What's the difference between a park and a monument?

What’s the difference between a park and a monument?

Monuments and parks are two entirely different things, although you may find a monument inside a park.  A monument is a physical thing, usually a building, structure, statue, etc.  They are either specially made to commemorate a date in history, a person or a historical landmark or a historical site later designated as a monument. 

One of the most famous monuments in the United States is the Washington Monument.  It was designed to commemorate George Washington’s military career.  Another famous monument is Mount Rushmore.  This monument in South Dakota is a carving of four famous presidents:  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.  They represent the first 150 years of U.S. history. 

A park is an area of land put aside for the public.  There are many types of parks including national parks, city parks and private parks.  City parks provide citizens with a place to relax, picnic and play sports.  Private parks are owned by an individual or corporation used specifically for what the person or company chooses. 

National parks are protected areas of land.  Often times, a national park will be home to a historical monument.  Here is where the distinction between a park and a monument can blur.  National monuments are listed with the National Park Services and monuments are sometimes referred to as parks on their website.  However, not every national park has a monument and not every monument is inside of a park.