Westerville 250th Murals - History At Play - Artist Steve Olszewski

Westerville’s First Park: History at Play

History at Play celebrates Alum Creek Park North, Westerville’s first municipal park, and the generations of residents who have gathered there for music, recreation, and community events.

Artist Steve Olszewski drew inspiration from summer evenings at the park, especially the warm light, live music, children at play, and the sense of shared activity that fills the space. His mural connects those present-day experiences with the park’s long history as one of Westerville’s most familiar gathering places.

The Village of Westerville purchased the nine-acre Gantz property in 1934. Construction began the following year through the Works Progress Administration, and the park was dedicated in 1936. Early features included a shelter house, playground, fountain, log cabin, and amphitheater. Residents sometimes used the fountain as a swimming pool, while the log cabin served as a meeting place for local scouts and still stands today.

The amphitheater has changed several times over the decades. Its original terraces remain, while the shell and seating were replaced as the park evolved. The current structure opened in 2001 and was rededicated in 2008 as the Westerville Rotary Amphitheater.

The park is also widely known as “train park.” In 1968, the Westerville Kiwanis Club built a cinder-block train there and reconstructed it 40 years later. A new train-shaped playground was added in 2015. Today, Alum Creek Park North also includes modern play structures, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, and volleyball pits.

Olszewski is a digital artist whose work ranges from public wayfinding and product design to projects inspired by music, family, and the outdoors. In History at Play, he brings those interests together in a tribute to a place where Westerville’s past and present remain closely connected.

The mural is located inside the Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., in the hallway leading to the Senior Center.

As part of the Westerville 250 Mural Project, History at Play shows how a public park can become part of a community’s identity, shaped over time by the people who meet, perform, celebrate, and play there.

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The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.