Schiller Park, nestled near downtown Columbus, Ohio in historic German Village, was in a state of benign neglect by the early 1980's. With the goal of revitalizing the 23-acre park, the German Village Society, The Friends of Schiller Park, the Huntington National Bank, and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department worked together to create and implement a plan that would closely resemble the park as it existed in the late 1800's.

Eventually, the partnership's planning and fund raising efforts culminated in the completion of one component of the overall park plan - the new Huntington Gardens

The plan for the gardens consisted of a tree-lined promenade containing three centered 100' x 25' perennial beds leading from the park's west entrance to base of the statue of Frederick Von Schiller. The bronze statue, cast in Munich, was a gift to the park and the citizens of Columbus in 1891 from German-born residents.

In 1993 the Huntington Gardens became a reality. The promenade left the drawing board, the site was prepared and 7,500 square feet of flower beds were planted as memorial to the German-speaking people whose community life had centered around the park.

The promenade contains a 450' brick walkway interspersed with granite stones inscribed with quotes from Schiller's literacy works. Benches situated on a wither side of the walk, afford visitors a quiet spot to sit and admire the garden's ever-changing panorama of color.

The majority of the perennials were chosen for their historical, culinary, medicinal ,and decorative value in a four-season design. Many are representative of the rich flora that 19th century settlers found in this area. Reds and golds dominate the color scheme, symbolizing Germany's national colors.

For more information about these events, guided tours of charming German Village or other programs of the German Village Society contact:

P. Susan Sharrock
614/221-8888