The actual construction of the park involved draining and filling in the marshland that made up the majority of the park's area. Kissena Park opened in 1910, while the World War I memorial knoll on the south side of Kissena Lake was dedicated in 1921. Kissena Park was originally envisioned as the primary park of Queens, similar to Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. It contained landscaping, similar to both parks: the western end of Kissena Lake drained into the creek and was traversed by a bridge, similar to Central Park's Gapstow Bridge. The park also included a gazebo and a swimming pool with lake water, both of which were removed.