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Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods

Coordinates: 39°12′35″N 76°51′44″W / 39.20980°N 76.86227°W / 39.20980; -76.86227
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Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods
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LocationColumbia, Howard County, Maryland
Area51 acres (21 ha)
Owned byColumbia Association
Operated byInner Arbor Trust
The Chrysalis
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Typeamphitheater
Genre(s)music, performing arts
Seating typelawn
Capacity10,000
Inner Arbor Trust
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Established26 April 2013 (2013-04-26)
LocationColumbia, Maryland
PresidentNina Basu
Websiteinnerarbortrust.org

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.

History

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In 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

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References

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  1. ^ Hirsh, Athur (February 3, 2013). "New Proposal for Columbia". The Baltimore Sun.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Holzberg, Janene (April 17, 2017). "Chrysalis amphitheater to open as first new structure at Merriweather Park". The Baltimore Sun.
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39°12′35″N 76°51′44″W / 39.20980°N 76.86227°W / 39.20980; -76.86227