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When I visited Paterson Great Falls for the Native American Heritage celebration, it was held in the brand-new Overlook Park. The Overlook’s main feature is an amphitheater facing the falls. The last time I’d been there, the area had been crumbling into the river with a chain link fence keeping people away from the edge (we’d had to find an opening to poke our lenses through to get a shot.)
Besides the amphitheater, a new stairway connecting the Overlook section with Mary Ellen Kramer Park was added. Previously, we’d had to exit the park, walk around the block and renter to cross the bridge to the far side of the falls. Much-needed improvements were also made to the parking area. Parking is still limited when there is an event happening…there were a few cars waiting for me to leave so they could pounce on my spot in the afternoon.
Funds for the $2.8 million renovation came from New Jersey’s Green Acres fund, the NPS centennial grant, the county’s Open Space fund, the City of Paterson and Rutgers University. The park has big plans for future improvements, including a Great Lawn on the Allied Textile Printing site and a fancy new visitor center which they are hoping to build in time for Great Fall’s 10th anniversary in 2021.
Scroll down for a video clip of the falls taken from Overlook Park.
Paterson Great Falls posts:
- Paterson Great Falls
- Native American Heritage at the falls
- Overlook Park
- Waterfall Wednesday (Coming Soon)
Location: 72 McBride Avenue Extension, Paterson, NJ
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated or established: 11/7/2011
Date of my visit: 11/4/2018