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    Vander Veer Botanical Park

    4.8 (12 reviews)

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    Birds pond
    John H.

    A small park. I visited the grounds and never went into the buildings. A pleasant stroll and great place to sit and watch the "duck pond." You can find a rose garden and a fountain with formal flower plantings. The perimeter has handsome historical homes.

    Ginger M.

    Van Der Meer botanical gardens are gorgeous especially in summer! So peaceful and pretty for a stroll indoors and out. Don't miss the beautiful tree lined stroll up to the fountain and maybe see a black squirrel or two (we did)! I liked all the "around the world" gardens, flora from China, Australia, and other regions. It was unique and lovely.

    Swings, nature statues, spinning disk
    Ariana G.

    Great park no matter what you're looking for. Duck pond with a walking trail loop, playground, large field, and a conservatory. There are 2 parking lots as well as street parking. The playground is brand new and great for young kids ( 2-5 yo) . There is a large fountain at one end that isn't meant for play but always has kids in it!

    Stone Fountain
    denise k.

    A really lovely oasis in the middle of the city. You can drive completely around the perimeter of the park, but you really should get out of you car to take the walkway down the center to enjoy the beautiful canopy of trees over cozy seating areas with benches and flowers. At one end of the walkway is the stone fountain, and at the other end there is a play area and a pond. A lovely place for a picnic.

    Outside Botanicals

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    6 years ago

    Helpful 12
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    1 year ago

    It the most fun me and my kid add I love how handicap accessible it was in the summer

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Vander Veer Botanical Park

    Duck pond with a walking trail loop, playground, large field, and a conservatory.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Modern Woodmen Park - Ferris wheel.

    Modern Woodmen Park

    4.7(21 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    John O'Donnell Stadium... I mean Modern Woodmen Park is the best minor league stadium in the United…read moreStates. I am not exaggerating, they have won the award to state it as a fact. Going to Modern Woodmen Park is a must for any baseball fan. It is one of the oldest parks in the nation. Many MLB stars got their careers started here in Davenport, Iowa. This family friendly stadium offers a wide variety of entertainment for the whole family. If the great game of baseball isn't for you, check out the different amusement rides. The Ferris wheel is huge and gives spectators a glimpse of the field and mighty Mississippi River. The concessions have many great foods and drinks to purchase at reasonable prices. You won't go broke here like at a MLB stadium. Where else can you watch a baseball game, see river boats cruise the river, and hear trains fly down the tracks? Modern Woodmen Stadium is the answer.

    We came here from metro Minneapolis to watch a game. We were here in 2022, but the team was out of…read moretown. The ball park is unique as it sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. On one side is a bridge and another side, an amusement park with Ferris wheel and merry go round. I walked around a lot. The layout is graded up high, as you had to walk 20 steps up to it. The reason 4/5 stars is lack of good concessions. A couple of places such as a Mexican grill weren't open. The line for this one grill was insanely long the whole night. The Whiteys ice-cream did not have malt cups, supposedly sold out the night before. Piss poor planning for a crowd. I settled for Cheesesteak nachos without onions and peppers in a helmet. Also shared a chip witch or chocolate chip cookie with ice-cream between it. The stadium was really iconic and cool. The Ferris wheel lit up at night. Just work on better concessions with product and have more open. Review 94 in 2023.

    Photos
    Modern Woodmen Park - First base side. Bridge over Mississippi  River going to Rock Island, IL.

    First base side. Bridge over Mississippi River going to Rock Island, IL.

    Modern Woodmen Park - Ferris wheel in left field.

    Ferris wheel in left field.

    Modern Woodmen Park - Same, night view

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    Same, night view

    Black Hawk State Historic Site - Civilian Conservation Corps

    Black Hawk State Historic Site

    4.7(7 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    Great park and historical site in Rock Island that's an important part of Native American culture…read more If you want to know more, come here and check out the museum about it. Black Hawk State Historic Site is located on the former location of an amusement park, that's no lie. Lodge has a museum about the famous warrior and the village that was here. The rest of the park has other feature such as trails. Black Hawk was a famous chief. In the 1800s the Sauk tribe was living here. They were later forced to move west. Soon this area became an amusement park. The railroad was used to bring people here, and when cars got popular, the park didn't have as many visitors. It soon closed. Then the Civilian Conservation Corps build the lodge and made the area a park. All this can be learned by visiting the museum. This is located in the lodge, and you can watch a video about the history of all this. Also there's trails for hiking. One overlooks the Rock River. Elsewhere in the park is the site of an 1886 coal mine. There's also a pioneer cemetery with a few old tombstones. Also there's lots of deer. The last time here we came across a bunch in the woods just standing around and eating leaves. Cool place as far as this area goes. It's got a lot of history to it. The museum in the lodge is helpful for learning about whatever.

    Black Hawk State Park is a real gem for Rock Island. Beautiful at any time of the year, there are…read moreseveral picnic areas, three playgrounds, a lodge, a museum and reception hall, and many hiking trails throughout the park. I've loved coming here throughout my life! Lately I've mostly been utilizing the trails which are easy, though some maintenance is needed for deteriorating wooden walkways, washed out sections, and fallen trees on the trails. It's pretty quiet on the weekdays, though I'd imagine things will start picking up now that summer is in full swing. If you haven't been to Black Hawk Park, I highly recommend it! Please pick up after yourself and your dogs.

    Photos
    Black Hawk State Historic Site - Rock River

    Rock River

    Black Hawk State Historic Site - Pioneer Cemetery

    Pioneer Cemetery

    Black Hawk State Historic Site - Woods

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    Woods

    Sylvan Island - The bridge

    Sylvan Island

    4.8(4 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    This was a nice place to take a break in my road trip! I was skeptical as I followed my navigation…read moreinto a rather industrial area-could there really be a park and an island there? And as promised, a little parking lot and a park sign popped up as I rounded the corner. There were a number of other cars parked in the lot, but there was ample parking. I walked along the river, and then crossed the bridge to the island. There's an display right as you enter the island, and it has information about the history of the area and the island as well as information about the wildlife present. There's also a map displaying the various trails. I did the factory trail, which takes you through the Republic Steel ruins. This connected with the Loading Dock trail, which I used to connect back to the bridge and leave the island. It was cool to see the ruins, however it is marred with graffiti. It would be a cool place for a photo op otherwise.

    We took the dogs here for a morning walk with family members. It's a very nice area, somewhat…read moretranquil through the trees. Nice scenic overlooks of the backwaters. We had to do a few laps on the perimeter trail to get our steps in, will likely weave through the different trails next time. There are a few areas with graffiti and one area with a lot of broken beer bottles. Someone always has to ruin a good thing. Several locals we talked to said they've never been. I recommend giving it a try.

    Photos
    Sylvan Island - Informational displays

    Informational displays

    Sylvan Island - Remains of the factory

    Remains of the factory

    Sylvan Island - Informational display

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    Informational display

    Vander Veer Botanical Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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