Visiting Seaside Park: Everything You Need to Know

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Walking beside the beach, you hear the ice cream truck melody floating through the summer air while bachata music plays from a cluster of picnic tables. At the baseball fields, the clink of a bat making contact and cheers from the crowd. Meandering along the tree-lined walkway, a group of old men play their drums to salsa music. Throw in the occasional reggaeton blaring from passing cars. 

Seagulls cut through it all with their screeches and laughter on their ever-present quest for food. 

In late morning, the water sparkles and on most days, you can see Long Island clearly as the ferry makes its way across the Sound, back and forth all day long. 

Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut is a beautiful waterfront park built in 1865 and still beloved by residents. At 2.5 miles in length and covering 325 acres, Seaside is Bridgeport’s largest park. It has a varied landscape: baseball fields, oceanfront picnic areas, a ¾-mile stretch of sandy beach, pathways through groves of trees, and a lighthouse. 

This park is truly a gem in a very industrial-feeling city. It’s one of the best things to do in Bridgeport.

Living next to it, I feel like I always have an escape to nature, even when I can hear I-95 traffic looming overhead a half mile away. It’s the place to be for so many Bridgeporters and a wonderful park for visitors from all over. 

Keep reading for photos, details, and tips for visiting.

The Fascinating History of Seaside Park

Bridgeport’s Seaside Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed what has become the most iconic city park in the world, Central Park. 

In fact, Seaside was Olmsted’s first park design after the success of Central Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Olmsted’s work in the late 1800s was prolific, and he saw parks as essential for health and wellbeing of the public. His view was that they should be something available to the young and old, the rich and poor. 

Famous showman and Bridgeport resident P.T. Barnum had advocated for the park and even donated some of the land—along with other Bridgeporters Nathaniel Wheeler, John Brooks, and George Bailey—and the park was built in 1865. It is viewed to be the first waterfront “rural” park in the United States—many famed parks in Chicago, Detroit, and Portland, Maine, would follow. 

The original 44 acres that were designed by Olmsted (along with Calvert Vaux and Egbert Viele) were expanded over the decades through 1919 by filling in a salt marsh and building a dyke system.  

Today, Seaside encompasses 325 acres, making it Bridgeport’s largest park with baseball fields, picnic areas, an oceanfront walkway, a long stretch of sandy beach, and a lighthouse. The added portions have an expansive, open feeling, while the original section at the eastern end is more woodsy with meandering roads and paths. 

Seaside Park Landmarks and Points of Interest

Lighthouse

The Fayerweather Island Light stands at the western end of the park at the entrance to Black Rock Harbor. With sailboats anchored in the harbor, this end of the park is particularly picturesque at sunset. 

Also known as Black Rock Harbor Light, the current lighthouse structure was built in 1823. The keeper’s house was destroyed in a fire in 1977. The lighthouse was once on a true island, but a seawall was constructed in 1911 to connect the western end of Seaside Park to Fayerweather Island. 

Fayerweather Island Light was decommissioned in 1933 and is no longer operational as a navigational aid. It is not open to the public, but you can walk out on the seawall to view it from the outside. 

Playgrounds

There are several playgrounds located throughout Seaside Park.

One playground is particularly notable. The colorful purple playground at the beach is dedicated to Josephine (Joey) Gay, one of the 26 precious lives taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. 

It was built by the Where Angels Play Foundation, which was born out of a desire to honor those lives, in the midst of communities rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Firefighters, police officers, teachers, school administrators, and community volunteers came together in 18 months to build 26 playgrounds throughout Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, half of which are in Connecticut towns. According to the organization’s website, “Each playground reflects the personality of the teacher or child for whom it is named and the project had unanimous approval and blessings of all 26 families.”

Joey’s playground at Seaside Beach is her favorite color, purple, and was opened on her birthday, December 11th. She was autistic, so the playground is decorated with autism awareness messages and symbols. 

Statues and Monuments

There are a number of interesting statues and monuments throughout Seaside Park that history buffs especially will enjoy.

The P.T. Barnum statue features a seated Barnum overlooking Long Island Sound at the junction of Iranistan Avenue (a street named for one of his Bridgeport mansions that he dubbed “Iranistan”) and Soundview Drive. 

The statue of Elias Howe, also overlooking Soundview Drive, honors the inventor of the modern sewing machine. He opened a sewing machine factory here in 1863, which produced as many as 400 sewing machines per day. Howe was also the first person from Bridgeport to sign up for the Civil War.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was built in 1876 to honor the Bridgeport men who served in the Civil War. 

The US Navy Monument was built in 1975 in memory of shipmates lost at sea. 

The Spanish-American War Monument (called the “Cannon Statue” on Google Maps) features a cannon captured from a Spanish ship, along with a pyramid of cannonballs and a marker for the U.S.S. Maine. 

Perry Memorial Arch

Greeting visitors as they come down Park Avenue to the main entrance of the park is the iconic arched entrance way. Designed by Henry Bacon, the architect who designed the Lincoln Memorial, this beautiful granite arch was built in 1918 to honor Bridgeport businessman William H. Perry. 

Seaside Park Drone Footage

You get such a better sense for the park overall when you see it from above! Here is some drone footage I’ve shot over the past year or so (posted on my other travel account).

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Things to do at Seaside Park

Take a bike ride, jog, or walk

Getting some oceanside exercise is my favorite simple pleasure year round at Seaside. Rich and I go out regularly to jog or walk on the waterfront pathways, usually on the beach end of the park. First thing in the morning and in the off season are especially peaceful. I prefer riding my bike in the morning before the park opens to cars since I can use the road wherever there isn’t a designated bike path. 

