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The island was landscaped in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted, a prominent urban park designer. The 1908 Belle Isle Casino building is still used for occasional public events but no longer a casino. The highlight of Belle Isle is the combination of the America's first public aquarium and a beautiful botanical garden. The island is home to a herd of escaped European fallow deer.
Additional recreational options include a nature center, wheelchair accessible nature trail, playground, picnic shelters, and tennis and basketball courts and baseball fields.