About Wooster Memorial Park

Consisting of 422 acres, the Park is known for its wooded, steep ravines and scenic Rathburn Run, a tributary of the Little Killbuck Creek that bisects the Park. Native woodland wildflowers are abundant in April and May, and the many trees provide picturesque autumn colors.

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          Wooster and Wayne County are extremely fortunate to have this quiet, wooded, 422-acre park. Wooster Memorial Park was created through the vision of Paul S. Spangler (1900-1986). Mr. Spangler, a Wooster native and high school teacher, long dreamed of this area becoming a park. In 1961, he began a series of land donations  (133 acres) to the City of Wooster, stipulating that the area be named ‘Wooster Memorial Park’ in memory of his family and strong faith. Through local foundations, the City purchased 121 acres of adjoining land (part of the former Becker farm) northwest of Mr. Spangler’s gift. In June 1963, with Mr. Spangler and Mayor Robert Culbertson in attendance, Wooster Memorial Park was dedicated.

          Beginning in 2007, five additional properties were purchased with Clean Ohio and local funds and added to the park: the 71-acre Strock Woods (2007), the 6-acre Monitor Bank (2008), the 49.2-acre Kenwood Acres (2015), the 34.4-acre Roller (2018), and the 16.3-acre Tooley (2018), bringing the total acreage of the park to 422 acres. A portion of the Kenwood was converted into ADA-accessible trails in 2018 through grants from the ODNR and Clean Ohio.

The park has been designated by the City as a permanent natural area.