Snellman park is one of Oulu's oldest pedestrian parks. There used to be plenty of aspens and the park was called Haapaplaana after them. The original name of the park was Elfving park. In the 1908 site plan, the park was named Snellman park, or "Snellmanin puisto" in Finnish. There have been well-known merchants in Snellman's family, but it is not clear who the park was named after.

Image of the painting: Magnus von Wright Oulu's pedestrian park 1861. North Ostrobothnia Museum. Pictured in the middle is the Oulu Lyceum building, on the right is the tower of the cathedral.