The park is made up of 300 acres (120 ha) donated by Mary Schenley in 1889 and another 120 acres (49 ha) that the city subsequently purchased from her. Another 36 acres (15 ha) were acquired at a later date, bringing the park's total size to 456 acres (185 ha), and making it the second largest municipal park in Pittsburgh, behind Frick Park.
In the early days of Schenley Park, the area known as "The Oval" was used for horse racing. Today, it has 13 tennis courts, an all weather running track, and a soccer field. There is also an ice skating rink, public swimming pool, and an 18-hole disc golf course nearby.
Schenley Park also contains the Bob O'Connor Golf Course. The golf course includes an indoor practice facility where golfers can play a "virtual" round on Pebble Beach and other famous courses.
Neill Log House in Schenley Park, built circa 1787 (or before), once belonged to the family of Robert Neill, and later to Col. James O'Hara and his granddaughter Mary Schenley (for whom the park is named).
In 1842, Mary Elizabeth Croghan of Pittsburgh, who was 15 at the time, eloped with 43-year-old Captain Edward Schenley. The couple moved to England. Mary's father attempted to terminate her inheritance in a lawsuit, but was unsuccessful. Mary's maternal grandfather, General James O'Hara, bequeathed to her a parcel of land known as the "Mt. Airy Tract."
Mary's wealth attracted the attention of several land developers in the Pittsburgh area as well as Edward Bigelow, the Director of the Department of Public Works in Pittsburgh. In 1889, Bigelow learned that the agent of a land developer planned to travel to London to attempt to purchase the land from Mary. Bigelow sent an East Liberty lawyer by train to New York City where he then boarded a steamer bound for England. The lawyer beat the real estate agent by two days.
After negotiations with Mary, Bigelow's lawyer entered into an agreement to give 300 acres (120 ha) of the Mt. Airy Tract to the city of Pittsburgh with an option to purchase 120 acres (49 ha) more, under the conditions that the park be named after her and never be sold. The city agreed and immediately purchased the additional land.
In 2001, after extensive renovations, the Schenley Park Visitor Center opened in one of the park's original buildings. The building had previously served as a tool shed, the home of the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, and a nature museum, until closing in the late 1980s.
In spring 2006, the Schenley Plaza area was converted to its original use as a grand entrance to Schenley Park. Although it was originally designed as a grand entrance, it had been used as a parking lot for many years. The new park area features a carousel and several small food stands.
In 2022, Judge John McVay approved the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park. The bronze and granite statue is 13-feet tall, and has stood in the park since 1958. City of Pittsburgh officials decided to remove the statue in 2020 due to Columbus’ association with racism and colonialism. The Italian Sons and Daughters of America challenged this decision, but McVay’s 2022 ruling stated that the city was free to take down the statue.[8][9]
