• Delaney Park Strip, Anchorage

The Delaney Park Strip is an 11-block park in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, known to the Anchorage community as the Park Strip. The oldest park in the city was established as part of the original Anchorage township plat in 1917 and named for James Delaney, one of the first mayors of Anchorage. Initially used as a firebreak, in 1922, it became “The Golf Course.” The community used the space both for a golf course and an airstrip. In 1932, however, Merrill Field opened, so the Delaney Park airstrip was no longer necessary for aviation. In 1954 the Parks & Recreation Department began to develop recreation facilities for various activities and events, including ice skating, softball, horseshoes, and, later, tennis. In 1958 the Park Strip hosted the Alaska Statehood Celebration.