Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) was created 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. Together, they totaled about 465 acres of land.

Today, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department stewards and manages about 39,000 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston, develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities, maintains greenspace for the Houston Public Library and the Houston Health Department, and manages all HPARD 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.”