Friends of Mario Lanza Park

A group of dedicated neighbors formed our Friends group in 1987, and architectural plans were created to improve the overall appearance and accessibility of the park. In the ensuing decade, with the help of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the park literally “blossomed”: new trees were planted, fencing was installed and extensive planting undertaken in our gardens, the dog run was created, the initial banners and bulletin board were designed and added, and we hosted our first KidFest.

Since then, we have continued to work closely with QVNA, Parks & Recreation, The Conservancy, and our local Council representatives - all of whom have generously provided both vital funding and invaluable support. We began hosting our annual Movie Nights and Music Month, and additional improvements have included: re- sodding our lawns (in both 2000 & 2011), installing our park-wide irrigation system in 2010, regular pruning of our tree canopy, bi-annual re-seeding of our lawns, and redesigning/replacing banners. We have been awarded first and second prize several years through the City Gardens Contest, and also worked closely with Mural Arts in the planning and creation of our two lovely murals.

“Summer” by David Guinn

Local bike police from the South St Mini Station with children during the second week of the month-long Kidfest in June - Bike Parade!

Mario Lanza Park is a “pocket park”, tucked into a space between Catherine and Queen Streets and 2nd and 3rd Streets. According to historical records, this area was once occupied by Trinity Episcopal Church and burial ground, located in “Southwark”. The photo below i taken from Samuel L. Smedley’s 1862 Philadelphia atlas.

Love Your Park volunteers

Unfortunately, by the turn of the century, many of the church congregants had left Southwark, making way for yet another wave of immigrants. Those interred were forgotten, and the cemetery became derelict through neglect; by 1908 the church was boarded up. It was condemned in 1913, and the occupants were then move to Mt. Moriah Cemetery in West Philadelphia.

By 1918, all of the remaining structures were demolished and the space became Queen Park. In 1941, the western border was expanded to include the area currently occupied by the dog run.

The Friends are very proud to have 2 murals from local artists from Mural Arts adorning our park. Adjacent to the dog run is "Summer" by David Guinn (one of 4 in a series); it includes the likeness of a local golden retriever, "Buddy".  On the Catherine St side: "PRISM" by Kien Nguyen reflects both the diversity of plant life in our area, as well as the diversity of cultures in our neighborhood and in Philadelphia as a whole.

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Overview

The Friends of Mario Lanza Park is a non-profit community organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of one of Queen Village’s oldest and most historically significant public green spaces; in fact, several of our London Plane trees are among the oldest in the city. We strive to preserve the integrity of our urban oasis, enrich its usage as a unique passive park and maintain its reputation as one of Philadelphia’s premier community urban parks.

In addition to park improvement and general maintenance, we provide programs which encourage community interaction including regular park clean-ups and plantings, KidFest in June, Movie Nights in July, and Music Month in September. We are among the original members of the city-wide Park Friends Network - the largest and most successful urban park network in the country - and coordinate with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and The Fairmount Park Conservancy for grants, outreach, workshops, and for assistance in obtaining permits for park events.