Liberty Lands Park

From Brownfield to Beautiful: The Story of Liberty Lands

Positioned in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood, Liberty Lands Park offers 2 acres of community greenspace with a backstory as rich as the soil in its gardens. This isn't your typical city park - it's a grassroots success story that transformed an industrial wasteland into a neighborhood haven.

Back when the Burk Brothers Tannery occupied this space, few could imagine kids playing here. But in 1996, after environmental cleanup, the land was donated to the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA). By spring 1997, local residents had transformed it into the green space we see today.

What You'll Find Here

The heart of Liberty Lands is its spacious central lawn, framed by shady tree-lined paths and dotted with flowering crabapples arranged in a council circle. Small gardens pop up throughout, adding splashes of color to this urban green space.

If you're bringing kids along, they'll make a beeline for the well-maintained playground that caters to different age groups. The little ones have their own dedicated section, and while there are swings, don't expect an abundance of them.

Need a place to catch your breath? Stone seating lines the park's edges, and several picnic tables make perfect spots for lunch or catching up with neighbors. On hot Philly summer days, the working water fountain is a welcome sight for thirsty visitors.

Growing Community, Literally

The east side of the park hosts one of its most distinctive features: community gardens where locals tend to vegetable plots and flower beds. These aren't just pretty to look at - they incorporate urban stormwater management features and connect neighbors through shared gardening activities.

Maintained by dedicated volunteers, these gardens add a lush dimension to the park while strengthening community bonds.

A Paradise for Pups

Liberty Lands is popular with dog owners and their pets. This dog-friendly park welcomes canine visitors daily, with convenient waste stations placed throughout to keep things clean.

The combination of open spaces for fetch and shaded spots for cooling off makes this an ideal destination for both pets and their humans.

The Heart of Northern Liberties

Over the years, Liberty Lands has become central to the neighborhood's identity. The park regularly transforms into an outdoor venue for movie screenings, festivals, and community gatherings. You'll see everything from birthday celebrations to neighborhood social events, with a community board announcing upcoming activities during summer months.

The park has become part of the neighborhood's development story over the past decades.

Community-Powered Park

What makes Liberty Lands unique is that it's privately owned and maintained entirely by community volunteers. Unlike city-run parks, its development and upkeep depend on neighborhood participation.

This community-based approach has allowed the park to evolve according to local needs, but some areas might benefit from more consistent maintenance.

Award-Winning Space

The park's success hasn't gone unnoticed. Liberty Lands has been named one of America's "Great Public Spaces" by Projects for Public Spaces, a nonprofit dedicated to building sustainable public spaces across the country and around the world.

This recognition affirms what locals already know - that with vision and community effort, even the most unlikely spaces can become neighborhood greens.