If you build it, they will come, and boy will they love it. Although the term "Public Square" may seem a little dated, the whole idea is still alive and well across America. From coast to coast, communities gather to enjoy parks, concerts, outdoor activities, and more in public squares across the country the best of the best is right here in Michigan.

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USA Today recently released the results of its yearly USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Each year readers weigh in on their top picks for the "best" in various categories. In the category of "Best Public Square", a popular Detroit spot took home the top honors, and we completely understand why.

You May Also Like: One of Michigan's Famous Parks Named "America's Most Beautiful"

For 2023, Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan is officially home to the Best Public Square in the U.S. Located in the heart of the city, Campus Martius Park offers four seasons of fun from ice skating to even an urban beach, and its Christmas tree rivals Rockefeller Center in NYC.

“Campus Martius Park serves as Detroit’s gathering place, where locals and visitors alike can come to take in the skyline views, people-watch around the Woodward Fountain, grab a meal from a food truck or go ice skating in winter,” USA Today wrote their reader's #1 choice for Best Public Square.

The famous Campus Martius Park was created in 2003 at the site of Detroit’s point of origin located at 0 miles, where the vision for the city’s plan was originally laid out by Augustus Woodward in 1805. The history alone is worth a visit if you haven't had the chance to discover it yet.

The Detroit park beat out locations in Vermont, California, and even Key West, Florida. You can view the full list here. 

 

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

 

 

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