Share Share
Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Director Turner

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department was created by City Ordinance on March 15, 1916. The Department of Public Parks, as it was called at that time, began with two facilities - Sam Houston Park and Hermann Park. Taken together, they totaled about 465 acres of land.

Today, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages over 38,992 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston; develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities; maintains greenspace for the the Houston Public Library and the Houston Health Department and manages all H.P.A.R.D. facilities.

The Department’s 9 divisions work together to fulfill the Department’s Mission:

“To enhance the quality of urban life by providing safe
well-maintained parks and offering affordable
programming for our community.”

More

Joe Turner, Director H.P.A.R.D.
               Biography

Golf

Awesome Courses! Affordable Prices!
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department provides 7 challenging public golf courses for citizens' enjoyment. From Memorial Park, one of the highest rated municipal courses in the state, to the well maintained and lower priced Brock and Gus Wortham Parks, H.P.A.R.D.’s municipal golf courses offer a diverse range of venues from which to choose.

Memorial, Hermann, and Gus Wortham Park Golf Courses are inside the loop. Sharpstown, Melrose, Brock and Glenbrook are outside the loop. All courses, except for Glenbrook have driving ranges. More

In addition, H.P.A.R.D.’s First Tee of Houston at FM Law Park offers youth, ages 7-18, an opportunity to learn the game of golf.

More

HPARD Latest News

»» Fall Activities in the Park Catalog Available Now!
Plan your fall around activities in your local parks! H.P.A.R.D.’s Fall Activities Guide and Class Catalog, available online and at your local H.P.A.R.D. Community Centers, offers a list of programs for all ages and abilities offered during the fall. Pick up or print your catalog today. More

 

»» Bright Fields! Bright Futures! At Burnett Bayland Park
Help light the soccer fields at Burnett Bayland Park by logging on to www.refresheverything.com every day and voting for Bright Fields! Bright Futures! More

 

 

»» New Green Fees
H.P.A.R.D. golf fees will go up Saturday, July 17, as per City Council vote. More

 

 

»» Summer Food Service Program Feeds Youth 1-18
HPARD’s Summer Food Program oers free daily HPARD’s Summer Food Program provides FREE daily nutritious lunches and snacks to area children ages 1–18 at over 450 sites across Houston HPARD from June 1 - August Find a site near you! Call 211 and tell the operator your zip code, or call (713) 676-6832. More

 

»» Summer Enrichment Program June 1 - August 6
Keep your children entertained and active this summer! This day camp program is offered at H.P.A.R.D. Community Centers across the city, and costs $30 per child per week. Certain fee exemptions are available to parentswho qualify. More

 

»» A.S.K. Scholarships Awarded
Young Houstonians who take part in H.P.A.R.D.’s Athletes Seeking Knowledge program attended an awards banquet recently, and 16 scholarships were announced. More

 

Closed Under Repair or Reconstruction

Repairs and Renovations
Some HPARD Facilities may be closed or under repair. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are working to reopen the facilities as soon as possible.

»» The Ervan Chew Park Pool complex is being removed and replaced with a water sprayground. Anticipated completion Sept 2010. Nearby pools include MacGregor Park, Memorial Park, Love Park and Stude Park.

 

 

 

»» The Townwood Park Pool is closed for replacement.

»» Market Square Park is being completely renovated by the Downtown Redevelopment Authority. Anticipated completion is mid-August 2010. For more information visit www.mainstreettirz.com/marketsquarepark.html.

More

Contact HPARD

Houston Parks and
Recreation Department
2999 South Wayside
Houston, Texas 77023

Phone: (832) 395-7000
Email: askparks@houstontx.gov

 

Online Registration

Online registration is available for SELECT Adult Sports Leagues and Lake Houston Wilderness Park.

Adult Sports Leagues

HPARD Calendar

 

July 2010

  S M T W T F S  
 
1
2
 
 
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
 
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
 
 
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
 
 
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
 
                 
                 

Urban Gardening Program


Urban Gardener
Learn how you can become an Urban Gardener and grow your own produce!
More

Garden Line
The new issue of Garden Line by Brent Moon is now available.
More

Park Partners

 

» Park Adoption Programs
» Neighbor Woods
» Mayor's Million Trees + Houston
» Urban Forestry

 

HPD Crime Monitoring


Citizens can use the Houston Police Department’s new Crime Monitoring website to track crime trends in neighborhoods all over town.
More

HPARD Photo Gallery

 


More