Friends of Hoyt Park, Inc.

Friends of Hoyt Park, Inc. The Friends of Hoyt Park (FHP) was established in 1995 to support the Madison Parks Division in the protection and maintenance of Hoyt Park.

Quiet, and slightly removed from the congested thoroughfare of Madison traffic, Hoyt Park located at 3902 Regent St. is an ideal location for either a substantial, social gathering or a peaceful stroll through forest and prairie habitat. Truly, there is something for everyone to value. The naturalist will enjoy the lush mix of young, and old growth vegetation that is laced by a network of paved an

d unpaved hiking trails. The sports enthusiast will find a full-sized basketball court, a softball field, and a grassy, clearing suitable for soccer, football, or Frisbee. In addition, the two highly, hospitable shelters will appease the socialites and the play equipment will occupy the children. While at the same time, the past comes alive thanks in large part to not only the many restored historic fireplaces (twelve precisely) scattered like ancient treasure throughout, but also the restored prairie, rock and tree formations which envelop the park. These are, perhaps, a few reasons why Madison natives make a point of returning to Hoyt Park, again and again. The origins of present-day Hoyt Park can be traced to 1890 when the City acquired property rights to twenty-four acres of stone quarry which in time grew to its current thirty-one acres through donation and purchase. By 1933, operations at the stone quarry had ceased and the land had officially become a city park when it was named Hoyt Park in honor of Frank W. Hoyt also known as "The Grand Old Man." Between 1894 and 1934, Mr. Hoyt acted as a leader in the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association, a volunteer-based group which predated the Board of Park Commissioners assembled in 1937 and was integral in opening, and maintaining recreational places in the Madison area. Major efforts to develop Hoyt Park began during the Great Depression with funds provided by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Many unemployed workers were hired by programs such as Works Progress Administration and Civil Works Administration to improve various aspects of Hoyt Park. Significant among these laborers were the Italian masons from the local Greenbush neighborhood who were responsible for constructing stone fireplaces and tables using materials from the Park's quarry. Though money for the building projects had been exhausted, the Italian masons continued to work without pay in order to complete what they had started. However, subsequent time, vandalism, and harsh winter cycles caused the Depression-era artifacts to deteriorate. In response to citizen concern for the dire situation, the Friends of Hoyt Park was founded in 1995. This volunteer group is committed to restoring and preserving cultural features of the park's past. In the years to follow, with financial contributions of both the City and the Friends of Hoyt Park, the twelve stone fireplaces were meticulously restored to their previous condition. The park was designated a City of Madison Landmark on October 2, 1995.

Need a spot for the kids to cool off? The Madison Parks splash parks are open until September 7th.
08/25/2026

Need a spot for the kids to cool off? The Madison Parks splash parks are open until September 7th.

The tall late summer blooms of this native plant attract plenty of pollinators and the plant is a nitrogen source for th...
08/25/2026

The tall late summer blooms of this native plant attract plenty of pollinators and the plant is a nitrogen source for the soil.

Late summer yummy. Wild blackberries are ripening now.
08/21/2026

Late summer yummy. Wild blackberries are ripening now.

Along sunny woodland edges and old field margins across Wisconsin, wild blackberries are ripening right now, deep purple-black and glossy, with the season running through late August into September.

A good rule for any forager: take only what you'll use, and leave plenty on the cane. Black bears, ruffed grouse, and plenty of songbirds are working this same late-summer flush.

Found a good patch on your land this year? Tell us where the bramble is thickest (no exact coordinates required, we know foragers keep their spots close.) 😉

Want to learn more about phenology? Purchase the Aldo Leopold Foundation's 2027 Phenology Calendar here: https://aldoleopold.org/products/2027-phenology-calendar

Another great looking milkweed plant for your native garden.
08/21/2026

Another great looking milkweed plant for your native garden.

Susan Carpenter, UW-Arboretum native garden curator, talks about the changes occurring in the native plant gardens durin...
08/18/2026

Susan Carpenter, UW-Arboretum native garden curator, talks about the changes occurring in the native plant gardens during the month of August.

By early August, the summer solstice in June is more distant than the approaching autumnal equinox in September. In the native plant garden, spring and early summer’s vigorous growth shifts to late season flowering and especially fruit and seed development.

This month, Susan Carpenter highlights interesting life cycle stages and life histories that are a hallmark of August changes in the native plant garden: arboretum.wisc.edu/news/arboretum-news/gardening-with-native-plants-august-transitions/

📷: A late summer rain garden at the Arboretum.

Want to learn about the life cycle and ecology of prairie moths. Join TPE Empire-Sauk chapter on Sept 1st for a black li...
08/15/2026

Want to learn about the life cycle and ecology of prairie moths. Join TPE Empire-Sauk chapter on Sept 1st for a black lightning and sugaring for moths event.

Many of the glimpses of the prairie we share take place in the light of day, but have you ever been curious about the prairie happenings at night?

On Tuesday, September 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., join the Empire-Sauk Chapter for their workshop Night Flying Prairie Insects: Blacklighting and Sugaring for Moths. During this workshop, you'll be introduced to the life cycle, behavior and ecology of prairie moth species. You will learn how to identify moths, particularly some prairie-specialist species which inhabit the Mounds View Grassland.

Workshops like this one don't happen very often, so make sure to register today! Learn more and register here: https://theprairieenthusiasts.org/events/empire-sauk-2026-09-01/

Photo of blacklighting by Amy Chamberlin

Well this is a different Monarda.
08/15/2026

Well this is a different Monarda.

As part of our rain garden expansion at Thoreau Elementary, we planted dotted mint (Monarda punctata) in the upper, drier part of the garden. It was a plant we didn’t know much about, but it checked a lot of boxes: it’s native, pollinator-friendly, relatively short for planting next to sidewalks, and can spread to cover an area of lawn that notoriously refused to grow grass year after year.

Then, in June, a major storm toppled four large trees and left the rain garden in shambles. The garden suddenly became hotter and drier than it had been before, and many of the plants (chosen for partial shade conditions) have struggled through the long, hot, dry periods this summer—even with regular watering.

But the dotted mint? It’s thriving! It’s growing and flowering beautifully and providing nectar for lots of bees and other pollinators.

Our lesson learned: Plant a diversity of species! Conditions change from year to year, and some plants will struggle while others thrive.

We’re glad we took a chance on dotted mint. It’s beautiful—and the pollinators seem to agree!

What a pretty milkweed plant. A great addition to your home garden.
08/10/2026

What a pretty milkweed plant. A great addition to your home garden.

Take a walk in nature. It will calm your mind and soothe your soul.
08/07/2026

Take a walk in nature. It will calm your mind and soothe your soul.

Here are a few things to look for when you're visiting Pheasant Branch Conservancy this month:

🦋 Animals: Snapping turtles hatch, monarch butterfly migration starts

🌳 Trees, plants & flowers: Cardinal flower, gerardia, stiff goldenrod, great blue lobelia, bottle gentian, many plant species begin seeding

Learn more at pheasantbranch.org/prairies-flora-fauna.

Address

Madison, WI
53705

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of Hoyt Park, Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Friends of Hoyt Park, Inc.:

Shortcuts

Share

Category