Fountain Repairs Scheduled!

We’re happy to announce that extensive repairs to the the historic marble fountain near the Lombard Street entrance to the park will finally get underway!

The fountain, last fully overhauled in 2003, is in dire need of repair to its carved marble base and its internal pipes (both of which are cracked and leaking). Friends of Patterson Park has been working with BCRP, CHAP and various funders to get to the point where work can begin. The marble base will be removed by crane next week (June 22-25 timeframe) to be repaired off-site. We hope that these repairs will set us up for future success in keeping this beautiful park feature running well.

We’ll keep you updated on its progress and its return date!

Check out these updates about the fountain from Jennifer Robinson, our executive director, and from our contractor, with a detailed explanation of the damage and repair process.

Phase 1 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On April 19th, the Friends of Patterson Park, together with partners, friends and elected officials, came together to officially open the 1868 Park Superintendent’s House - the “white house” - after a year-long renovation. The renovation is Phase 1 of a two-part capital project to improve the Friends of Patterson Park’s headquarters, creating a park Visitors Center and community programming space.

A tour of the newly-renovated space is available HERE.

Media coverage:
Baltimore Sun - “Patterson Park Superintendent’s House Ribbon Cutting”
WBAL-TV - “Renovations complete at Patterson Park Superintendent’s House”

Check out the photos from the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony below!
Photo credit: Alison Reeder

Patterson Park named #4 in USA Today's 10Best City Parks 2021 list!

Patterson Park came in #4 out of 20 city parks nationwide to be nominated to USA Today’s 10Best City Parks 2021 list!

Huge thanks to all the park lovers who voted, and to the community of our members, funders, volunteers, partners, legislators and Baltimore Recreation & Parks...so many passionate people and organizations who contribute to making this park amazing for Baltimore.

Parks are important to a city's health & well-being, and we're excited to see so many beautiful ones showcased in this listing. Check out the full list here: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-city-park-2021/

2020 Patterson Park Photo Contest Results

Our 2020 Photo Contest was a success! Patterson Park has so many talented photographers. You can check out the results HERE. We enjoyed seeing the park through your eyes!

A 2021 Calendar featuring many of the photo winners is available in our store! Get yours before they sell out!

Photo credit Kevin B. Moore

2021 Friends of Patterson Park Calendar
Now available in our store!

Meet Colleen, our summer AmeriCorps volunteer!

Say hello to Colleen Mader, our awesome summer volunteer!

She’s currently working with us through an AmeriCorps program, as an Up2Us Sports VISTA (or “Volunteer in Service to America”). We’re grateful to have her onboard for the rest of August!

From Colleen: “This summer I’ve been working on a variety of projects, and you may have seen me leading our Sunday morning park clean ups! I’m originally from Baltimore, but I go to school abroad at NYU Abu Dhabi, where I study public policy. My main interests are public health, social justice, environmental justice, and international relations. When I’m not working or studying, you can find me cooking up my favorite meals I learned from living in Morocco, practicing a new language, or going on long walks listening to podcasts!

This summer has been an enriching experience, and I love working with Friends of Patterson Park for so many reasons. To name a few, it’s really interesting for me to be involved with a public park within an urban area, as it’s a great example of how to improve community health and relations. I also love when I talk to the volunteers at our clean up events (come out and talk to me! From 6+ feet away!) and learn more about their experiences, and why they love Patterson Park. Seeing the variety of activities people partake in at the park always brings me so much joy, whether it’s walks with family, yoga classes, mindfulness sessions, or anything else!

This summer has already taught me so much, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned with you all!” 

Black Lives Matter

The Friends of Patterson Park stands with those who are fighting in support of Black lives and racial justice.

As an organization, we believe that parks are central to individual and community health and well-being. We acknowledge that as a well-used public space, Patterson Park has seen its share of historic segregation and racism over its long history. We remain committed to promoting use of the park by all Baltimore City residents and visitors; sustaining partnerships with Black- and Latinx-led organizations; and advocating for equitable park funding Citywide.

But there is more we can do.

Looking forward, we will work to increase diversity and add more Black perspectives to our leadership – both staff and Board of Directors. We will listen, and we will continue to speak out against racist speech and actions. Members of our staff and Board of Directors who are white will educate ourselves on the perpetuation of white supremacy in public spaces. We commit to expanding our outreach to our local communities done in recent years that have enabled us to better understand and serve everyone’s needs. These efforts have resulted in the realization of new programming and youth employment opportunities. We will continue to learn and to integrate our learning into programming and advocacy to reflect Baltimore’s diversity in our public spaces.

We look forward to partnering with those who share our values and working toward a future where all of our parks are a welcoming haven for everyone, including Black, Latinx, indigenous, and other historically marginalized populations.

We will be sharing with you our efforts to date and future steps in the coming weeks. If you have ideas on park-related initiatives or have questions or comments, please contact us.