PARK FEATURES
The ROse Garden
Established in 1959 through a joint effort of the New Jersey Rose Society and the Essex County Parks Department, the Rose Garden has over 500 rose bushes of nearly 150 varieties in 25 separate beds. Dedicated volunteers from the Master Gardeners of Essex County, the Brookdale Park Conservancy, and the general public work tirelessly to restore and revitalize the garden for the enjoyment of all park visitors. While the garden can be enjoyed year round, peak blooming times are in June and September.
The Pollinator GardenS
Planted in the spring of 2018, the Brookdale Park’s Pollinator Garden is located just south of the Playground area near the Overlook. The garden was designed by Essex County Master Gardener Jean Greeley to provide food and habitat for butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. Ms. Greeley continues to develop and maintain the garden area with funding and volunteers from the Conservancy.
The DOg Park
The Dog Park in Brookdale Park opened in November 2007 in a clearing that residents were already using as an informal area to walk their dogs. The dog park has separate fenced in areas for both large dogs small dogs with stone dust surfacing and various pieces of apparatus for play and exercise. A steel archway welcomes visitors, and a pathway designed with ornamental brick pavers leads them to the play areas. There are safety enclosures at each entrance to prevent unleashed dogs from running away, time out areas where excited dogs can be brought to calm down, dog washing areas and water fountains. For more info including Dog Park Rules and Regulations, visit Essex-CountyNJ.org.
The Playground
Brookdale Park’s playground offers a friendly and safe environment for kids of all ages with separate play areas for tots and for elementary and middle-school aged children as well as two swing sets: one with bucket seats for tots and one for sling seats. The playground area also has an abundance of green space for informal lawn games and a nearby restrooms in the Brookdale Park Fieldhouse.
The Outdoor Fitness Course
A classic styled and recently renovated 18-station outdoor fitness course (aka Parcourse) is located all along the outermost walking loop of the park. The park's unique landscape contours offer a perfect "warm up, work out, cool down" routine to go with the various cardio based exercises.
The Track
The Tom Fleming Athletic Complex - previously known as The Oval at Essex County Brookdale Park offers free public access to a modern synthetic grass playing field and ¼ mile rubberized running track.
Walking/Running Loops
In addition to the centralized track and field facility, mile marker posts are installed every ¼ mile along the 1.62 miles of the park's outer perimeter pathway to help athletes and casual walkers gauge their distance.
Tennis and Pickleball
The Brookdale Park Tennis Center is managed by Elite Tennis Academy with support from Essex County Department of Parks Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. The Tennis Center has eleven tennis courts, one handball court, six pickleball courts, public lockers and a restroom facility. These pickleball courts are the first in the Essex County Parks System. The tennis season runs from April thru October. Players must reserve courts with an Elite Tennis Academy attendant. For more information on the Brookdale Park Tennis Center and Elite Tennis Academy, call (973) 744-7060 or (973) 575-1000 ext. 202.
Soccer, baseball, and softball fields
Brookdale Park offers four ball diamonds and a large meadow area commonly used for adult and youth soccer games. Organized use of all fields is managed by permits through the Essex County Department of Parks Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. To inquire about using the fields, please contact the permit office at (973) 268-3500.
Archery
Brookdale Park’s outdoor archery field is the official site for The Gold Cup and the NJ Outdoor State Archery Championships. An estimated 200 archers compete at annual tournaments and world-class record holders come to Bloomfield to compete every year. Brookdale Park’s archery facility is managed by Bloomfield Archers with support from Essex County Department of Parks Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.
Founded in the 1930s, the Bloomfield Archers house equipment, including target butts and stands, in a building adjacent to the field for the exclusive use of members. The club aims to open up the first or second weekend of April and runs through October - weather permitting - announcements are posted on their website, BloomfieldArchers.org.
On non-tournament days from April through October, the club hosts weekly “Sunday Shoots” that are open to all archers and include free one-hour drop-in lessons starting at 9am, 10am and 11am. For insurance purposes, free-lesson trainees must be at least eight years old and have a membership with USA Archery (usarchery.org) or FNAA (nfaausa.com).
For questions or additional information, please visit BloomfieldArchers.org or contact Ray Hinton at raymond.hinton@comcast.net.