Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is a large central park in downtown Columbia, Maryland. The park includes the Chrysalis, a 2016 amphitheater with lawn seating. The Chrysalis has hosted musical performances, ballet, plays, Maker Faire, and numerous community events.
| Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Columbia, Howard County, Maryland |
| Area | 51 acres (21 ha) |
| Owned by | Columbia Association |
| Operated by | Inner Arbor Trust |
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| Type | amphitheater |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | music, performing arts |
| Seating type | lawn |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
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| Established | 26 April 2013 |
|---|---|
| Location | Columbia, Maryland |
| President | Nina Basu |
| Website | innerarbortrust |
History
editIn 2013, former Rouse Company employee Michael McCall proposed county executive-backed plans to convert the wooded land into a destination park. McCall's company, Strategic Leisure, first proposed a $50 million publicly funded six-story parking garage at the Toby's Dinner Theatre location; later proposals included a 39-acre arts park with features such as an outdoor amphitheater called the Chrysalis, a 300-foot-long floating picnic table, and an 800-foot-long tube called the Caterpillar.[1] The new project was named the "Inner Arbor", a spin on another Rouse development, Baltimore's "Inner Harbor".[2] Artist William Cochran, Howard County native, was commissioned for artwork that includes horns up to 28 feet tall.[3]
The Chrysalis opened for its inaugural season in 2017.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Hirsh, Athur (February 3, 2013). "New Proposal for Columbia". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Lavoie, Luke (May 16, 2014). "Town Center board asks Howard Council to pull Inner Arbor funding; $1.5 million pledged in county budget". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Holzberg, Janene (March 2, 2014). "Cochran making a sound contribution to his hometown of Columbia; Renowned artist creates multi-horn concept for Symphony Woods". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Holzberg, Janene (April 17, 2017). "Chrysalis amphitheater to open as first new structure at Merriweather Park". The Baltimore Sun.
