Civic Center Park Opens

THE NEW LINCOLN PARK at Ocean Boulevard and Pacific Avenue opened on February 11 as the latest addition to the new Long Beach Civic Center. With a playground, fitness equipment, dog park and skate and athletic areas, the new park is getting rave reviews. A 13-foot tall penny stands front and center bearing “In God We Trust” and Abraham Lincoln’s profile. Originally named Pacific Park in 1888, the park was renamed Lincoln Park in 1915 and a statue of President Lincoln was installed, according to the city’s website. That statue was reinstalled in the new park. Lincoln Park is the oldest park in the city. The park cost $19.5 million and was paid for through a public-private partnership, monies from the Port of Long Beach and a Los Angeles County Measure A grant, according to the city’s website.