Wallingford's Parade Ground is a narrow strip of grassy land along North Main Street north of Center Street. Main Street is located on a ridge that slopes significantly to the west but it is not apparent from the green because of the dense urban streetscape on either side of the street.

The Parade Ground appears to be the neatly manicured front lawns of the buildings along South Main Street between Center and Prince Streets. The site has been recently landscaped in a formal but simple arrangement which includes a row of young trees on either side of the green swath and four pairs of benches facing each other on concrete pads evenly spaced between the trees. This design incorporates three oak trees, a crabapple tree and a maple tree already planted on the green at the northern end. World Wars I and II are represented by large monuments on the lawn in front of Town Hall (1916-1917; an impressive building in the Beaux Arts tradition). While was not formerly part of the Parade Ground, it is an extension of it visually. The World War I memorial is particularly handsome. It consists of a bronze eagle atop a three-part granite base, each with a bronze plaque.

Although the portion of the green along the east side of North Main Street between Center and Church Streets is no longer present, the buildings are set far back from the street, hinting at its existence.

The Parade Ground is only a fraction of its original size, but it is still the focal point of the town center. Buildings fulfilling the religious and civic functions of the community remain ranged around it, along with many commercial structures. Most of these buildings are the products of an industrial-based economy that developed during the late 19th century and early 20th centuries and reflect the wealth of the period. This can be seen in the three churches that were built within three years of each other along Main Street near the green, but is particularly apparent in St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1868) at 65 North Main Street, and to a lesser degree in the First Congregational Church at the corner of Main and Center Streets adjacent to the green. Directly across the street is the post office, a new building that is not as tall as the earlier buildings, but its masonry construction and shallow setback is in keeping with most of the other buildings along the street.