When the Kurhaus was built between 1808 and 1814, a park was laid out behind the building.

At the same time as the Kurhaus was built (1808-1814), the court gardener Schweitzer laid out the Kursaal garden - which was smaller than the current one. Even then, the pond was an inviting place for boat trips. To create it, the Rambach was dammed. A viewing pavilion was installed on the Eiskeller hill and additional land was purchased in 1811 to create further planting areas.

A further enlargement took place in 1837/38 and the redesign was carried out according to the suggestions of Frankfurt city gardener Sebastian Rinz. A new system of paths was laid out and the pond was moved towards Sonnenberger Straße. This created a peninsula with a group of trees.

From 1854, a lease agreement for the Kurhaus stipulated that daily concerts should take place. The fountain in the pond (1855) was put into operation via a water reservoir on the Leberberg.

In 1865, the pond was shortened but also widened and the peninsula with the group of trees was provided with a bridge and redesigned. In 1866, the spa gardens became Prussian property.

Due to the ban on gambling, an important source of income dried up with the closure of the casino. The spa facilities were transferred to the city of Wiesbaden for 100,000 thalers - this also included the 40-strong spa orchestra of the time. Ferdinand Hey'l was appointed Wiesbaden's first spa director. The first lighting, gas candelabras, were installed in the spa gardens in 1873. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the first electric arc lamps were installed on the concert square. As the losses caused by the ban on gambling could not be offset by the visitor's tax alone, admission was charged for the Kurpark. The park had to be fenced off and ticket booths were built. The original fencing can still be seen in various places today.

A Swiss-style concert pavilion was built in 1883/1884.

In the 20th century, the Kurpark was redesigned many times until it became the magnificent park that the people of Wiesbaden know today.

In 1905, the Gustav Freytag Monument was erected in honor of the then popular writer Gustav Freytag, who spent the last years of his life in Wiesbaden. This was followed in 1907 by the Ferdinand Hey'l monument designed by sculptor Hugo Berwald.

Due to the increasing number of spa guests and the new construction of the Kurhaus, Heinrich Zeininger (head of the city's horticultural department) was commissioned to redesign the park according to the competition plans of the Hanover city garden director Julis Trip. These plans resulted in a striking path system with wide main paths and symmetrically arranged benches for lingering, the enlargement of the Kurhaus terrace and the pond in the east, the dissolution of the small pond with its bridge, the erection of a pavilion on the banks of the pond and the redesign of the Nizza square.

In 1937, the trees were thinned out and some large trees were felled on the large meadow to make it appear lighter and airier.

In 1950, the cast-iron fish moved into the spa gardens. Initially, it was installed in the old water basin on the ice cellar hill. When this was dismantled, the fish took its current place in the pond. In the 1950s, a dance platform with a kiosk and café area was installed, which was not dismantled until 1994. The ice cellar hill was also redesigned in 1953 in the style of the 1950s. In 1965, a Wiesbaden citizen donated the bronze sculpture "Flute Player".

Various major events regularly take place around the concert shell. Starting with the concerts of the Rheingau Music Festival, public viewing of soccer World Cup matches, the visit of the Dalai Lama and the annual viewing of classic cars at the Concours d'Élégance. These events are always crowd-pullers that attract visitors to the park.

In 2016, the small concert terrace was renovated so that it can be used for events again. Bookings can be made via the Kurhaus outdoor event service .

Due to the ban on gambling, the spa facilities had to find new sources of income, including entrance fees for visiting the spa gardens.

Gambling was banned by Prussia from January 1, 1873, which meant that the spa facilities lost their main source of income.

The newly introduced spa tax brought in less revenue and led to the spa park being fenced off in 1875. Ticket pavilions were also erected to collect the entrance fees.

One of these ticket booths can still be seen today at the main entrance to the spa park.

A small collection of amusing and nostalgic stories and anecdotes from the Kurpark, which are still passed on in Wiesbaden today.

Katharina Paulus

There was a time when garden festivals with various attractions, such as illuminations, took place in the Kurpark. One of these attractions was the first German professional aerialist and aerial acrobat Katharina "Käthchen" Paulus (1868 to 1935), who toured European cities. Among other things, she jumped out of one of her hot air balloons over Wiesbaden. Käthchen Paulus is considered the inventor of the collapsible parachute.

Max Reger's prank

The musician Max Reger studied at the conservatory in Wiesbaden. He was later employed as a teacher of piano and organ. During this time, he was also prepared to play all kinds of pranks with his Schwefelbande. Their trademarks were brown velvet jackets, big floppy hats and oversized ties. When the sulphur gang were once again walking through the park after one of their drinking binges, they left a pair of shoes and a top hat floating in the spa pond. Walkers saw this and wanted to have the pond pumped out to recover a body.

Ice skating

Many Wiesbaden residents still remember the winter time in the Kurpark when it was still possible to skate on the frozen pond.