Kidd Springs Park – A Gem of a Resource in Oak Cliff
by Augustine “Tino” Jalomo, President Kidd Springs Central, the Friends of Kidd Springs Park and Recreation Center
When I moved to Kidd Springs 14 years ago from Oak Lawn, I immediately set out to track a course for my running regiment. I started out about a block from Kidd Springs Park, my new home and made a loop of about 4 ½ miles. It was a glorious run. I saw my neighborhood and got to explore others. That first route ended by passing through Kidd Springs Park on West Canty Street. Now, every so often, I vary my ending and will actually run through parts of the north entrance of the park off Sylvan and run around the lake and through the Japanese Garden’s trails or through the pool area, past the tennis and basketball courts and right through the Butterfly Garden. It has been quite an experience to see the neighborhoods and our beloved Kidd Springs Park change over these years.
What I especially love about our Kidd Springs Park is the number of people who are also enjoying the amenities. From the softball field, to the tennis courts or trail that goes around the lake, people are always out enjoying getting their exercise, walking their dogs, or taking their children out in strollers or by their hand. The playground on West Canty Street and the bigger playground on Cedar Hill provide the space for these children to run around, climb, jump, swing and even fall down to toughen them up for the next go around.
I have always been a fan of Kidd Springs Park that actually started out as a private park in the late 1890’s; it grew out of the Kidd Springs Fishing and Boating Club and was built around a natural spring. James Kidd was the original owner. In 1947, through a series of additional owners and ultimately a donation to the City of Dallas, Kidd Springs Park entered the parks system. Complete with a pavilion, boating, swimming, fishing, water rides and carousel among some of the amenities, at its peak, Kidd Springs outrivaled the entertainment found at Lake Cliff Park (down the street).
Today, many of those exciting diversions are no longer found. However, through an active recreation center (pre-COVID19) program and the 30+ acres featuring a renovated aquatic center, Kidd Springs remains a gem of a resource for our immediate neighborhood and for those who make the trek to this part of town. I know that I share the philosophy as many of our neighbors, that we have a duty to protect, enhance and preserve the beauty that is Kidd Springs Park. I am lucky to have this gorgeous park so close to home smack dab in the middle of our community. Lover where you live.
