Mayor William M. Kennedy and the residents of Allegheny City pooled their money and purchased Watson's farm in 1894 and then donated the land to the City of Allegheny.

The park also had a small zoo, an elk paddock, a bear pit, a merry-go round, and an amphitheatre.

Today many of these structures are gone, but a stroll into some of the now undeveloped areas of the park may have you find some of these mementos of the past.

The park now has a public pool, a playground, the only equestrian (bridle) path in the City Park system, various shelters, the Allegheny Observatory, and summertime concerts and movies.

The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.