Bloomfield: Parks, Gardens and History

When planning a stay in Bloomfield, parks, gardens and historic sites offer different points of interest. Brookdale Park combines walking and running paths with a section of the Lenape Trail and a rose garden. Watsessing Park is an Olmsted-designed landscape, while Oakeside Mansion & Gardens is a historic 19th-century estate with gardens. If you are looking for accommodation, these differences can help you weigh your interests for your stay.

Parks, Paths and Gardens

Brookdale Park is located in Bloomfield and Montclair and offers walking and running paths. The park also includes a section of the 36-mile Lenape Trail. The 36 miles refer to the entire trail; Brookdale Park includes one section of it. This makes it possible to distinguish the paths within the park from the portion of a longer route.

The rose garden at Essex County Brookdale Park contains 1,500 rose bushes representing nearly 100 varieties. The two figures describe different aspects of the garden: the scale of the planting and its variety. Alongside the paths and trail section, this also highlights the garden landscape as a distinct feature of the park.

At Brookdale Park’s outdoor archery range, The Bloomfield Archers hold weekly “Sunday Shoots” from April through October; they are open to all archers. If archery is one of your interests, you can include this seasonal activity in your plans. Check the dates for the season before your trip.

Landscapes and Getting Around Town

Olmsted-designed Watsessing Park is located in Bloomfield and East Orange. The Second River flows through the park. The landscape design and the waterway offer two distinct points of interest when considering parks by character: both the design and the river are specific features of the place.

The Morris Canal Greenway at Morris Canal Park is located on Pierson Lane and Oak Tree Lane, off Broughton Avenue. The Bloomfield Morris Canal Greenway has pollinator-friendly flower beds in this area. The flower beds and the stated location of the Greenway are separate points of reference for planning; the description of the beds applies to the Greenway.

The Historic Town Green is a rectangular, tree-lined park covering five acres. It runs parallel to Park Place. Its size and shape give this green space a different character from the paths and gardens at Brookdale Park. If you want to consider different park landscapes, you can compare the specific layout of the Town Green with the other named places.

Historic Sites and Culture

Oakeside Mansion & Gardens is a historic 19th-century estate surrounded by four acres of grounds and gardens. Tours can be arranged by appointment. An appointment is therefore a practical detail to plan for in advance if you want a tour. The estate combines a historical connection with a specifically stated area of gardens and grounds.

The Museum of the Historical Society of Bloomfield has a collection of maps, newspapers, photographs, postcards, letters, deeds, documents and books. The museum is temporarily closed for restoration work. If you are interested in Bloomfield’s history, the different collection categories provide a concrete overview of topics; also keep the temporary closure in mind when planning.

Discover more destinations: Montclair.

Go to the broader travel overview: Essex.