2 S Arlington Ave, Reno, NV 89501

Wingfield Park

Park Description:

Wingfield Park is a 3.21-acre Reno park without restrooms.

Park Amenities:

Pathways, grass field, whitewater rafting park, and amphitheater. Wingfield Park is located alongside the Truckee River.

Park Highlights

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Park History

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Lewis E. Hinkley

The small natural island that is now known as Wingfield Park was purchased sometime in 1909 by attorney Lewis E. Hinkley. Hinkley then transformed the area by building walkways from natural foliage such as wild rose bushes, willows, cottonwoods and poplars. He named his island “Belle Isle,” French for beautiful island, because of its beauty.

The park officially opened in 1911 with Hinkley promoting it as a pleasure resort. This resort featured a dance hall, small boat rentals, and a 700-seat open air theatre where guests enjoyed the latest motion pictures with live orchestras. Starting in July of 1911, famed aviation pioneer Eugene Ely took off from and landed from a section of the park that had been converted into a runway.

Image:
Belle Isle Map. Source: Mary B. Ansari Map Library, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries.

Belle Isle

1912, a roller skating rink was added to the resort. In order to facilitate swimming and boating around the small island, the river was partially dammed in order to raise the water level. Guests could reach the park by water or by a narrow footbridge on the north bank.

In 1916, the resort’s owners filed for bankruptcy and the Reno National Bank took ownership of the property. The Reno Businessmen’s Association then began improvements to make it a permanent amusement park.

Image:
Advertisement 1911. Source: Reno Evening Gazette.

George Wingfield

In 1920, the land was purchased by George Wingfield, an influential Nevada banker and mining entrepreneur. Wingfield immediately donated the park to the city for public use and the park’s name was change to Wingfield Park.

In 1925, the Reno Municipal Christmas Tree was planted and stood until the mid-1980’s. In 1928, Wingfield offered financial support to repair the park after flood damages.

Image:
George Wingfield, who donated the land. Source: Wingfield Family Society.

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iNaturalist:

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Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Wingfield Park on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

City of Reno Parks & Facilities Directory - Wingfield Park
Reno Historical : http://renohistorical.org/items/show/39
“Reno’s Riverwalk District” by Courtney Rhiana and Christopher Ryan Meredith
Wingfield Park: NewtoReno.com

Contributor(s):

Patti Posten (history)

Kim Cruz (history)

Haley McGuire

Alex Shahbazi

Last Updated:

April 20, 2021, 4:26:26 AM

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