Wickham Park

This is a standard stop when ever I visit Connecticut. My wife grew up coming to this park and she gets to relive some of her memories when we visit. The grounds are beautiful and there is plenty of trails to walk. Birds galore to see and feed in the Avery area. Great view of Hartford from the top of the hill. They used to sled down it in the snow but I have never seen it.

This past Sunday, we decided to bring our daughter to Wickham to visit Santa. We went with my friend, her husband and her daughter who is just about the same age. The line was atrocious! We moved like 10 feet in a half hour and we were waiting in the cold with one year old girls who were getting restless. It became reality that we probably would have to wait outside another two hours at LEAST. There was a cute sleigh outside and we opted to just take our holiday pics in there. Now don’t get me wrong, this park is BEAUTIFUL and I cannot wait to visit in the summer, I heard there is a petting zoo and beautiful flower gardens and many things to do… and the fact that we didn’t get to see Santa does not take away from this glory. But here is a helpful hint if you do want to visit Santa (which we will set in place for next year) get there at least an HOUR earlier than it opens… you should be able to get to the front of the line and not have much of a wait this way… it is supposed to be amazing once inside. decorations, pics with Santa and refreshments with Mrs. Clause. Next year for sure!
I might even be able to up the stars to 5!!!

Wickham Park is so beautiful and well manicured with great views and easy paths to walk. There is a small fee to get in but it is well worth it. You get a great view of Harford! There are various gardens and paths that are so beautiful and diverse. They also have some different things like disc golf and an aviary too. I love this park and feel lucky to have this in my town.

What isn’t there to do here?! From just enjoying a beautiful peaceful walk, to looking at the aviary, to playing disc golf, this park has it all. It’s a bit of a drive for me, but I would go here again. It’s just beautiful and a very clean park. The disc golf course is very nice and fun.

Gorgeous as always! I’m always blown away by the upkeep at this park — the grounds are stunning and they always seem to be working to meticulously maintain existing gardens or create a new garden (currently the Irish Garden). Since I’m planning a wedding here for next spring, I was happy to see that the staff are EXTREMELY diligent about making sure these events are private for the couple and their guests. My fiancé and I were up here recently and noticed that the crew was setting up for a wedding; they’d already posted a ton of «private event — closed to public» signs and came over to us as we peeked around the perimeter to let us know that the area was closed for an event. Knowing (rather assuming) that they’d be handling our wedding with the same care next year made me really impressed!

I attended a wedding at the cabin site this weekend and was immensely impressed with the setting provided for the bride and groom. The gardens were simply awesome and full of many types of gorgeous flowers and greenery. The attractive site where the ceremony was held overlooked the city and provided plenty of seating for all the guests. If you come on a sunny day in the late afternoon, be sure to bring your sunglasses or a visor as the sun will be shining down upon your face! The cabin was air conditioned and provided a bar, two restrooms, plenty of space for a DJ and lots of dancers. Add a beautiful large white tent that complemented the site where we all ate, and there was plenty of room for lots of people. The staff was exceptional, especially Julie! Only regret was not having time to check out all the beautiful gardens that grace this beautiful park.

Extending into both Manchester and East Hartford, Wickham Park is a non-​profit private foundation with over 250 acres of gardens, open fields, woodlands, ponds, picnic areas, and sports facilities.
With 6 different themed gardens (English, Scottish, Oriental, Italian, Lotus, Wetlands, Rhododendron) you’ll see all sorts of events and ceremonies when the weather warms up. At the highest point of the park, the cabin garden and amphitheater has to be one of my favorite spots to capture a good panoramic shot of Hartford. The Oriental Garden is probably a close second. It’s one of the larger gardens and has several spots to rest and relax in.
Gardens aside, there’s an aviary that include all sorts of birds like turkeys, pheasants, chickens, vultures, hawks, geese and owls. A nature center is right around the corner and exhibits local plant and animal wildlife. Only last year though did I take advantage of Wickham Park’s 18-​hole disc-​golf course. With all sorts of terrain, and beautiful scenery — Wickham Park provides the perfect backdrop for a fun pick-​up game or competitive match. There are picnic areas, tennis courts, softball fields, horseshoe pits, and a children’s playground. I like how the park has access to bike trails and hiking paths too. There’s also a 1960’s retro 20-​station, outdoor-​fitness trails that’s pretty neat. It’s a light-​hearted and fun workout that anyone can do.
Open 7 days a week, entrance fees are $ 4 – 5. However, if you look, you can find parking at the outskirts of the park, and just take a quick walk instead to avoid those costs.

