Bishop Heights Park

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A neighborhood park located next to Rousseau Elementary School near S 33rd and Calvert Streets. Rock Island Trail passes through the park. 

Acres: 7.02

 

Bishop Heights Park lies in the middle of a portion of Lincoln known by the same name. While its park is fairly new, the Bishop Heights neighborhood has been a long-standing area of Lincoln that has evolved and changed along with the city.

Bishop Heights, originally known as Bishop’s Heights, was a twenty-acre piece of land owned by the then bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, Thomas Bonacum. This piece of land was designated as the bishop’s home from 1887 at the diocese’s erection until 1911. After Bishop Bonacum’s passing in 1911, the land was disputed legally among the Diocese, the City, and the bishop’s family members. The Diocese won the rights to the estate, but was later given to the City in 1929. 

Soon after the City extended their reach to include Bishop Heights, homes popped up like weeds. Individuals and families were quickly enticed by the new area of the city. The area continued to grow throughout the decades, with the addition of a shopping center in 1959. 

With the addition of a shopping center, a park was included in the addition of the new Bishop Heights subdivision in October of 1959. Parks and Recreation Director, James Ager, considered this proposed park a “very welcome addition to the city park’s system”. 

Between 1966 and 1972 a major renovation of Bishop Heights was underway, all centered around the idea of expansion of the area. A Capital Improvement Program (CIP) included Bishop Heights in a $1.7 million park CIP. Upon the completion of the park in the early 1970s, homes sprouted quickly around the area, making it a haven for young families.

Bishop Heights Park playground at the 2018 dedication.

 Bishop Heights Park playground, teeter totter detail, at the 2018 dedication.

 Bishop Heights Park playground and swings at the 2018 dedication.


Location

30th & Prescott Avenue, Lincoln 68502  View Map

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