Mattoon Peterson Park

About

Located on the northeast side of Mattoon at 500 Broadway, Peterson Park is the City's largest park.

Story

Located on the northeast side of Mattoon at 500 Broadway, Peterson Park is one block north of Illinois Route 16 with two entrances, one at 5th Street and one at 3rd Street. Peterson Park is the City of Mattoon's largest park, providing plenty of space for numerous recreational activities and special events.

The land for Peterson Park was given to the City by Judge Abner M. Peterson in 1890 and was annexed into the City in 1903. Extensive improvements where done in 1907. In 1912 the baseball diamond and grandstand where built, which led to the organization of a city baseball league.

On June 4, 1968 the ball field was renamed to "Grimes Field" after Bill Grimes and was the home to the 1969 Babe Ruth World Series for 15-year-old boys. This was followed up with a Tournament of Champions for 16-18-year-old boys in 1974. Over the years, with continued help of great volunteer organizations, baseball continues to grow and numerous tournaments such as the Babe Ruth Ohio Valley Regional, American Legion, State and Regional, have all been held at Grimes Field.

Grimes Field is geared towards Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old boys, and American Legion Jr. and Sr. baseball leagues. It has covered bleachers with seating capacity of nearly 3,000.

Space is available for posting advertising signs at Grimes Field. Anyone interested can call 217-234-3611.

In the spring of 2007, the City began asphalting the roads in the park, completing them mid-May, just in time for summer. This work has made the park a popular one to walk around. One lap around the inside of the road is approximately 0.31 miles.

The Peterson House, original home to the Peterson Family, is an historic building still maintained on the property.

Peterson has a baseball field, a playground, horseshoe pits, pavilion, the Demars Center (an indoor public, multi-purpose building), Rotary Band Shell, restrooms, and picnic areas scattered throughout the park.
Peterson Park is home to countless family reunions, baby showers, wedding receptions, meetings, company picnics, etc. The pavilion, Demars Center and Rotary Band Shell are available for rent by calling the park department at 217-234-3611

The Peterson Park playground was recently renovated with financial and assembly assistance from the Mattoon Kiwanis Club.

The Pavilion at Peterson Park has three separate sections: east, center and west. Electricity is available in each space by the counters.

The Demars Center is located in the back of the park and is climate controlled (heat and air conditioned) and equipped with a full kitchen.

The Rotary Band Shell is located between the Pavilion and the Demars Center and has been home to concerts, weddings, fundraisers, and more.

For information on renting any of the spaces available in Peterson Park, contact the Parks & Recreation Department's office at 217-234-3611 or by sending an e-mail message to [email protected].

Peterson Park is also home to the following Mattoon’s Tourism & Arts Department events:

Bagelfest: Held annually in July. This festival, started in 1986 and originally held downtown on Broadway, was moved to Peterson Park in 2000.

Lightworks: A seasonal lighting display running from the weekend prior to Thanksgiving through Christmas. Lightworks is the largest display of lights in the area.