Pioneer Park
50-98 Bayshore Dr SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Pioneer Park in St. Petersburg, Florida is located between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue South and Bay Shore Drive and Beach Drive Southeast. This beautiful waterfront park honors 600 of St. Petersburg’s early settlers.
Pioneer Park Features
- Waterfront Park
- Scenic View
- Historic Park
- Wilderness
- 1.8 Acres
Conveniently situated between the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and Al Lang Stadium, this shaded city park is right in the middle of all the action.
Convenient Location
Directly across the street is the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina. Nearby events include the Saturday Morning Market, Shakespeare in the Park, and the world-famous St. Pete Pier. Once you’re done exploring all that Downtown St. Pete has to offer, return to Pioneer Park and enjoy its shade on any of the park benches and grassy areas. Take in the city’s spectacular views while reminiscing about our great history.
Family Charity
Pioneer Park is unique to the downtown waterfront parks. It has its own charitable organization made up of descendants of pioneer families that provides the City with funds each year to supplement the cost of high-level maintenance and enhancements through the non-profit Pioneer Park Foundation, Inc. Learn more at https://pioneerparkstpete.org/
History of Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park is part of the remarkable St. Petersburg downtown waterfront park system. In planning the city, the Pioneers had the foresight to leave much of the waterfront as open green space for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors, then and today. Pioneer Park has sat between Central Avenue and Beach Drive SE for decades.
Descendants of pioneers, interested citizens, the City Council, and the City Leisure Services Department, joined a 1976 initiative and Pioneer Park was dedicated on November 26, 1981. Pioneer Park Foundation, Inc. was started at this time. A major revitalization of the grounds was celebrated on February 26, 2012.
In the center of the Park is a 20 foot high modern obelisk. Four bronze plaques on the monument display the names of 600 residents of the St. Petersburg area before January 1, 1912, the date Pinellas County was created by the division of Hillsborough County. Each person made a significant contribution to the building of St. Petersburg prior to November 24, 1924, the date of the opening of the Gandy Bridge.
