Louisville 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. Learn more about the history of the department.
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.
Contact Information
Our administration building is located at:
1297 Trevilian Way
Louisville, KY 40213
Call us: (502) 574-PARK
E-mail: parks@louisvilleky.gov
Park Resources
Manages natural resources, forestry and capital improvement projects. Divisions include:
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, including youth and adult sports leagues.
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, Historic Locust Grove, and Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing.
Community Relations
Manages marketing, public information, outreach and volunteer programming.
Personnel
Ensures compliance with policies and procedures, and processes payroll.
- 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
- 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
Rules and Regulations
Louisville Parks and Recreation 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. The department was re-accredited in 2012 and also in 2017.
Read additional information about park improvements and Louisville Parks and Recreation accomplishments from the past several years.
Check out an infographic that outlines our accomplishments over the last few years!
Latest Projects
Budget Proposal FY16
Mayors Proposed Budget and Annual Report '16-'17
Department Accomplishments (Jan. 2018)
Operational Review (June 2012)
Strategic Plan (January 2013)
Strategic Plan (January 2014)
Strategic Plan (January 2015)
2017 Strategic Plan Executive (2017)
NEW 2017 Strategic Plan Executive (2017)
Strategic Plan (2016)
Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation Inclusion Manual (2016)
Join Our Team
Interested in working for Louisville Parks? View our current job opportunities!