During the day in the summer months, the park is lively and energizing, and it can be a fun time to people watch. 

The entire length of the crescent-shaped park is approximately 2.5 miles. If you walk the beach end (starting at the small beach), it’s about one mile. 

Go to the beach

Whether you’re visiting in the summer or the off season, you can’t miss Seaside Beach. There is a small beach area that is about 1/10 mile long, as well as a long stretch of sandy beach approximately 3/4 mile long. 

In the summer, enjoy picnic tables and grills, the playground and splash pad for the kids, or just wading in the gentle waters of Long Island Sound. 

In the fall, winter, and spring, take a walk along the walkway next to the beach and enjoy the peace and quiet that the off season brings. 

Take a yoga class overlooking the ocean

During warmer months (late May – early October), the nonprofit Yoga in Our City hosts public yoga classes in several parks throughout Connecticut cities, including Seaside Park. This is a fun way to get some exercise and soak up the ocean views. Check out their schedule for current year details. 

Have a picnic with scenic view

There are tons of picnic tables and benches throughout Seaside Park, so it’s a great spot for a picnic overlooking the ocean. 

For an unobstructed view of the beach, I think the best location is a triangular section of grass past the last large parking lot toward the end of Barnum Boulevard.

Either side of the small beach area is also quite nice. A few of the picnic tables in some areas are within the parking lots, which have their views obstructed by cars. As long as you arrive to the park early or it’s not a busy day, you should be able to find something better than these parking lot picnic tables. 

If it’s just you and your significant other or a friend, you can also take your pick of benches overlooking the ocean.  

Walk out to lighthouse

You can walk out to the end of the beach and get a pretty good view of the lighthouse. If you’re feeling intrepid, take a walk across the rocky seawall for an up close view. 

The walk all the way out to the lighthouse is longer than it looks. It takes about 10–20 minutes if you’re not stopping for photos. The rocks are a bit tricky in some places, and I would classify it as moderately difficult due to this. I recommend wearing sneakers or sturdy shoes.

As you get closer to the lighthouse (especially if there is no breeze), the bugs can be very bad. Keep moving briskly and/or wear bug spray to avoid coming away with a ton of bug bites.

From what I have read, parts of the path may not be accessible at high tide, but I have not had the chance to walk out around this time myself. I would recommend caution if the tide is incoming when you visit.

This spot is particularly beautiful at sunset, but remember that the park closes at 8 PM, so depending on the time of year, you need to allow enough time to get back to your car and leave the park in time. 

Details for Visiting Seaside Park

The below information is from my own experience, the Bridgeport Parks website, and speaking with a parks department office employee. Timing and prices may change from year to year, so I recommend reviewing the website and calling if you have any questions.

Entrance Cost

The price to enter with a vehicle depends on where you live and where your car is registered. Bridgeport residents can get a deeply discounted annual pass. The cost ranges anywhere from $15 – $130 per vehicle for an annual pass or $30 – $60 per vehicle for a day pass. 

Note that you can enter the park on foot, bicycle, or scooter if you find legal street parking nearby.

Technically, park stickers are required year round. There are park attendants at the gates during the summer season (Memorial Day – Labor Day). In the off season, the gates are open for vehicles to enter. However, the Bridgeport Police Department may ticket vehicles without stickers anytime and any day throughout the year. 

Amenities and Facilities

The old “bathhouse” is not open, but there are bathrooms next to the beach (between the playgrounds), near the baseball fields, and elsewhere throughout the park. The bathrooms may be open for up to a few weeks after Labor Day, depending on weather and staffing. After this, there should be porta-potties in a few locations throughout the park. 

There are numerous picnic tables and grills throughout the park, and grilling is not allowed on the beach. 

During the summer, you’ll usually see ice cream trucks and push carts throughout the park. There are no food concessions, but the city has opened up permit applications for food trucks, so hopefully there will be more available in coming years. 

There are lifeguards at the beach (both the small beach and the long stretch of beach) during the height of summer—generally the week before the 4th of July through Labor Day. 

The splash pad for kids is operational during the summer and a bit beyond, which varies by year depending on the weather. 

Rules

Dogs are allowed in Seaside Park and must be on a 6-foot (maximum) leash, but they are not allowed on the sand at any time during the year. Owners must clean up after their pets. 

Swimming is only allowed in designated areas. Keep in mind that much of the shoreline is rocky and a popular fishing area, so there are signs warning that swimming is not allowed on the eastern end of the park.

Drawbacks

Seaside Park has a few drawbacks. The cost to park is admittedly pricey if you’re not a Bridgeport resident. I recommend carpooling with as many people as you can fit in one car to get the best value, or you can park outside of the park (as long as it’s a legal street parking spot) and walk or bike in. 

Another thing that bothers some is the smell of weed—Seaside is a popular spot to park and smoke, but once you get out of the parking lots, it’s not usually bad.

Another downside is that some people leave trash on the beach and throughout the park. I’ve personally witnessed entire bags of trash left, as well as broken bottles and chicken bones (that my dog tried to eat) beside the baseball fields. Bridgeport park employees do an excellent job cleaning up, but it’s frustrating to see such a beautiful nature gem not taken care of.

It’s happening in many places, not just Connecticut and not just Bridgeport. 

So whether you’re visiting in the height of summer or in the off season, our birds and oceans and future generations will appreciate you packing out all trash (and even picking up some extra if you can!). 

***The price to enter with a vehicle depends on where you live and where your car is registered. See the Bridgeport Parks website for exact details. Note that you can enter the park on foot, bicycle, or scooter if you find legal street parking nearby.