Construction on new signage at a handful of Great Parks is slated to begin next month.
"These signs are going to be more true to what Great Parks is trying to bring to the public in that they have been really informed by our new brand and designed to reflect and complement the native landscapes that we're trying to conserve," explains Janet Broughton Murray, chief of planning.
The process moved a little slower than anticipated. Broughton Murray says it took a while to get the necessary permits to install new signs at so many locations.
"This one has been the most complex [project] ... because we are permitting signs in 13 individual jurisdictions," she says. "This has been a good opportunity for us to work with each of those individual jurisdictions to make sure that the sign that we're proposing is consistent with their zoning, their building [codes], their desires for what signage should look like."
She says the order in which the new signs will be installed was determined, in part, by how long it took to get through each jurisdiction's permitting process. Embshoff Woods on Cincinnati's West Side has the distinction of being installed first.
The Board of Park Commissioners last year approved nearly $2.5 million to purchase and install 25 signs at major park entrances. Great Parks of Hamilton County adopted its new acorn logo and "Find Your Wild" slogan in late 2022. It replaces the blue and green bird logo introduced in 2013. New signs weren't installed then, Great Parks previously told WVXU. Rather, the existing signs — which are now 16 to 17 years old — were refaced.
The signs will come in a variety of sizes and iterations, all following a similar scheme. They include a limestone base, a rust-colored aluminum designed to look like weathered steel, and treated Accoya wood panels emblazoned with the acorn logo.
The new signage is being rolled out in two phases. The first phase includes large scale entryway signs at main entrances to such parks as Embshoff Woods, Winton Woods, Sharon Woods, and Miami Whitewater Forest. It's expected to be completed by October. The second phase will include smaller signage, such as informational and wayfinding signs, trailhead markers, and more.
What happened to Parky's Farm?
Folks have long been enjoying horseback riding in Winton Woods at Parky's Farm. The Riding Center at Winton Woods opened in 1954. A few decades later in 1983, Parky the Raccoon debuted as the Hamilton County Park District's mascot.
The Hayloft Barn at Parky's Farm in Winton Woods was completed in 1990, and was used for square-dancing clubs, special events, day camps and other programs. Parky's Playbarn opened two years later. Additional spraygrounds and playgrounds also would adopt the Parky's name and raccoon logo over the coming years.
In June 2013, the park district officially changed from the Hamilton County Park District to Great Parks of Hamilton County, and phased in a green and blue bird logo. When Great Parks adopted its latest acorn logo and "Find Your Wild" slogan in 2022, Parky the Raccoon was quietly retired. Specifically, Great Parks began referring to Parky's Farm as the Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center in January of this year.
The new name "better reflects the farm and equestrian center’s connection with Great Parks and the benefits we deliver to the community. Importantly, it also conveys the high level of equestrian programming available at the center," the park district writes in a statement to WVXU. "The larger Great Parks brand refresh has helped us to express our culture and how the public feels about our destinations. One of the most visible elements of our new brand is the acorn, which represents conservation, regeneration, and renewal.
"As part of this brand modernization, the Parky mascot was retired many months ago. As Great Parks prepares to replace signs at the farm and equestrian center and throughout all parks and conservation areas, now is also a sensible time to update the formal name of this important destination."
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