A Millionaire Couple Created Hundreds Of Acres Of Pennsylvania Parkland And It’s Still Free To Visit
More than a century ago, a private gift changed how one Pennsylvania community spends its free time.
A wealthy couple assembled hundreds of acres as a park created for public recreation.
The land still asks for nothing at the gate. That history gives every path and open lawn a different feeling.
This was not designed as a commercial attraction and later made free. Sharing was the original idea.
Visitors can walk, play, rest, and return without turning the day into a calculation of ticket value.
Some legacies survive as names on buildings. This one survives because people still use the space exactly as it was intended.
The Couple Behind The Gift
Frank H. Buhl built much of his fortune through iron and steel ventures, including Sharon Iron Works and Buhl Steel Company.
He and his wife, Julia Forker Buhl, later directed substantial resources toward recreation and philanthropy in the Shenango Valley.
Their idea was simple and rather bold for the era. Build a park in the Shenango Valley where money never decided who got to play.
Between 1907 and 1911, the Buhls acquired seven farm parcels totaling 262.66 acres. The golf course was ready by 1914, and the official dedication came in 1915.
To protect the promise, the couple created the Buhl Farm Trust. That trust still helps offset annual operating costs, while donations and community support also help sustain the privately owned park.
Julia poured energy into local social work and supported community institutions. Frank backed projects that reached well beyond western Pennsylvania borders.
Statues of both founders stand on the grounds, quietly watching over their handiwork. I stopped to read the inscriptions and felt oddly grateful to two strangers.
Lake Julia And Open Green
Right in the middle of everything sits Lake Julia, seven acres of calm water named for the founder’s wife. A fountain plumes upward and catches the light on breezy afternoons.
Walking paths trace the shoreline, and benches appear exactly where tired legs want them. I counted ducks, then gave up counting.
Beyond the lake, the acreage opens into wide lawns and shaded groves. The Kite Field provides a broad open lawn for informal recreation.
Nature trails reach the park’s wetland area, where an observation platform provides a closer look at the habitat. Those walkways let you peek at marsh life without trampling it.
Julia’s Garden and the Butterfly Gardens add bursts of color from late spring onward. Pollinators show up in numbers that make photographers happy.
Wildlife can appear around the park’s wooded and wetland areas. Visitors are required to leave wild animals undisturbed rather than approaching or feeding them.
Stone bridges and well-paved roads link the different sections together. Driving through slowly feels like a tour of a private estate.
America’s Only Free Golf Course
Golf and free rarely appear in the same sentence. Here they do, because Buhl Park operates the nation’s only free 9-hole golf course.
Players have teed off without a green fee since 1914. Locals have long called the course by an affectionate nickname, Dum Dum’s.
The layout rolls gently, with mature trees framing fairways and views that reward slow play. Nine holes move quickly if the group ahead keeps pace.
A driving range sits nearby for anyone wanting to warm up first. Range balls are available separately, while the nine-hole course itself carries no green fee.
Players of different skill levels are welcome, and everyone must sign in before beginning a round. The relaxed mood is part of the founder’s original plan for accessible recreation.
Bring your own clubs to keep things simple. Comfortable shoes matter more than fancy gear on this ground.
The course is open daily from dawn to dusk. Golfers can play without a green fee after signing in at the golf facility.
Across the street from the main entrance there is additional golf, plus a country club bordering the property. Still, the free nine remains the headline act in this stretch of Pennsylvania.
Disc Golf With Record Distance
Eighteen baskets, championship design, zero cost.
The disc golf course opened in 2015 and now supports both recreational rounds and organized competition.
Multiple tee layouts let players choose different distances and levels of difficulty. The course serves casual players while also hosting competitive events.
Current tournament layouts can stretch the 18-hole course beyond 9,000 feet overall. Several long holes create a substantial distance challenge from the back tees.
Longer tournament layouts make distance control an important part of the course’s challenge. A passing group shouted encouragement and kept walking.
Trees, slopes, and open stretches mix together across the layout. Wind off the lake adds another wrinkle on exposed holes.
Pack three discs at minimum, a driver, a midrange, and a putter. Water is smart too, since the full round covers serious ground.
A typical round takes roughly two hours and covers close to three miles on foot. Shelters and restrooms are scattered nearby if you need a break.
