Living Memorial Park — Attraction in Brattleboro

Have been privileged to perform here in the Rotary Club Ampitheater a couple of times with the Vermont Theater🎭Company's: "Shakespeare In The Park" (1993 & 1999) series when I was in college.*

SO FANTASTIC to perform Shakespeare in the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Brattleboro is the MOST artistic and cultured small town in the Southern Vermont region (& DEFINITELY in Windham County), followed by Bennington. It now DEFINITELY ranks up there with the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts when it comes to presenting the performing arts.

I've been to performances in Lenox, Lee, Pittsfield and Williamstown, and whilst Brattleboro doesn't have the same "pastiche" on a national level that those places do, it still has come a long way culturally, with the arts & Theater 🎭 because of organizations like VTC & NEYT. I became VERY active with NEYT as an instructor/mentor in the Summers when I was post-college graduation (1998) and in grad school (1999-2002).*

Living Memorial Park was fun in the Winter too, sledding and skiing @ The Brattleboro Ski 🎿 Hill; which was a great recreational break from VARA (Vermont Alpine Racing Association) downhill racing around different 🏔️'s across the state & ski jumping competitions.

I grew up nearby to Brattleboro in South Newfane, and attended Hampshire College down in Amherst, MA & then grad school at Yale University in New Haven, CT...

Unfortunately, I knew some of the people that are on the Memorial plaques. I used to play here in the winter, snowboarding and sledding on the hill. The people that upkeep the park do a very good job keeping the park looking beautiful. The public is a problem since immature folks like to destroy/deface the bathrooms/building. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, LEAVE! STOP WRITING ALL OVER! STOP DESTROYING THE BATHROOMS. I don't swim in the public pool, unfortunately it has EVERYTHING to do with the GROSS behavior of the unsupervised 'kids', folks old enough to know better but too gross to care. I used to bring kids here every year but seeing the 'public' destroying the buildings and not one 'community member' stops anyone they catch so noone is held accountable. Keep an eye on Your immature children, that includes teenagers that are too self absorbed to understand that the FUTURE is more than themselves. Go, see the park, bring Your family, play in the park and check out the pool when it is open, but know that You are entering water that eventually will be used as a toilet by some...

We love the playground here. It's very close to the parking lot - there are sidewalks to get to it from there (so stroller friendly walk to get there!).

The playground has a toddler structure and a bigger kid structure. Plus 6 baby/bucket swings and 6(?) regular swings! There's shaded spots to sit, benches, a shaded gazebo, and a picnic table. There is also a basketball court. Farther from the play structures, but still in same area, are a play jeep and train (bolted into place, don't move), and a Gaga ball pit.

There are two water fountains for drinking, and the bathrooms were open and clean when we went (Mid-May 2023). Needed paint, but seriously clean! Pictures attached.

This is also a spot with a pool, kiddie pool, and small splash pad (open in summer, costs to enter), and during the winter there's an ice rink farther up and possibly snow tubing or skiing or something! There are trails as well, farther...