Langford Park — Attraction in Florida

This popular park in Jensen Beach was named in honor of Frances Langford (1913-2005). Frances Langford was a popular singer, radio performer, and actress in the 1930's through the 1950's. She was also a boater and fisherwoman. Langford's first singing performance was staged in Lakeland. The classically-trained opera singer had a tonsillectomy in her teens, and she retrained her vocal style to the big band type of music that was popular at the time. Langford was discovered by Rudy Vallee while performing on a Tampa radio station. She worked on the radio with Vallee, Dick Powell, and Bob Hope. Her first film was Every Night at Eight (1935) which featured her singing I'm in the Mood for Love. Her other films included Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Glenn Miller Story. During WWII Frances Langford worked with the USO and traveled through North Africa and the South Pacific to visit injured GI's. She became known as the GI Nightingale. Her weekly newspaper column, "Purple Heart Diary," told of those visits and urged public support for injured soldiers. Of her time visiting the troops Langford said ""The greatest thing in my life was entertaining the troops." Langford's war-related papers can be found at the Institute on World War II at Florida State University. In 1955 she moved to Jensen Beach with her second husband Ralph Evinrude to live out her dream, Frances Langford's Outrigger Resort, where she had cottages, a restaurant, and a marina. In 1948, Frances donated 20 acres of her estate for the creation of this park.

Lanford Park is located just south of the historic Stuart Welcome Arch. The park is home to the Vince Bocchino Community Center that has a kitchen and meeting space. It can be rented for private events like shower and weddings, and hosts programs that include summer camp and the Jensen After School Experience. There is also the Log Cabin Senior Center that hosts many senior programs and activities like light exercise and art classes.

Other park amenities include restrooms, a playground currently closed for remodeling, four baseball diamonds, a concession stand, two basketball courts, four tennis courts, four racquetball courts, two sand volleyball courts, eleven picnic pavilions, and the newest addition, four pickleball courts. Connected to the park by a sidewalk path through the ball fields is the Pat Mark Rio-Jensen Skate Park.

I enjoyed walking the park for exercise. This well maintained recreational facility brings the community of Jensen Beach together. It is the ideal place for play, exercise, sports, picnics, or just hanging outside enjoying the...

Langford park is a great place to casually hang out. I frequently see people hosting birthdays, holiday celebrations, etc. There are many covered picnic areas which are quickly occupied on weekends and bathroom access, and an in ground fountain for the kids (or anyone) to cool off and have fun in. There is also a nice walkway which leads to the langford mansion which you can tour for free, just check the hours prior to going. There is access to the river as Well, and when the water is not polluted you can swim in it ( i never have bc the intercoastal has been so damaged with Lake Okeechobee scheduled run off -thanks Koch brothers!?!- that I think it not worth the risk to my endocrine system) but there is a nice dock you can walk out on to observe said polluted waters. All in all, a nice family get together place as long as you don't mind the...

My kids were blown away and asked to go back the next day! Visiting for the week from Atlanta, was looking for something not beach related for the kids to let out some energy. We googled and then hit Sewell’s park first which was a let down. Langford was not really out of the way on the route home so decide to try it. It was a huge hit! 12 year old boy played basketball and five year old had a great time on the playground-which looked very new, safe, fun and entertaining! Restrooms were clean and we had the park all to ourselves (mind you it was Thursday January 2nd in the middle of the day). Will definitely...