100 Years of Monroe County Parks
From October 2026 through October 2027, Monroe County will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Monroe County Parks system.
On October 1st, 1926, the first rules and regulations for the creation of County parks were adopted, ultimately leading to the opening of the first county park, Ellison Park, on October 1st, 1927.
Celebrate in Each of the 22 Parks
Each of Monroe County’s 22 parks have something fun to offer. Use the “Things to Do!” guide to help navigate your way through every park.
Download the Parks 100 Things to Do card!
Special Events to Commemorate the Parks 100
In recognition of Parks 100, Monroe County will be hosting special events throughout 2026 and 2027.
- Kodak Camera Club Walks: The KODAK Camera Club is a community of imaging enthusiasts with a desire to learn, experience, and share. Join them on three special walks that give community members the opportunity to both explore and document the natural beauty of Monroe County Parks. Participation is free!
- Highland Park – Saturday, May 8th, 2027 from 10 a.m.-noon
- Durand-Eastman Park – Saturday, July 17th, 2027 from 10 a.m.-noon
- Ontario Beach Park – Tuesday, July 20th, 2027 from 6-8 p.m.
- Rochester Playground Library: the Library will relaunch an event that brings storytime right to the playground! Participation is free.
- Mendon Ponds Park – January 8th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Powder Mills Park – February 12th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Black Creek Park – March 12th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Ellison Park – April 9th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Durand-Eastman Park – May 14th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Greece Canal Park – June 11th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Highland Park – July 9th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Webster Park – August 13th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Seneca Park – September 10th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- Northampton Park – October 8th, 2027, 10 a.m.
- “Things to Do in the Parks” initiative. This initiative invites visitors to pick up a card that features unique activities at each park in our system. The card can be found at all County libraries.
Timeline of the Monroe County Parks system
- February 28, 1926 – The State Legislature introduces a bill permitting the establishment of a Monroe County Park Commission. Initial discussions for a first county park centered on unused land on “Egypt Hill.”
- October 29, 1926 – An initial survey is held of prospective sites for the new county park system. The survey’s first stops were the Ellison Farm and Inspiration Point, a high piece of land overlooking Irondequoit Bay.
- February 1, 1927 – Professor Carl Crandall, engineer, and Herbert M. Blanche, landscape architect, present a report to the Monroe County Park Commission with their initial proposal for a park system. This proposal includes six parks – Nine Mile Point, Northwest Beach, Ellison, Powder Hill, Churchville and Mendon Ponds parks.
- March 2, 1927 – The County Board of Supervisors hire a County Superintendent of Parks and ten laborers. The staff begin by cleaning up Ellison Park and adding amenities like a baseball diamond, Scout camp, and toboggan slides.
- July 10, 1927 – In anticipation of Ellison Park’s formal opening, the Monroe County Park Commission, announced the park’s hours, and issued rules for the new park that included forbidding shotting and trapping, parking guidelines, and banning the destruction of plants.
- October 1, 1927 – The Democrat & Chronicle reported that over 5,000 people attended the dedication of Ellison Park. Many local Boy Scout troops and 16 members of the Seneca Nation from the Tonawanda Reservation were among the crowd, and staged a pageant portraying the meeting of French explorer LaSalle and local Native Americans.
- Dec. 30, 1927 – The County Board of Supervisors approves a $1.5 million bond issue for the purchase of new park sites, beginning a phase of rapid expansion of the county park system.
More to Come
Check back throughout the year as we announce additional ways to celebrate the Parks 100!
