This 30-acre park is located at 3700 Park Street in the Avondale area. The north and south park areas are divided by Herschel Street, with the southern portion bordering St. Johns Ave.
It is named after William Elijah Boone (1853-1938), a lumber and railroad man who owned and rented locomotives to the major Florida lines (also the great nephew of famed Daniel Boone). Boone donated this tract to the City in 1924, stipulating it should always be maintained as a public park. Later, he lived at 3205 St. Johns Ave.
In 1926, the City acquired additional surrounding property from four other owners.
In 1937, the familiar “little house” on site was constructed for use by the Girl Scouts; the first tennis courts were built prior to 1946.
After the tennis clubhouse opened in 1950, the Park hosted the City’s both competitive and public tennis tournaments for decades.
Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) has worked extensively for improvements at the park in recent decades. Two of its sponsored committees (for the North and South portions of the Park respectively), led by Doris Keith and Richard Skinner, oversaw major renovations between 1997 and 2003, with substantial funding and assistance provided by City Councilman Jim Overton and the Department of Parks & Recreation.
In 2016, a public/private partnership between the Parks Department, City Councilman Jim Love and Friends of Jacksonville Parks led to a full playground renovation on the south end with a goal of attracting multigenerational visitors to play and exercise.
As one of the city’s largest parks, Boone Park is enhanced by dedicated neighborhood volunteers who host annual tree planting and clean up events.
