Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland is a place that holds a lot of significance to the history of the state. It opened in 1891 and became an amusement park in the early 1900s. It served as an amusement park until 1968 when it shut down. The park still remains standing today, but none of the rides except the carousel have run in 40 years. The carousel was added to the park in 1921 and can still be ridden today and are made of original hand-carved wooden horses. The park is very close to the historic Clara Barton house and the two are closely linked (Clara Barton grew up going to the park). Today the park is owned by a non-profit organization called the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture Inc. They maintain the park and oversees activities.
Purpose and Goal
The purpose of this project is to bring more people to Glen Echo Park, teach them about the history of it, and to reopen the park for one day as a tribute to the park's history. Every time I went to the park, I was so amazed by all the history behind it and it always bothered me to see the whole park in tact, but not be allowed to go in and see that everything in there is going to waste. Reopening the park is a surefire way to attract children and families and will help them discover the history of Glen Echo.
Public Awareness
Fliers, ads, and word of mouth are great ways to put out the word about Glen Echo park. Sure, the internet is great, and how I usually find out about what is going on there, but people are not going to be going online and looking for the park. If we get a chance to reopen the park, there will need to be advertising/promotion everywhere. If people know the purpose of this, I am sure they will strive to come to the event and learn more about the park.
Budget
The cheapest part of the budget would be advertising. Posting online would be free through my blogs and sites. Fliers would cost under $20; and news papers ads would cost an estimated $25 an inch (that is the cost for one in The Baltimore Sun). To reopen the park and hold an event, however, the price could be more on the expensive side, but the park does offer facility rentals (prices are not listed on the site, you have to contact the organization first) .
Contacts
There are many people that would need to be contacted for this:
Baltimore Sun advertising:
410-539-7700
501 N. Calvert Street
Baltimore, MD
Emily Mah (Glen Echo Facilities Rental Associate):
301.634.2233
rentals@glenechopark.org
Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture Inc. (Foundation to support the park and its history. This is where you would donate money):
7300 MacArthur Blvd.
Glen Echo, MD 20812
info@glenechopark.org
Meredith Forster (Education Program Manager):
mforster@glenechopark.org
Donna Barker (Special Events Manager):
Dbarker@glenechopark.org
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I think hosting an event like this would be exciting and educational. It would help preserve an important part of Maryland's history. It was all so fascinating to me as a child I could only hope to give that feeling to other children.
