The large and beautiful Veterans Memorial honors Americans who have served the country in war.
Eisenhower Park
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Phone: 516-572-0348
Golf Course: 516-572-0327
On Site Staff:Yes
Click for map of Eisenhower Park
A 930-ACRE OASIS OF OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION in the heart of Nassau County, Eisenhower Park is one of the largest public spaces in the New York metropolitan area – larger, in fact, than Central Park.
The park offers a full range of athletic and family activities, including one of the
finest swimming facilities in the U.S., a major golf facility, dozens of athletic fields and courts, picnic areas, summertime entertainment, playgrounds, fitness trails and more.
Eisenhower Park consists of the former property owned by the exclusive Salisbury Country Club as well as adjoining properties acquired by the county. In the 1920s, when sports stars became national celebrities, the club drew some of the nation's
top golfers and tournaments, including Walter Hagan, who won the 1926 PGA Championship at Salisbury.
During the Depression, the owners were unable to pay taxes and the property was taken over by the county. Subsequently, the county acquired additional land in the area. In 1944, Nassau County Park at Salisbury was established as part of County
Executive J. Russell Sprague's vision to create a park that "one day will be to
Nassau County what Central Park is today to New York City." The park was officially dedicated
in October of 1949.
The park was rededicated on October 13, 1969, as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Park at a ceremony attended by the 34th President's grandson, Dwight D. Eisenhower II, and his wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower. Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano dedicated a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower in a ceremony at Eisenhower Park on Sunday, October 13th, 2013. “It gives me great pleasure to rededicate Eisenhower Park with a statue of our 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower,” said County Executive Mangano. “The ideals and outlook on the future that Eisenhower projected through all of his actions are as relevant today as they were when he was serving as our President in Washington.”
TD Bank's "Celebrate America" Fireworks & Show will be June 28th.
The following activities are available at the park:
Athletics/Physical Activities:
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| The Nassau County Aquatic Center is one of the finest indoor swimming facilities in the U.S., playing host to County residents as well as competitive events featuring some of the world's top swimmers. |
- There are 16 lighted tennis courts, near Parking Field No. 2
or No. 4 (an hourly seasonal fee is charged). For information during summer, call 572-0346. - Athletic fields, several lighted for night play, include 17
baseball fields (14 for softball and three for hardball), four soccer fields and three football fields. - There is one full-court basketball court, outfitted with new fiberglass backboards, located on the Hempstead Turnpike
side of the park. - There is a batting cage with nine separate batting areas offering varying pitching speeds for baseball or a softball option. Baseball speeds as follows: fast,
80-85 mph;
medium, 60-65 mph; and slow, 40-45 mph.
Fee: $3 for 25 pitches for Leisure Pass holders; $5 for non-Leisure Pass holders.
In the event of rain, please call to ensure the cage is open.
Information: 516-572-0407.
- In addition, there is an 18-hole Miniature Golf Course near the Nassau County Aquatic Center is a popular attraction for children and families.
Hours: Mini Golf Course
Daily: 10 am - 8 pm
Batting Cage:
Friday - 1 pm - 7 pm; Sat. & Sun. - 10 am - 7 pm
In the event of rain, please call to ensure the cage is open.
Information: 516-572-0407.
- The park’s world-class Nassau County Aquatic Center includes a fitness center (Leisure Pass and fee required).
Fitness Trail:
- In the summer of 2007, the park introduced a two-mile Fitness Trail that provides a jogging or walking trail and 20 attractive and simple fitness stations that incorporate a variety of exercises. These include stretching, pull-ups, sit-ups and balance walking exercises that increase slightly in difficulty as the trail proceeds. The trail is on the west side of Park Boulevard bisecting the park, with the first station located near the field house and playground by Parking Field No. 2 (near Hempstead Turnpike). From there, the trail winds north past the Aquatic Center and Lakeside Theatre and then heads south back toward the starting point.
Golf:
- Eisenhower features three excellent 18-hole golf courses open to the public: the Red, White and Blue courses. The Red course, which hosted the Commerce Bank (PGA) Championship, has been called by Newsday one of the "Top 10" public golf courses on Long Island. Call 572-0327/0328 (Leisure Pass and fee required).
- In addition, the park has an illuminated driving range; call 572-0336.
Family/Kids:
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| A youngster enjoys the climbing apparatus at the newly renovated main playground area. |
- An 18-hole Miniature Golf Course near the Nassau County Aquatic Center is a popular attraction for children and families. The course, which has been named "Best of Long Island" by News 12 Long Island, features two 18-hole courses (“Mountainside” and “Overlook”) with terraced landscaping that incorporates a waterfall, small ponds, flower beds and a number of challenging holes.
