Eldridge Park in Horseheads: What to Know Before You Go

Eldridge Park is in the City of Elmira, not the Village of Horseheads. The City of Elmira describes it as one of its largest and most popular parks. You can enter from Grand Central Avenue, Westside Avenue or Woodlawn Avenue.

The park’s facilities include picnic areas, sports fields, a skate park, a dog park and water activities. The grounds cover 45 acres, including an 11-acre lake.

Driving from Budget Inn Horseheads to Eldridge Park takes about 8 minutes. The park has entrances on three roads, so use its Elmira address to navigate to the entrance that suits your plans.

For a day that includes more outdoor time, the 8.5-mile paved Lackawanna Trail starts in Eldridge Park and runs to Lowman Crossover in the Town of Ashland. That’s a longer route than the park’s own paved trail, so plan around how much walking you want to do.

Check the park’s current attraction schedule and ticket details before planning around rides, mini golf or water activities; operation can depend on the weather. The park says it may also hold special events on other dates.

Opening hours

• Saturday and Sunday: 12 PM–8 PM
• Monday to Friday: closed

Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.

Ride and mini-golf tickets are sold at the shop inside the carousel building, which accepts cash and credit. The park operator sets tickets at $2 each. The carousel, pony carts, Turtle Chase, kiddie boats and mini train each cost one ticket; Thunderbirds, Tilt-A-Whirl, the Jasper II Boat Tour and paddle boats each cost two.

Mini golf costs four tickets for people aged 12 and older and three tickets for those aged 11 and under. A disc-golf set rental costs $5 plus a $5 deposit; using the nine-hole course during daylight hours is free.

Life jackets are provided for paddle-boat and Jasper II riders of all ages and sizes, and wearing one is required. If you’re bringing a dog, the fenced dog park is free and open daily from dawn to dusk. Dogs must be at least five months old and vaccinated for rabies, distemper/parvo and bordetella.

Eldridge Park’s amusement attractions generally operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, weather permitting. The park itself remains open daily from dawn to dusk, so you can use its grounds and walking routes outside the attractions’ usual season.

The 1.4-mile paved trail makes a loop through the park, and the park estimates it takes about 25 minutes to walk. You can also find picnic areas, a kids’ playground, baseball and soccer fields, and a skateboard and bike roller-sports park. For park-related concerns or event-holding inquiries, contact the City of Elmira at 607-732-1789.

The city also lists a Lakeside Café, museum, dance hall venue space, Corporate Pavilion and Creekside Pavilion among the park’s features. These facilities are overseen by the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society and operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

The park’s Looff carousel dates to the 1890s and was brought to Eldridge Park in 1924. After it was dismantled in the late 1980s, the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society restored it, and it reopened in 2006.

The carousel is part of a wider park setting of paths, lakefront and recreation areas. If you’re extending your trip beyond Elmira, Mark Twain State Park is another area destination to plan around.