Wilbur Square Park

Boulder City. Peaceful, beautiful and a wonderful place to recharge your battery. Wilber Square Park has some of the nicest grassy areas I’ve seen in a very long time. The grass is thick, lush and incredibly well maintained. The park has huge, old, beautiful trees that cast enormous patches of shade. Begging you to spread out a blanket and take a breather. They host numerous public events at Wilber Square Park throughout the year. But truth be told, I like it best here on a «regular day» when people and their pets are just strolling around enjoying the outdoors.
That’s right! I said pets! Wilber is a pet-​friendly park with all the necessary and helpful tools for you and your furry friend to enjoy yourselves. Dogs MUST and really should, ALWAYS be leashed for their safety and the safety of others, and their furry loved ones. It’s all about respect for the law and each other.

It didn’t hurt that I combined a visit to this park visit with the Boulder City Beer Fest 2015, which took place at this very park!
Nah, I was only here for the Fest!
But you knew that. We did enjoy the charming park as well.
Restrooms??? Helloooo, where are they???
We had no idea and ended up using them at the Boulder Dam Brewery. We heard rumors of park restrooms, but never found them. Not cool, dudes.
That’s gonna cost you in the ratings game.
There are nice grassy areas, trees, all those park like amenities that are enjoyable!
Downtown Boulder City is merely a stone’s throw away too.

I see Boulder City as the Magic Kingdom of Nevada. It is the Happiest Place in Nevada where my dreams of hiking adventures come true. In the Main Street USA land of Boulder City stands a quaint attraction known as Wilbur Square Park.
Wilbur Square Park is a small park in the Boulder City Historic District. It is bordered by Nevada Way, Utah Street, and Colorado Street. It is a green space connecting the north border of the Historic Business District to the Bureau of Reclamation Building. Using the Disney Land analogy, Wilbur Square Park is a shady expanse of greenery overlooking the Bureau of Reclamation Building, which would be Cinderella’s Castle.
Wilbur Square Park is more than scenery. It is a small park that is large in history. It is a historical site in itself considering that it was built in 1931 as a place where construction workers and their families can enjoy some recreation. It is named in honor of Ray Wilbur. He was the Secretary of the Interior from 1929 to 1933. Ray Wilbur is famous for his visit to Las Vegas on September, 17 1931 when he announced that Boulder Dam was going to be named Hoover Dam. Despite the controversy he was still popular to the point that Boulder City was close to being Wilbur City. That was not meant to be. What was meant to be is that the former Government Park name was changed to Wilbur Square Park. In this shady oasis are a couple of historic sites. There is a historic Boulder City marker which commemorates the establishment of Boulder City in 1931. The landmark is the Hoover Dam Turbine Runner. The plaque describes it as a turbine runner that is 14.2 feet in diameter and weighing 34 tons. It states that the cast steel turbine was in operation from 1944 to 1932 when it powered an H-​7 Hoover Dam generator.
Fast forward 82 years from the day that Ray Wilbur announced that Boulder Dam is Hoover Dam; while using a hand held device that has potential to power a generator in the future, I announced on a live Unilocal check-​in that I was relaxing in Wilbur Square Park. It was a resting spot after a walk through the Historic Boulder City District. It is a park that brings back memories of my childhood spending time in the Village Green in Old Stony Brook, NY. When I relax under a mature canopy of trees that provide shade over a grassy field my mind is mentally miles from the Mojave Desert. It is a spot where I have enjoyed sitting on a bench while looking at the Bureau of Reclamation Building across from me on the small hill. It is a spot to enjoy an ice cream cone or Big Gulp while enjoying the moment.
This is also a place to share the moment with a canine. The park features dog scoop stations. It is probably well utilized with all the dogs that I saw here.
Using a Disney Land analogy, Wilbur Square Park has special events that give the character parade a run for the money. The Annual Art in the Park Festival might have the character parade beat since it is for a good cause. With a reputation for being one of the world’s largest outdoor art fairs, it serves as a fundraiser for the Boulder City Hospital Foundation. It is so well-​known that it attracts around 100,000 visitors on the two days it takes place in early October. This attendance generates around $ 200,000 each year in charity. The 51^st Art In the Park will be on October 5^th and 6^th this year (2013). With that I would like to close up the review by saying that I will take a mental note of the dates of 51^st Art In the Park Festival, and that I just might be doing a check-​in at Wilbur Square Park to attend it.
**Review 77 of the Daniel. S Unilocal 100 Challenge**