Janssen Park at Christmas

Janssen Park was created from a 4 city block donation by Arthur Stilwell and his associates, the original founders of Mena, in 1906 to be used exclusively as a park.  Near the center of the park stands a log cabin built in 1851 by William Shelton as his home.  This cabin was used by the Town site company as an office during the time Mena was being laid out as a city and land was sold to the first residents.  The cabin later served as an Inn, hospital, club house, civic center, museum and as the City Hall for Mena.  During the time it was used as City Hall, it was featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not as being the only log cabin City Hall in the Nation.

The park features two ponds with a bridge over the connecting neck of water with ducks and their own floating house.  There are several picnic tables, two covered gathering  places, several relics of past wars, a unique restored fountain, a clock tower, and a new modern play area for the children.

The park was largely devastated by a tornado on November 13, 1993.  A great number of the large trees were destroyed as well as the deer pen which had been a featured attraction for years and the roof of the cabin was torn off.  The deer pen was found to be prohibitive to replace due to newer regulations that had not affected the old pen and the new play ground now occupies that space.  The Cabin was restored to near original condition and a large number of new trees were planted.  The park will never be the same as the older citizens of Mena remember it, but it is once again a nice place to spend the afternoon or have a picnic.