Metro Parks and Recreation was established in 1968, combining the Louisville City Parks Department (founded in 1888) and the Jefferson County Parks Department (founded in the mid-1940s). The agency became a department of Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government when the City of Louisville and Jefferson County governments merged on January 6, 2003. To learn more about the history of Metro Parks, click here.
Our mission, as a Nationally Accredited Parks and Recreation agency, is to connect people to places and opportunities that support and grow a sustainable community.
Our vision for Louisville is a clean, green, safe and inclusive city where people love to live, work and play.
The Parks & Recreation Team Values are:
- Integrity and Transparency
- Trust and Respect for All
- Teamwork and Partnerships Produce Winners
- Improvement is Our Lifeblood
- Positive People Living to Full Potential
- Sense of Urgency
- Sense of Play
- Stewardship
Where We're Located
Our administration building is located at:
1297 Trevilian Way
Louisville, KY 40213
Call us: 502/574-PARK
E-mail: parks@louisvilleky.gov
Department Structure
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| Director Seve Ghose |
Park Resources
Manages natural resources, forestry and capital improvement projects. The agency is administered by Director Seve Ghose, through the following divisions:
Operations
Maintains park land, athletic fields and golf courses; coordinates security, reservations and skilled trades.
Recreation Programs
Offers community-wide programs such as aquatics, arts and culture, therapeutic recreation and activities for senior citizens.
Community Centers & Athletics
Provides a wide variety of neighborhood-based recreation services, in support of the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement.
Planning & Design
Develops plans to improve the parks and their facilities, with an emphasis on the Mayor’s City of Parks initiative.
Historic Properties
Operates historic homes as museums.
Community Relations
Manages marketing, public information, fundraising and volunteer programs.
Personnel
Ensures compliance with policies and procedures, and processes payroll.
Partners of Metro Parks
- Louisville Parks Foundation
- Olmsted Parks Conservancy
- Louisville & Jefferson County Environmental Trust (LICET)
- Wilderness Louisville
Rules and Regulations for Our Parks
Cultural Procedures and Policies
- Naturalization
- Naturalization Master Plan (2016) - Smoking Policy in Our Parks
- Fauna and tips on animal encounters
- Metro Parks and Recreation Cemetery Program
- Emerald Ash Borer response and concerns
- Information about the Joe Creason Park Barn
-Nov. 2015: Structural Investigation Report #1
-June. 2016: Structural Investigation Report #2
Join Our Team
Are you interested in working for Metro Parks? Click here to view full time and part time opportunities.
Success Stories
Metro Parks is a member of the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society and the National Recreation and Park Association. The department was honored to earn national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies on September 25, 2007.
For additional information about park improvements and Metro Parks and Recreation accomplishments from the past several years, see this link .
Read Our Latest
Budget Proposal FY16
Mayors Proposed Budget and Annual Report '16-'17
Department Accomplishments
Operational Review (June 2012)
Strategic Plan (January 2013)
Strategic Plan (January 2014)
Strategic Plan (January 2015)
2017 Strategic Plan Executive (2017)
Strategic Plan (2016)
Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation Inclusion Manual (2016)