Photo of Armstrong Park entrance arch by Christina Rutz.

If you have been to Armstrong Park lately, you may have noticed the rusted arch that marks the main entrance to the park. Most days the gate below the arch is locked shut. But it wasn't always this way.

When the park was opened in 1980, the arch above the entrance was brightly lit with hundreds of bulbs. And the backside was designed to look like snowballs made of multi-colored lights. The bridges over the lagoons were also lit up, as were the trees near Congo Square, but the park fell into disrepair as soon as it was opened. So when will the park open?