Riverside Park Conservancy

Riverside Park is a lovely 18-acre wooded open space that rises from the Thames River to the Northeast New London neighborhood and the Winthrop Elementary STEM Magnet School. Created in 1893, the park was a popular recreation spot - for games, picnicking, swimming and viewing the annual Yale-Harvard Regatta - for generations of New Londoners, until it became isolated due to the construction of I-95 and urban renewal. It remains a hidden gem whose unique landscape and sweeping views offer peaceful respite from the stresses of everyday life. Directions to the park.

Join us for the first of a series of FREE hands-on workshops which will explore the park’s terrain, identify native and invasive plants, and encourage stewardship of New London’s natural resources. Led by environmental educator Suzanne Thompson, the sessions will be timed with nature cycles throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons.

The first session will include exploration of the Riverside Park site, with a focus on examining the plants that grow there and the creatures that depend on them for food and shelter.

A Living Ecosystem series details:
• For children age 5 and up
• Wear sturdy shoes or boots, and long pants are recommended.
• This is not a drop-off program; young children must be accompanied by parents or older siblings
• While walk-ins will be accepted as space allows, preregistration is encouraged; register here.

Download a flyer

Riverside Park Conservancy is in the process of making plans for this area across from the pavilion, where historically there was a small playground that was removed when the old equipment became unsafe. A rain garden is in the works at the north end, near the US Coast Guard Academy fence, but there is ample space for recreational amenities to be added to the rest of the parcel.

A couple benches have been ordered, but we are seeking public input on what sorts of recreation should be provided (creative play? adult fitness? nature trail? for visitors to the north end of the park.

Please complete our online survey, or download a pdf document that you can mail (or email) to us. Thank you!

To help park visitors navigate its 18 acres of recreational spaces and natural areas, Riverside Park Conservancy installed a kiosk with park map near the main parking area. (You can pick up a 2023 brochure as well!)