Gordon Park

The city of Milwaukee purchased the property in 1907. The Gordon Park Bathhouse opened in 1913 and was
a popular swimming spot until it closed in 1937 due to pollution of the Milwaukee River.

Gordon Park also drew crowds in
the winter for ice skating and ski jumping. The Milwaukee Ski Club built a steel slide for ski jumpers in 1925, which remained popular until 1936.

Today, park visitors can still see the structural footprint of the bathhouse break wall and the concrete base of the ski jump. The massive retaining wall and stairs are covered in graffiti, but there is an overgrowth of trees and other greenery where the actual bathhouse once stood. Gordon Park is once again a neighborhood destination with a playground, splash pad and pavilion for gatherings.