Fees: Leisure Pass holders, $7 for those 13 years of age and older, $4 for seniors with Leisure Pass; non-Leisure Pass holders, $10; $4 for all children (under 13 years of age).
In the event of rain, please call to ensure the course is open.
Hours: Daily: 10 am - 8 pm
Information: 516-572-0407.
- There are three playground areas with a range activities
for children: the largest (which includes a sprinkler pool) is located on the Hempstead Turnpike side of the park near Parking Field No. 2; a second is on the Merrick Road side
by Parking Field No. 1A and a third by the Park Boulevard side toward Hempstead Turnpike by Parking Field No. 4. The main playground by Hempstead Turnpike was completely renovated and incorporates climbing apparatus, slides, swings, fitness equipment and other attractions. -
There are reserved picnic areas (Leisure Pass and fee required; call 572-0347) and non-reserved areas. See more information below under "News & Events."
- Safety Town, operated by the Nassau County Police Department, provides children with a variety of learning experiences and is set in a miniature town. During July and August, there are children's programs at 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Children must be Nassau County residents, third grade students and accompanied by an adult. From September through June, the facility is open to school groups. Call 516-573-3190 for more information.
Swimming:
- Built in 1998 for the Goodwill Games, the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park is one of the finest swimming facilities in the U.S. It regularly hosts major swimming competitions and is also open to the public (Leisure Pass and fee required). The center offers a full menu of swimming lessons for toddlers, youngsters and teens. The Center includes a “stretch” 50-meter pool that is 68 meters long, with three movable bulkheads. There is also a 25-meter diving well with competition diving towers, platforms and springboards. In addition, there is a beautifully renovated fitness center, located above the pool (Leisure Pass and fee required). Call 572-0501 for information.
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The annual Fourth of July celebration at
Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre.
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Entertainment:
- The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is an outdoor theater that hosts a full schedule of entertainment events during the summer, from concerts to movies.
Memorials:
- The large and beautiful Veterans Memorial and Wall of Honor
commemorates the contributions of the nation’s veterans in various branches of service. - On September 9, 2007, the County unveiled the 9/11 Memorial honoring the 344 Nassau County residents who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. The monument, one of the largest completed memorials to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, is located by Eisenhower Park Lake, near Lakeside Theatre. The monument includes two
stainless-steel towers set in a fountain as well as two steel girders recovered from the World Trade Center; plaques memorialize the names of County residents who lost their lives (see story below). - There are two memorials to Nassau County firefighters who have died in the line of duty, including one dedicated to those county firefighters who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The memorials are located by the Veterans Memorial near Park Boulevard.
Other Activities:
- There is a jogging path that begins on the Hempstead Turnpike side, near Parking Field No. 2 (starting in front of the field house building).
- In the gaming area next to the playground, there is a bocci court and tables with inlaid chess and checker boards. A shelter with benches and tables is also available for those who wish to play cards and other similar games.
- The Mid Island Dahlia Society operates in the park between June and October every Sunday from 9-11 am, in the area just behind the Parks Department Administration Building near the Hempstead Turnpike entrance to the park.
- When it snows, children and parents head with their sleds to the appropriately named "Sled Hill," located by Parking Field No. 1 near Safety Town. Newsday has included Sled Hill among its "Top Sledding Spots" on Long Island (see article below). While noting that the small hill at Eisenhower Park did not make for a “thrill ride,” Newsday said, “But if you’ve got young children and want an ideal family atmosphere for your fun in the snow, this is where to go. Sled Hill in Eisenhower Park is wide and long, with a gentle grade.”
Dining:
- Eisenhower is home to Carltun on the Park restaurant, a privately run facility operated in a former country club. The Carltun offers a restaurant, bar, banquet facilities and a meeting room. The restaurant has played host to numerous events, including a fundraiser in 2004 for President George W. Bush. Call 542-0700 for information.
Directions:
Take Meadowbrook Parkway North to Exit M3 East/Stewart Avenue. Make a right onto Stewart Avenue and take this until you reach the park.
Or,
Take Meadowbrook Parkway South to Exit M3/Stewart Avenue. Make a left onto Stewart Avenue and take this until you reach the park.
Mangano Dedicates Dwight D. Eisenhower Statue in Eisenhower Park
Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano joins with WWII Veterans after dedicating the statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States.
