{"id":4874,"date":"2021-07-29T09:27:47","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T14:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitaltoona.com\/?p=4874"},"modified":"2021-10-13T10:31:51","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T15:31:51","slug":"visiting-altoona-take-a-breather-at-prairie-heritage-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitaltoona.com\/blog\/visiting-altoona-take-a-breather-at-prairie-heritage-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Altoona? Take a breather at Prairie Heritage Park."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a scene in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe<\/em> in which Lucy, the young heroine, steps into the eponymous wardrobe and is instantly whisked away to Narnia, a faraway land where magic is real, animals talk, and everyone is really<\/em> into something called Turkish Delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The animals of Altoona\u2019s Prairie Heritage Park<\/strong> do not, to our knowledge, speak any human languages. But, besides that, the park is pretty much the Narnia of Altoona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tucked away beside the bustling 8th Street Corridor\u2014a district known for its shopping and dining\u2014Prairie Heritage Park is an oasis of calm and serenity at the center of an otherwise bustling town. Stepping into the park, you feel like you\u2019ve escaped to a whole new world, even though you\u2019re only a block away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The park features a restored wetland, home to a diverse ecosystem of plants and animals native to central Iowa. A walking path meanders along the water\u2019s edge, taking visitors first to a war memorial, then the popular Enabling Garden\u2014an accessible space where families can engage all five senses as they interact with artwork and plants\u2014followed by a calming waterfall and a dock that extends over the water. Everyone who visits the park has a favorite spot along the trail; to exercise, to fish, to practice some early-morning yoga, or to do that rarest of things in the twenty-first century: just sit and think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, the trail arrives at the park\u2019s main feature: The Civic Plaza. A spacious gathering place with a stage, a splashpad, a fountain and a sculpture, the Plaza hosts events such as \u201cMusic on the Plaza\u201d\u2014you can catch the final concerts on August 1st<\/a><\/strong> and August 29th<\/a><\/strong>; they\u2019re free and family-friendly\u2014as well as Relay for Life events, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take a quick tour of Prairie Heritage Park in the video below. Or, better yet, come out and experience it for yourself! It\u2019s the perfect place to catch a breather when you\u2019re visiting Altoona\u2019s nearby shopping and entertainment destinations, and a popular spot for community events. And who knows? You might even bump into a friendly faun along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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