I've found many places in Erie where I can go to relax, meditate, and find some inner peace. I should visit those places more often. There's one location that was not on my list. I thought it was a place for silliness, not for silence and serenity.

I’m visiting the labyrinth at Frontier Park in Erie. I've visited here many times with my grandsons. They like to race with me through the circles and curves. There's always a lot of laughs as I try to catch them. We have fun. If I took the time to read a descriptive marker at the labyrinth, I would have known that its main purpose is not for hi-jinx and horseplay. It's for meditation and contemplation.

Claire Ciezki is the Community Outreach Manager for the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park. (LEAF) She explains that concept to me.

"You are meant to just follow the path and be able to clear your mind whatever you are trying to do. Whether it be meditation, prayer, or any sort of mind clearing activity,” she says.

That makes sense. The labyrinth is in a secluded section of Frontier Park, away from the playground and the soccer fields. It is surrounded by several of the 1,000 trees cared for by LEAF. Today it's very peaceful. I'm all alone on the labyrinth.

"That's why it's here. That's why it's in nature and not around a bunch of concrete,” says Claire. “The nature is kind of a part of the labyrinth and a part of the wellness and the meditation."

It was 20 years ago this month that the Carrie T. Watson Garden Club donated the labyrinth to LEAF. It commemorated the 80th anniversary of the club. The labyrinth is 60 feet in diameter. It has 660 concrete paving stones that guide visitors through 9 twisting circuits. According to the descriptive marker, labyrinths have been used by civilizations throughout the ages for meditation and contemplative walking. The labyrinth shape symbolizes the twists and turns of life. Just pause at the entrance, clear you mind, and walk.

"It's all up to you in however you would like to use the labyrinth to help yourself relax,” says Claire.

I suppose it's even okay to chase after fun-loving little ones. Looking back, I've always departed from this place feeling pretty good.

It cost the Carrie T. Watson Garden Club $26,000 to build the labyrinth 20 years ago. That club is now celebrating its 100th anniversary. The labyrinth is located on the southwestern section of Frontier Park. A path that leads directly to the labyrinth can be found near the intersection of West 8th and Seminole Drive.