Recreation and Parks in Burlington continues to be a fantastic alternative for individuals and families during these tough economic times. We watch on a daily basis our economy remain at a standstill with little or no tax revenues falling back to our state and local governments let alone finding our own personal revenues to indulge ourselves in. But it is during these tough and challenging times that opportunities for professionals in the field of recreation and parks rise to the forefront of personal and family leisure time. To explain a brief history on the Burlington Recreation & Parks Department, the department was established in 1936 during the Depression years. It was then that a dire need for individual recreation outlets became a priority, but an era when the funds for such activities were scarce. In 1939, citizens approved a bond issue for the City Park in the amount of $19,000, thus beginning a program that has increased steadily in interest and participation throughout the twentieth century. The Burlington Recreation & Parks Department has evolved as a cornerstone of the city and a key factor in providing an excellent standard in the quality of life for Burlington residents.
With the establishment of the department during the Great Depression we continue to see the need for leisure outlets. These needs rise to become more prevelent during similar times such as now, when our economy seems to be maintaining a delicate financial status. This is the time when the business of recreation and parks plays a vital role in the quality of life for our citizens. Today, Burlington boasts itself as being one of the strongest and most respected Recreation & Parks Departments in North Carolina. The department’s mission centers around providing a diversified collection of program opportunities at properly designed and strategically located facilities throughout the city at affordable costs. The demand for leisure services continues to increase at a rapid pace and it remains our challenge to provide excellent programs and services to meet an economy that remains at a standstill in the financial growth of our personal pockets. Facilities that are free to the public such as a visit to our parks, walking trails, tracks, and playgrounds to other reasonable means of celebrating your leisure time such as a trip to the Paramount Theater, the Maynard Aquatics Center and North Park Pool to the Amusement Park and Indian Valley Golf Course. Our lakes provide peaceful outlets for fishing, exercise and reflection and the Burlington Athletic Stadium will soon play host to our City’s Minor League Rookie Baseball Team-The Burlington Royals. These forms of entertainment can be found right here in our very own backyard…the City of Burlington.
By visiting our web site, (www.burlingtonNC.gov/recreation), administrative offices or outlying facilities, opportunities can be found that are both affordable and open for visitors during these tough economic times. From a seventy-five cent ride on our most historical treasure, the Dentzel Carousel to joining the Senior Fitness Facility, registering your child for a summer of fun-filled sporting and camp opportunities to a peaceful day on the greens at Indian Valley Golf Course, affordable leisure opportunities await you! Why not schedule your next family vacation right here at home?
Opportunities That Await