East Meadow, NY – Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano dedicated a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower in a ceremony at Eisenhower Park on Sunday, October 13th. Eisenhower Park, formerly known as Salisbury Park, was rededicated as Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Park on October 13th 1969 at a ceremony attended by the 34th President’s grandson, Dwight D. Eisenhower II, and his wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower. President Eisenhower, who passed away months earlier in March, would have turned 79 on October 14th.
“It gives me great pleasure to rededicate Eisenhower Park with a statue of our 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower,” said County Executive Mangano. “The ideals and outlook on the future that Eisenhower projected through all of his actions are as relevant today as they were when he was serving as our President in Washington.”
About Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower, a supreme commander of Allied forces in Western Europe during World War II, led the massive invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe that began on D-Day (June 6, 1944). In 1952, while in command of NATO forces in Europe, Eisenhower ran for president against Adlai Stevenson and subsequently served two terms in the White House from 1953 to 1961 as the 34th President of the United States of America. Throughout his presidency, Eisenhower managed Cold War-era tensions with the Soviet Union under the looming threat of nuclear weapons, ended the war in Korea in 1953 and authorized a number of covert anti-communist operations by the CIA around the world. Additionally, at a time when America was enjoying a period of relative prosperity, Eisenhower strengthened Social Security and created the massive new Interstate Highway System.
History of Eisenhower Park
At 930-acres, Eisenhower Park is one of the largest public spaces in the New York metropolitan area – larger, in fact, than Central Park. This oasis of open space and recreation in the heart of Nassau County offers a full range of athletic and family activities, including one of the finest swimming facilities in the U.S., a major golf facility, dozens of athletic fields and courts, picnic areas, summertime entertainment at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, playgrounds, fitness trails and more. Over the years, beautiful Memorials to the Nation’s veterans, Nassau County Firefighters and County residents who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks have been added.
Eisenhower Park consists of the former property owned by the exclusive Salisbury Country Club as well as adjoining properties acquired by the county. In the 1920’s, when sports stars became national celebrities, the club drew some of the nation’s top golfers and tournaments, including Walter Hagan, who won the 1926 PGA Championship at Salisbury.
During the Depression, the owners were unable to pay taxes and the property was taken over by the county. Subsequently, the county acquired additional land in the area. In 1944, Nassau County Park at Salisbury was established as part of County Executive J. Russell Sprague’s vision to create a park that “one day will be to Nassau County what Central Park is today to New York City.”
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Nassau County Unveils Nassau County’s 9/11 Memorial in Eisenhower Park Honoring Residents Who Died in 9/11 Attacks
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Marking the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Nassau County unveiled a $2 million memorial — the largest in the nation to date — honoring the 344 Nassau County residents who lost their lives on that day.
The unveiling ceremony was held at Eisenhower Park's Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, across from the memorial, on September 9. On March 11, 2003, President Bush – along with then-Gov. George Pataki and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani – helped break ground for the memorial.
The memorial features a wall with the names of the 344 Nassau residents who died in the World Trade Center and on Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Several Nassau communities suffered a particularly large number of deaths that day: Rockville Centre lost more
than 20 people, Garden City, 19, Manhasset, 17, and Valley Stream, 14 residents.
“This memorial could not have been built without the commitment and dedication of all involved,” said Janet Wexler-Magee, a Nassau County resident whose husband, Charles Magee, died in the World Trade Center’s North Tower, where he worked on the 88th floor. Magee also served as a board member of the Nassau County Memorial Foundation. “I hope that everyone who lost someone on September 11, 2001 will find comfort in
this memorial,” she said.
Nearly five years ago, the Nassau County 9/11 Memorial Foundation was created to fund raise and oversee construction of the memorial. A design contest was held to find the winning design. Since then, the foundation has received financial support from the County and from hundreds of local residents and businesses. In addition, over 500 union members from Long Island’s building trades volunteered thousands of hours of labor to help
build this memorial.
The members of the building and construction trades unions and their signatory contractors, who volunteered their time, materials and expertise, have a personal commitment to this memorial and community,” said Bobby Bonanza, president of Laborers' Local 66 and board member of the Nassau County Memorial Foundation. “Many of the members of our unions live and work in Nassau County, and each was affected in their own way by the events of 9/11. The 344 Nassau County residents killed on that tragic day were part of our family and community. The engineers, electricians, lathers, carpenters and laborers who labored to see this fitting memorial built are proud of their contribution. We will always remember.”
The memorial features two semi-transparent stainless-steel towers, representing the World Trade Center towers, rising 30 feet from a fountain, and also contains two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center's wreckage. The program for the unveiling consisted of various performances from children who lost parents on September 11, the reciting of the 344 names that are part of the Memorial.
