One of two sculptured lions that flank a formal boat landing were originally located in front of the old Newark Prudential building.

Recently I was out scouting a location for a photo shoot in Newark. I was set to shoot a family in Branch Brook Park the next day, so I needed to find a good location. I had not spent much time in the park previously or taken a tour of it. My only time spent in Branch Park had been limited to Cherry Blossom season in April when I take my camera out to capture the amazing blossoms on the cherry trees. So, I hopped in my car to drive the length of the park in search of the perfect location for a Sunday afternoon shoot.

In the background is the Scared Heart Basilica, one of the largest cathedrals in the U.S.

While driving the 4-mile length of the park, I came across some nice areas. You would never believe you were still in Newark, aka Brick City. Being the information junkie that I am, I decided to look up some information about the park.

• Originally created in 1895, it was the first county park in the U.S. to open to the public.


• It is listed on the New Jersey (1980) and National (1981) Registers of Historic Places.


• The park is nearly 4 miles long, covering 359.72 acres, making it the largest developed park in Essex County.


• The nearly 2,000 cherry trees that bloom during the month of April is a greater number and variety than in Washington D.C. This is the result of gifts during in 1927 from Mrs. Felix Fuld and the Bamberger family. Now known as "Cherry Blossomland." The Cherry Blossom Festival in April attracts over 10,000 visitors.


• The original park was only 60 acres in size but grew during the 1920s through private donations from prominent Newark families, including the Ballantines, the Hellers, Z.M. Zeene, and William A. Righter, eventually becoming one the largest urban area parks in the U.S.


• The old abandoned Morris Canal that ran along the west side of the park, became the Newark City Subway, and provided a link between downtown Newark and the park.


• The park was redesigned in 1900 by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed landscape designer of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York (among many others).


• Features of the park include softball fields, tennis courts, roller rink, playgrounds, senior citizen center, four-mile park drive, pedestrian bridges, a large lake.

Sources: About Branch Brook Park, Wikipedia—Branch Brook Park, Wikipedia—Frederick Law Olmsted

All photographs © Mary A. Brown/Mary B. Photography