Mesker Park is one of Evansville, Indiana’s oldest and most historically significant public recreation areas. Located on the city’s West Side along Mesker Park Drive, the park developed around the turn of the 20th century and eventually became home to two of Evansville’s best-known attractions: Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden and Mesker Amphitheatre.
The history of the property stretches back more than a century and is closely connected to Evansville industrialist and philanthropist George L. Mesker, whose donations helped establish and expand the park that carries his family name.
Early History
Part of the area was originally developed in 1899 as a pleasure park, featuring rides and concessions. The property was associated with Evansville’s streetcar system and was open to the public.
In 1900, George L. Mesker, owner of the Mesker Iron Company, donated approximately 40 acres for the development of a public park.
Another nearby recreational area known as Oak Summit Park developed alongside Mesker Park. In 1915, Mesker donated an additional $25,000 to acquire land and improve the park system.
Around 1917, the Mesker Park and Oak Summit Park areas were combined, creating a much larger recreational property on Evansville’s West Side.
George L. Mesker
George L. Mesker was a prominent Evansville businessman whose company, the George L. Mesker & Company, became nationally known for manufacturing ornamental iron and architectural storefront components.
His financial support was instrumental in the development of Mesker Park.
Mesker continued supporting the property throughout his life, and after his death in 1936, additional money from his estate was directed toward park improvements and musical and entertainment programs.
Those funds eventually helped lead to the creation of Mesker Amphitheatre.
Mesker Park Zoo
The most famous institution to emerge from the park was Mesker Park Zoo, which opened in 1928.
Local political cartoonist Karl Kae Knecht became one of the zoo’s most enthusiastic early supporters and helped build public interest in the project.
The zoo’s early animal collection included lions and other animals, and a community fundraising campaign famously helped purchase Kay, a young Burmese elephant who became one of the zoo’s first major attractions.
Over the following decades, the zoo expanded dramatically.
Today, Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden occupies approximately 45 acres and houses hundreds of animals representing species from around the world. Major additions have included the Amazonia tropical rainforest exhibit, which opened in 2008.
The zoo remains one of Evansville’s most prominent family attractions.
Mesker Amphitheatre
Another major addition to the park was Mesker Amphitheatre.
Money left by George Mesker helped make the project possible, although construction was delayed by World War II.
The amphitheatre was completed in the early 1950s and officially opened on June 15, 1952, with a performance by bandleader Wayne King and his orchestra.
For decades, Mesker Amphitheatre was one of Evansville’s premier entertainment venues.
Its stage hosted an extraordinary collection of nationally known performers, including Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Tony Bennett, Aerosmith, KISS, Journey, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many others.
The amphitheatre eventually fell into disrepair and closed in 2012.
Although no longer operating, the structure remains standing and continues to be the subject of preservation and redevelopment discussions.
Recreation at Mesker Park
Mesker Park has served purposes far beyond the zoo and amphitheatre.
For generations, the surrounding property has provided Evansville residents with green space, picnic areas and recreational opportunities.
In 2006, an 18-hole disc golf course was established at Mesker Park. The course added another recreational use to a property that had already served Evansville residents for more than a century.
The rolling terrain and wooded landscape of the Mesker Park area give it a character noticeably different from many of Evansville’s neighborhood parks.
Oak Summit Park
The name Oak Summit Park remains an important part of Mesker Park’s early history.
Oak Summit and Mesker Park were originally separate recreational properties before their eventual combination in the early 20th century.
Historical photographs and records sometimes identify portions of the modern Mesker Park area as Oak Summit Park, which can create confusion when researching the history of the property.
Together, the two areas formed the foundation of the large recreational district that later included the zoo and amphitheatre.
Legacy
Few locations in Evansville contain as many layers of the city’s recreational and cultural history as Mesker Park.
What began around the turn of the 20th century as parkland and a streetcar-era pleasure destination eventually became the home of Indiana’s first zoo, one of the region’s most memorable outdoor concert venues, and recreational facilities used by generations of Evansville residents.
More than a century after George Mesker began donating land and money for the property, his name remains permanently connected to Evansville through Mesker Park, Mesker Park Zoo and Mesker Amphitheatre.
Quick Facts
Name: Mesker Park
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Area: West Side / Mesker Park Drive
Established: 1900
Early associated park: Oak Summit Park
Major benefactor: George L. Mesker
Mesker Park Zoo opened: 1928
Mesker Amphitheatre opened: 1952
Disc golf course established: 2006
Notable attractions: Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, Mesker Amphitheatre
Type: Public park / historic recreation area