About the Park & Recreation Department

Dallas has one of the largest municipal parks systems in the nation with over 20,812 park land acres which encompass 410 parks, 7 lakes, 4,658 surface acres of water and over 177 developed trail miles.

Park amenities include playgrounds, picnic shelters, tennis courts, soccer and football fields, baseball and softball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, basketball and volleyball courts and disc golf.

Facilities owned or operated by the department include:

  • 256 athletic fields
  • 201 playgrounds
  • 43 recreation centers
  • 6 golf courses, 4 driving ranges
  • 4 tennis centers
  • 2 shooting ranges
  • 9 community pools
  • 8 family aquatic centers
  • 17 spraygrounds
  • 1 indoor pool
  • 9 off leash dog parks
  • Bahama Beach Waterpark
  • Forest - Audelia Youth Boxing Gym
  • Kiest Softball Complex
  • Skatepark at Lakeland Hills
  • Southern Skates Roller Rink
  • Teen Tech Center
  • Wellmed Charitable Foundation Senior Activity Center
  • Winfrey Point and Big Thicket reservation buildings

Special attractions: 

  • Bahama Beach Waterpark
  • Cedar Ridge Nature Preserve
  • Children's Aquarium at Fair Park
  • Cotton Bowl at Fair Park
  • Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
  • Dallas Zoo
  • Dealey Plaza - a National Historic Landmark
  • Fair Park - a National Historic Landmark
  • MoneyGram Soccer Park
  • Southern Skates Roller Rink
  • Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park
  • Trinity River Audubon Center