SpringfieldNewsSun.com

Springfield, Ohio — Snyder Park is a unique public space.

Few parks offer both passive and active recreation and have brought the upper and lower classes together like it has, said Jake Kallgren, a local historian.

"It's truly a community park in every sense of the word," he said.

That's why the park will close out the Springfield Preservation Alliance's fifth annual Summer Walking Tour Series with a tour led by Kallgren.

Tickets cost $5 for alliance members, $8 for nonmembers and $3 for students. They are available online at restorespringfield.org, or at Fred E. Peters & Sons, the Heritage Center and Westcott House.

The series will bring back several popular tours — Ferncliff Cemetery, East High Street and South Fountain Avenue — and introduce three new locations — Elmwood Place, Downtown West and Snyder Park.

Elmwood Place features the city's best collection of Arts and Crafts homes from the early 20th century, said Kevin Rose, the alliance's education committee chairman.

The area off East High Street also is a solid neighborhood, Rose said, with great possibilities.

Downtown West is a new look at an old tour previously called Forgotten Springfield. It focuses on historic buildings on the west side of downtown, such as Crowell-Collier, the Masonic Temple and Memorial Hall.

"Some of our best resources in downtown are on that west side," Rose said.

The tours raise awareness about a community's historic resources, he said.

The series is co-sponsored by Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park and Rose said it can be a good way to introduce workers there to neighborhoods.

"These tours are going to get these young professionals with the tech companies to understand and appreciate Springfield better," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0363 or ssommer@coxohio.com.

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