Loose Park’s Duck Pond



The natural crown jewel of the neighborhoods surrounding the Country Club Plaza, playing host to kite-flying families and scenic nuptials on any given warm day, Loose Park had markedly less leisurely beginnings during the Civil War. The land then played host to the Battle of Westport, an 1864 Union victory in the area. The land was privately owned and operated as a golf course for the Kansas City Country Club until 1925. It was purchased by Ella, widow of cracker manufacturing mogul Jacob Loose, to be purposed as a park in his memory. Since then, the addition of the pond, tennis courts, a spray park, and a rose garden have preserved Loose Park as one of the best-loved in the city.