Lafreniere Park is the largest park in

Metairie, Louisiana Metairie ( ) is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is ...

. The park is funded by local residents surrounding the park, and a few dollars are added onto their water bill every month.

History

Nicolas Chauvin de la Frenière (senior) received a 5,000 acre (20 km²)

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

from

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (; ; February 23, 1680 – March 7, 1767), also known as Sieur de Bienville, was a French-Canadian colonial administrator in New France. Born in Montreal, he was an early governor of Louisiana (New France) ...

, which he used to settle with his family. The plantation was then passed on to

Nicolas Chauvin de Lafreniere Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

, Jr. who later became Louisiana's

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. Nicolas Chauvin de Lafreniere, Jr. organized a revolt against Spanish rule in 1768. He was subsequently executed for his part in the conspiracy on October 25, 1769. The land was confiscated by

Alejandro O'Reilly Alejandro O'Reilly, 1st Count of O'Reilly, KOA (; October 24, 1723 in Baltrasna, County Meath, Ireland – March 23, 1794 in Bonete, Spain), English: Alexander, Count of O'Reilly, Irish: ''Alastar Ó Raghallaigh, ''was an Irish-born military ...

afterwards. On part of this 5,000 acre (20 km²) land grant, the Jefferson Downs Racetrack was eventually built. The Racetrack remained in operation until 1965 when

Hurricane Betsy Hurricane Betsy was an intense, deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that brought widespread damage to areas of Florida, the Bahamas, and the central United States Gulf Coast in September 1965. The storm's erratic nature, coupled with ...

devastated the area. Upon destruction of the track, it was rebuilt near

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ; ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from w ...

Kenner, Louisiana Kenner is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the most populous city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish, and is the largest incorporated suburban city of New Orleans. The population was 66,448 at the 2020 United States cen ...

. This left the old site vacant, and the idea of a park for

Jefferson Parish Jefferson Parish () is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its largest incorporated city is Kenner. Jefferson Parish i ...

was born. Construction started in 1977, and the park was substantially finished and dedicated in 1982.

Development Timeline

Wildlife

The park features extensive array of wildlife, including a wide variety of birds, squirrels. turtles,

alligators An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae in the order Crocodilia. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A ...

, rabbits, raccoons, opossums and coypu (or Nutria). Commonly seen species are White Ibis, (Canadian, African, and Chinese) Geese, Black Swan, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, and Great Egret. They are easy to photograph from a distance of about 20 to 30 feet. One side of the park contains a

marshland In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in general ...

with a wooden walkway cutting through it, allowing travelers to get up close with the wildlife. WadingIbisS

Layout

Two large playgrounds provide a fenced-in area for small children to play, complete with benches and covered tables for their parents. The park is also home to a

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

. In the middle of the park is a man-made lagoon, with three islands. Pavilion Island is near the center, and contains a large pavilion. Marsh Island is home to much of the park's wildlife and features a boardwalk. Large man-made hills blanket some fields, while leaving others open for various activities, such as disc golf. The largest of these hills, located on the north side of the park near the concert pavilion, is colloquially referred to by locals as Coon Hill, due to the large population of raccoons present in the park. A two-mile walking and jogging track encircles the park, with three stretching gyms located at intervals around it. A 5-acre

dog park A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Description Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a fence, separate double-gated entry an ...

is located in the northeast of the park, with separate fenced areas for small and large dogs.

Sports

Lafreniere Park contains five fields for

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

, two fields for

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

fields and other multi-purpose fields. One side of the park was converted into a frisbee golf course. The park has hosted the Allstate Sugar Bowl High School

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

Classic. It has also hosted rugby and field hockey events. The park is used for cross country meets. The

Loyola Wolf Pack The Loyola Wolf Pack are the athletic teams representing Loyola University New Orleans in intercollegiate athletics. The Wolf Pack are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Southern ...

men's and women's cross country teams host home meets in the park. Lafreniere is also a popular place for joggers because of the two mile walking track, which is strictly a pedestrian track. Although the track is for joggers, the park also recognizes the needs for skaters and bikers (referring to bi

cyclists Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world for pur ...

). Many steps and concrete rails are scattered throughout the park, making these spots ideal places for

skateboarders Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United States, ...

. Large, usually empty parking lots are converted into skating areas for inline skaters (also known as

roller skating Roller skating is the act of travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreation, recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on s ...

). For bikers and light traffic, the park contains a large road mirroring the inside of the walking track, which is kept smooth and level.

Christmas in the Park

The park is decorated every December with elaborate light displays, which can be viewed on foot or (for a fee) by vehicle. During the event, children's craft activities are provided near the Pavilion Island parking lots, and local school bands perform on stage.

Gallery

File:Lafreniere Park 1.jpg File:Lafreniere Park (2).jpg File:Lafreniere Park 3.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 9.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 4.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 5.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 6.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 10.jpg File:laf7.jpg File:Lafreniere Park 11.jpg

References

External links

Lafreniere Park Official Site

Lafreniere Park Photo Gallery
- please note, all images on this site are copyrighted and require written consent to use.
Lafreniere Park History at www.JeffParish.net
{{coord, 30, 0, 6, N, 90, 12, 47, W, type:landmark_region:US_dim:1500, display=title Parks in Louisiana Protected areas of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Cross country running courses in Louisiana College cross country courses in the United States Defunct horse racing venues in Louisiana Baseball venues in Louisiana Lacrosse venues in Louisiana Rugby union stadiums in Louisiana Soccer venues in Louisiana Softball venues in Louisiana Loyola Wolf Pack Tourist attractions in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana 1982 establishments in Louisiana Metairie, Louisiana