Gene C. Reid Park
| Gene C. Reid Park | |
|---|---|
| Randolph Park | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Coordinates | 32°12′38″N 110°55′19″W / 32.2106°N 110.9219°WCoordinates: 32°12′38″N 110°55′19″W / 32.2106°N 110.9219°W |
| Area | 131 acres (53 ha) |
| Created | 1925 |
| Operated by | Tucson Parks and Recreation |
Gene C. Reid Park is a 131-acre urban park in central Tucson, Arizona that includes a 9,500-seat baseball stadium, an outdoor performance center, two man-made lakes, public pools, and a 24-acre zoo along with playgrounds, gardens and picnic areas. The park occupies the western third of a 480-acre parks and recreation complex established in 1925 as Randolph Park which additionally includes two 18-hole golf courses, a tennis and racquetball facility, and an indoor recreation center. A 2-mile loop of paved multi-use trails follows the edge of the park, connecting with another 2.5 miles around the Randolph golf and recreation centers.
In 1925 Willis Barnum and his wife paid $14,896 for a 480-acre parcel of land to create a park in what is now central Tucson, deeding it to the city on a long-term purchase agreement. The L-shaped park, which is one mile in width and length with a half-mile-square neighborhood in its northwest corner, was named for prominent railroad executive and Tucson citizen Epes Randolph, who died in 1921.
In 1978 the western third of Randolph Park was renamed for the City of Tucson’s first parks director, Gene C. Reid, upon his retirement. In over thirty years as director Reid expanded Tucson's park system from 8 to 84 parks and made significant additions to Randolf. Reid oversaw the addition of the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, the zoo, the expansion and renovation of Randolf Golf Course, and the excavation of two lakes which doubled as irrigation reservoirs. The zoo and lakes also bear Reid's name. The recreation center and golf complex remain named after Randolph.
Randolph Municipal Baseball Park opened in 1928 near Randolph Park's center. A baseball stadium constructed at the site in 1937 was later named for Hiram Corbett, who worked with Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck to bring the Indians to Tucson for spring training. The Indians used Hi Corbett Field from 1945 until 1992. From 1969 until 1997, the stadium was also used by the Triple-A Tucson Toros. In 1993 the expansion Colorado Rockies began using the stadium for spring training, staying through 2010. The stadium became home to the University of Arizona Wildcats in 2012. In their first season at Hi Corbett, the Wildcats won the 2012 College World Series.
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