There are all kinds of sizes of park, and they are meant for all kinds of uses.

The most common are town and city parks. As cities grew, people found they had nowhere to relax in. So planners from the 18th century onwards started to leave some spaces for open ground.

In the 19th century, many parks were planted with flowers, and paths were made so that people could walk about in them. This was called parading. At that time no one imagined that people would want to sit on the grass or sunbathe. Instead, people listened to bands in bandstands, or had tea in tearooms. They would also sit on benches which were placed beside the paths.

People were also interested in plants that would not grow without protection. So glasshouses were built in parks as well. They were like museums for plants.

Ponds were added to give a bit more variety. In the 19th century people sailed toy boats on them.

Today, parks are used by those who want to get out of their flats and houses, or take a bit of time off during their lunch hour at work. They are just as popular now as they always have been. But we have also added other kinds of park. Country parks and state parks are areas outside a city where people can walk longer distances, or hike and do rock climbing, water sports and much more.

National Parks are places that people think are the most important areas of reasonably wild life to preserve. When the idea of a National Park came about, there were no wildernesses left in places like Europe, so areas called National Parks had to contain people and houses, even towns. Many of these are hilly lands of mountains. Some are coasts. The most famous organisation set up to help protect areas of outstanding natural beaty was in Britain and it was called the National Trust. But in areas like North America, there were still wildernesses to protect, and the land was still mainly owned by the government, and this needed laws to be passed by Congress. So in the USA National Parks are mostly wilderness parks.

Other organisations own land that can be used for wildlife and recreation. National forestry organisations are one, and charities, including Britain's National Trust, are another.