Orton Park — Attraction in Madison

Orton Park occupies the whole of Block 180 as it appeared in the original plat map of Madison. The hears of the "Four Lakes Region," Madison as a place settled by Europeans officially became a village in 1846, and two years later Block 180 was selected as the official cemetery. When Madison became a city in 1857 was purchase for a new and bigger cemetery, which is now Forest Hill Cemetery, a city park. In 1877 all burials that could be found were moved from this old “village cemetery” and re-interred at Forest Hill. (One of them was a great great grandfather of mine!) In 1883 the site was made Madison’s first official city park. It was named for Harlow South Orton, a former mayor who was a state supreme court justice at the time. Officially opened in 1887, Orton Park was the city's only public park until the Madison Parks and Pleasure Drive Association started their campaign to add more parks in the 1890s. Former Mayor Orton himself is buried in Section 2, Lot 073, Grave 1 of Forest Hill Cemetery. In the 1980s, a space in Orton Park was temporarily home to the sculpture “Gay Liberation” by George Segal, which is now in Christopher Park in the West Village. I lived half a block away during the time that sculpture was in place, and a small set of hardcore homophobes vandalized it several times. All in all, the neighborhood is a splendid place to live, and the business that had made the biggest stink about the sculpture has moved away and the building where they had been is now home to the restaurant “A Pig in a Fur Coat,” which I have also reviewed. This park has some fine examples of fully mature trees of species that are hallmarks of the forests of Wisconsin. Good population of squirrels, and I've seen owls and more than one species of hawk...

Orton park is a lovely park on the Madison's east side. They have the orton park festival every year which is the main reason I go to orton park. There's music, food, beer, raffles, vendors, and amazing shows by Cycropeia. I think it's one of the best festivals that Madison has. It's all neighborhood driven as well. If you're not going to orton park for that festival it's just a beautiful place to visit. It's one block from lake Mendota. They have a playground and beautiful trees. It's definitely a great place to hang out for a while, read, etc. There's some areas to lay down a blanket for a picnic as well. It's a very special and semi-hidden...

Most of the year it's a nice park in an quiet, older residential neighborhood with a gazebo. For a few days at the end of summer it turns into a festival with aerial dance performances in the large oak tree. Truly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen (which inspired me to take classes with, and join the group that puts on the show) If you have a chance,...