Absolutely stunning when the gardens are in bloom. The aviary is a pretty cool feature too! I’m rating this park a little lower because compared to the wealth of free parks to visit in the area I don’t think I’d pay to visit wickham that often. That being said, it is certainly worth checking out if you’ve never been!

We have gone here quite a but, prior to the kids and now with them as well. Wickham is a massive park owned by Bank of America, which includes beautifully manicured areas, including one part that showcases various art pieces and audio items. They also have playground and animals, although the emu is now gone :(.To me though the most scenic part of this park is the city skyline up near the log cabin. It is an absolutely gorgeous place and definitely worth the visit.

Probably the nicest park in Ct. Great (long) Disc Golf course — with a snack bar as a natural break within the course…

Really a great park, I have lived in East Hartford for years and this is my favorite park. This park has several trails where joggers and bicyclers pass with great picnic areas for all families (great for birthdays). Many family’s who go here are attracted to the good size Bird Zoo and Garden next to the playground for all children which is all fenced in so kids wouldn’t wander off. Two things I like the most about this park is the top of the hill during Spring/​Fall (nice offset view) and winter (great sledding hill); wedding area is so peaceful with all the Flowers, Altar, Bush Maze and, pond. Every year that I come back to this park they add something new

I was fortunate enough to spend two years of my life living accross the street from this place. Now that I’ve left, I truly realize how lucky I was to have Wickham Park as my own personal backyard for as long as I did.
I can’t think of a better place to spend a minimal amout of money for a maximally good time. The park is open April-​September, and they charge a per-​car fee, not a per person fee! And said fee is between $ 3-​$ 5, depending on the day of the week, and the weather.
How can you go wrong for that kinda money? Amenities include:
— A full circular asphalt path for the more cautious
— Trails and nature walks for the more adventurous
— Four well kept tennis courts
— Baseball and volleyball fields scattered about
— An 18 hole disc golf course (super fun, free rental discs available from management)
— A huge hill on the west side, great for sledding or circuit training
— A beautiful view of the Hartford skyline at the top of said hill
— A robust nature center and bird sanctuary right in the middle of the park
And all of the aforementioned is FREE. That’s right, you don’t have to pay extra for a darned thing at this place… So pack a lunch, bring a bike or your baseball mitts, and have a great time for five bucks or less.

Holy crap! What a nice course! Some longer open holes, some tight shorter holes. There are some serious challenges to face. The course is immaculately maintained. Mowed grass, great signage, detailed scorecard, rubber tees, & multiple basket positions. This is one of the top courses I have ever played

A Great place to hangout for a day. Park is very clean and well maintained. We did our first summer picnic here, Did some barbeque and played frisbee and other games. There is a disc golf ground here with huge well maintained green lawns, We along with my cousin’s family visited this place. our kids are 1 yr & a 3 yr old, They even had good time here at kids play park, birds sanctuary, etc, Harford downtown skyline is clearly visible from a view point from here.
I give a ⁴⁄₅ for this park

Great place to spend a nice afternoon enjoying the weather or getting some exercise.
Great place to take a walk if you aren’t in the mood for a traditional hike.
Nice themed gardens such as the Japanese garden, and British garden with many plaques so you can read about each tree, bush, etc. along with some Asian designed buildings. You can also walk through the marsh area (on the boardwalk), or up towards the cabin where you can look over the hill and see far across the area (great view). Their happened to be a wedding there last time I went.
They also have a bird zoo/​sanctuary where you can see peacocks, roosters, and others which is next to another small garden that has a Railroad track with trains going around.
We also noticed on the big hill they had lots of groups playing discus and they give out discus score cards at the gate if you want them. Along with sunbathers in the nice weather.
I believe it’s $ 5 or so to get you car in, or you can walk in free (park at the apartments across the street at your own risk).