Fun Facts

What Do You Know About The Fort Wayne Parks And Recreation Department?

When was the first park established?
The first park, Old Fort Park, was established in 1863.

How many parks are there?
89 parks

How many acres does the Parks and Recreation Department own?
2,840 acres

What is the largest city park?
Franke Park is our largest park with 339.24 acres.

What is the smallest city park?
Orff Park is the smallest with .02 acres!

What is the newest opened park?

Our newest opened park space is McKinnie Commons. This park space was dedicated on June 28, 2023.

Location: 1825 McKinnie Avenue
Size in acres: .45 acres

Learn more about McKinnie Commons

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Who owns Headwaters Park?

Headwaters Park was transfered to the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department by the Headwaters Park Alliance during the the spring of 2023. If you would like to know more about the Headwaters Park operation, check out the link.

How many trees does the Parks Department care for?
There are approximately 50,000 street trees & 25,000 park trees

How many pavilions are there?
There are 23 enclosed pavilions available for rent.

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How many playgrounds are available?
57 individual playgrounds and 10 spraygrounds

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How many Playgrounds were refreshed in 2024?
Ten playgrounds were refreshed:

Bob Arnold/Northside
Kreager
Boone
Turpie
McMillen
Tillman
Lawton
Gren
Foster
Kettler

What playgrounds will be refreshed in 2025?
Six playgrounds

Jehl
Lakeside
Franke
Waynedale
Indian Village
McCormick

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Do you have a Memorial program?
Yes! People that are interested can check out more: Memorial Bench and Tree link!

Are there any municipal golf courses?
Yes, the City owns 3 golf courses located at Foster, McMillen, and Shoaff parks.

How many swimming pools?

There are two swimming pools located in Northside and McMillen parks (open seasonally). Memorial, Waynedale, Shoaff, McCormick, Robert E. Meyers, Promenade, Buckner, Kreager and Franklin School Park all have splash pads that are open daily (during the season) and are FREE. In addition, Promenade Park offers the Doermer Kids' Canal open during the season and is also FREE.

How many tennis courts are there?
There are a total of 50 tennis courts.

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How many Futsal courts?
There are a total of 2 futsal courts.

The number of Pickleball courts?
There are a total of 42 pickleball courts that are now available. Check out the Pickleball Map.

What is the total number of baseball & softball diamonds?
The Parks and Recreation Department owns a total of 35 ball diamonds.

Foster soccer

Are there any soccer fields?
Yes, there are 20.

How many miles does the Rivergreenway Trails cover?
There are 14 miles of Rivergreenway trails in the City of Fort Wayne, 24 miles of park paths, and 10 miles of mountain bike trails.

Do you offer summer concerts?
Foellinger Outdoor Theatre Summer Series is offered each season. Check out: Foellinger Outdoor Theatre for additional information. In addition, at Promenade Park you can see various free concerts throughout the year. Check out the Riverfront on-line schedule to learn more.

Does the Department have a travel program?

We offer both Day & Extended Travel Trips. Our Day Trip program will start the spring of 2025. If you have any questions, check out the Travel link or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Are there any programs for youth?

We offer many FREE programs/activities for youth including arts and crafts, sports, nature education as well as lots of opportunities to pursue a particular hobby at our Youth Centers. Classes and programs change seasonally. We also offer classes for pre-school and youth at our Community Center. These paid classes are available for review on our Registration site.

What about programs for adults?

Whatever your interest-music, dance, arts/crafts, languages, athletics or computers, we have plenty of classes planned for you. Review and register for our adult classes

Are there any programs for seniors?

Whether you like to exercise, dance the night away, learn about computers, or attend a health related program, we’ve got you covered. Many of these "fun after 50" programs are held at the Community Center, 233 W. Main Street.