Leagues and sanctioned tournaments use the course during the season. Outside scheduled events, the course remains free and open during regular park hours.
Courts, Trails And Pump Track
Eight tennis courts sit ready, and using them costs nothing. Racket sports fans could spend an entire morning here without repeating a court.
Pickleball has six dedicated courts on the golf side of the park, all open free to the public. The sport has clearly found devoted players in Hermitage.
A bike pump track gives riders rollers and berms to practice on. Kids on small bikes seemed fearless while I watched from a safe distance.
The fitness trail runs nine-tenths of a mile and includes 18 workout stations. The stations cover stretching, balance, strength, and cardiovascular exercises.
Paved roads and paths loop through the property for cyclists, runners, and walkers. Off-road riders can also use more than four miles of single-track mountain bike trails beyond the paved pump track.
Paw’s Place provides 1.85 acres of off-leash space for registered members and their dogs. Dogs there looked thoroughly pleased with the arrangement.
The outdoor pool includes a rock wall, a diving board, lifeguards, and shade structures. Bring a chair, because the deck gets busy on hot Pennsylvania afternoons.
Four Playgrounds For Kids
Families can choose from three dedicated playgrounds plus Sandy’s Place, a separate outdoor learning center. Each space serves a different age group or style of play.
The Inclusive Playground is the standout, built so children of all abilities can climb and explore together. Ramps and adapted equipment blend into the fun rather than sitting off to the side.
Polly’s Playground serves the smallest visitors, ages five and under. Toddlers get gear sized right for short legs and short attention spans.
Across from the outdoor stage, the Sound Garden Playground turns noise into a feature. Kids bang, chime, and drum their way through interactive instruments.
Sandy’s Place rounds things out as a Nature Explore certified space. Summer youth programs and Little Explorers sessions run there, pushing curiosity outdoors.
Parents will appreciate nearby restrooms and plenty of benches. The playgrounds sit near shelters, parking areas, and restrooms, making longer family visits easier to manage.
Shade from mature trees helps on scorching days. Water bottles are still worth packing.
The inclusive design allows visitors of different ages and abilities to use the recreation areas together. Few free attractions in Pennsylvania keep children this entertained for this long.
Concerts, Buhl Day And Rentals
Music is part of the deal here. The Outdoor Performing Arts Center hosts free summer concerts on Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights.
Crowds arrive with lawn chairs and blankets, and the lineups mix genres across the season.
The series remains free and open to the public, with benches available and guests welcome to bring chairs or blankets.
Labor Day belongs to Buhl Day, an annual free celebration honoring the founders. Live entertainment, food, and activities fill the grounds from morning onward.
Holiday programming has included twinkling lights and seasonal decorations around the park. The exact display and event format changes from year to year.
Private gatherings work here too. The historic Casino building offers a grand ballroom overlooking Lake Julia, plus a smaller conference room.
Weddings, meetings, and reunions all book those spaces. Four outdoor shelters are available for reserved gatherings around the park.
Memorial bricks along certain walkways honor community members. The park continues to offer memorial bricks alongside benches, trees, and other commemorative options.
Event calendars shift by season, so checking ahead saves disappointment. Few towns in Pennsylvania can claim a community calendar this full and this affordable.
Smart Tips Before Arriving
Timing matters more than planning here. The park opens daily at 8 AM, closing at 8 PM in winter and 9 PM from spring through fall.
Hours can shift for events or weather, so a quick check before leaving home helps.
Nearly 500,000 people visit yearly.
Major events can bring substantially more traffic into the park. Multiple designated parking areas are used to manage visitors during busy periods.
Most amenities cost nothing, including golf, disc golf, tennis, trails, and playgrounds. The outdoor pool charges admission, and paddle boats carry a small rental fee.
Parking is plentiful across multiple lots. Several facilities are designed for accessible use, but surfaces and accessibility vary across the park’s trails and recreation areas.
Restrooms are located near shelters, the tennis courts, driving range, and pool area, with seasonal availability varying by location.
Pack water, sunscreen, and a blanket, then decide your plan once you arrive. Half the fun is wandering without an agenda. You can find the whole 270-acre story at 715 Hazen Rd in Hermitage.
