improve relations between the Global Campus & international organizations, such as the UN, & domestic & international NGO's by offering spacious & convenient venues for international gatherings & research."
Future - Elko Community Peace Park, Elko, Nevada (USA). "The 8.5 acre park, featuring Nevada’s natural habitat, is located on the north side of I-80 between College Parkway and Spruce Street, south of Mittry Avenue. Park partners include the City of Elko, the Friends of the Peace Park, and a growing list of volunteers and sponsors, both local and regional."
Future - Gallipoli Peninsula Peace Park (Turkey). Norwegian architects Lasse Broegger and Anne-Stine Reine won the Gallipoli Peninsula Peace Park International Ideas and Design Competition in 1997-98. How much of the plan has been implemented?
Future - International Peace Park, (China/Pakistan). Park proposed for both sides of the border, including Khunjerab National Park in Pakistan which is one of the highest altitude parks in the world.
Future - Balkans Peace Park Project (BPPP), three nation area (Albania, Kosovo/a & Montenegro). Includes Shala Valley. Chair of the project is Antonia Young, University of Bradford, Bradford (England). Support is provided by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Austrian Development Corporation
Future - Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (Mozambique, South Africa & Zimbabwe). The three Ministers for the Environment signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to initiate the park on November 10, 2000. This is one of several projects of the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) of Stellenbosch (South Africa).
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KFuture - Oush Grab Peace Park, Jerusalem-Eastern Gush Etzion Highway, Beit-Sahour (Shepherd’s Field), east of Bethlehem (Occupied Palestine). A development (fully funded by USAID in 2006) for a children’s hospital, youth center, public peace park, environmental center, recreation center, cultural center, and parking lot, but halted (indefinitely?) due to a counter proposal by "Women in Green" for a "Jewish Shdema" (settlement) on the same site (which is an abandoned IDF army camp).
2000 - 
