Under the 'Last Will and Testament' of George Virmond (parks given name), ~63 acres of land was donated on May 1, 1944 for the purpose of being a park. Virmond Park is known as “the park that almost wasn’t”.  Mr. Virmond had first offered the land to Milwaukee County and they had two years to accept the donation or it would go to the State.  If the State failed to accept the property, then Ozaukee County would be offered the land.

The State considered the land too small for a State Park and Milwaukee was not interested in developing outside their own municipality.   The City of Mequon urged the County to take on this property.   On March 4, 1943 the County Board voted 16-3 to accept the donation. The only provisions were that a caretaker must be employed to protect the property and the county must build and maintain the park for the public.

While some of the older park amenities remain (playground equipment, baseball field, tennis courts, and pavilion), many of the park improvements have occurred within the past 20 years.  An additional pavilion was constructed in the late 1990's. The park's first public water supply was also developed at this time, by installing a pump house near the pavilion.  Many recent improvements have also been performed at the park; such as new playground equipment and sand volley ball court in 2000, and tennis court resurfacing in 2005.  Almost 2 miles of walking trails have also recently been established along the wooded bluff and through the native grassland / wetland areas at the park.

These improvements serve as the “infrastructure” to encourage nature education and appreciation, by providing public access to  many unique ecosystems.  This public access includes a unique view of Milwaukee River shoreline and a mixture of wetland/upland  areas that provide diverse habitats for native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees that are useful for all types of wildlife, such as migratory birds, game birds and waterfowl, amphibians, and mammals.  The park is a favorite scenic, hiking, and picnic spot for many residents and visitors.  

The two open air pavilions available for rental at a modest price, each has a grill, electricity, picnic table seating for up to 100 people, and plenty of fresh air.  One pavilion has bathrooms attached that are open to the public.  The other is in a wooded setting with the same amenities except flush toilets. Reservations can be made for almost every area in the park by calling the caretaker who lives on site at 262-241-5868.