Featured Park
Featured Waterway
Accessible Amenities
Artificial Reef
Bait & Tackle
Baseball
Basketball
Benches
Beach Pier
Bike Racks
Bike Trail
Birding Trail
Boat Dock
Boat Fuel
Boat Pumpout
Boat Ramp
Boat Trailer Parking
Canoe Rental
Concession Stand
DogPark
Drinking Fountain
Equestrian Trail
Fishing Available
Fitness Equipment
Golf
Grills
Hiking Trail
Nonmotorized Launch
Kayak Rental
Lighting
Manatee Education
Multipurpose Field
On the water
Paddle Board Rental
Parking
Pickleball
PWC Rental
Picnic Shelters
Picnic Tables
Playground
Restaurant
Restrooms
RiverWalk
Sailboard Rental
Sailboat Rental
Scenic Overlook
Skate Park
Soccer
Splash Pad
Surfing
Swimming Pool
Tennis
Trash Barrels
Wheelchair Accessible
Workout Station
James Weldon Johnson Park is located across from City Hall in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. On August 11, 2020 City Council passed a bill (2020-0357-E) renaming Hemming Plaza to James Weldon Johnson Park. The park is now named after a famous civil rights activist (who combated racism through his position in the NAACP), lawyer, educator and composer from Jacksonville who wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing commonly known as the Black National Anthem. City Councilmembers Garrett Dennis and Rory Diamond introduced the legislation and after many debates the bill passed. Councilmember Dennis felt that changing the name to James Weldon Johnson would represent progress and would bring even more light to Jacksonville.
Furthermore, first established as a public square by the City’s founder Isaiah D. Hart around 1857, it is Jacksonville’s oldest park. Known first as City Park and then St. James Park, it was renamed Hemming Park in 1899 to honor Civil War veteran Charles C. Hemming who donated the parks’ confederate monument (the City’s oldest and tallest) the previous year. In June 2020, the monument has since been removed. At various times, the park contained bandstands, fountains, comfort stations, and Tourist and Convention Bureau buildings, along with many beautiful trees. In 1978, the City converted the park into a brick-paved plaza, and completed additional work in 1986 that transformed the area into a single-level, pedestrian-oriented mall. Due to its centralized location, the plaza has long been a park of the downtown experiences for both tourists and local citizens.
Additional features:
| Amenity |
Count |
| Benches |
13 |
| Bike racks |
1 |
| Picnic Tables |
34 |
| Trash Barrels |
10 |