Photo courtesy of Wald Park Facebook.
Wald Park’s playground and sign before its renovation in 2021. This redevelopment was one of many since 1963.
The pickleball courts at Wald Park frequently fill with players from around the city. Pickleball courts are a new adaptation for most recreational complexes, but the development of similar facilities inside Wald Park began in the 1960s.
Wald Park opened in 1963 off of U.S. 31 with a swimming pool and other amenities. In 1965, an overcrowding problem in Vestavia Hills Elementary prompted ideas for renovations. Without adequate space, students were lacking supervised places to play.
In a 1964 survey, 563 students from Vestavia signed a petition to build a community house in Wald Park. The petition cited how the absence of an indoor facility forced children to socialize in high-traffic areas like streets or shopping centers.
Additionally, they expressed concerns about investing in the health of American children, reflecting the fear of communism during the Cold War. The petition stated that “the physical fitness of America’s youth is bad, and the newspapers report that we are falling behind the Russians in physical fitness.”
The city council devised a plan for a civic center, which opened in April 1969. The center included a gymnasium, library, recreation room, craft room, meeting rooms and reference areas.
Though Wald Park’s recreational facilities have changed over the years, new developments reflect the city’s response to the community’s wishes.
