Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department

Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts (APRCA)- Home

Below you will find our “How to links” - designed to guide you to the most requested information.  You may also use the Index or Site Map or Search the City of Asheville
websiteto find the information you need.

How To Links | APRCA Index | APRCA Section Map

Department Overview

Open spaces, parks, recreation and cultural arts provide opportunities for living, learning and leading a full and productive life. Parks and recreation benefit individuals and neighborhoods while having a positive impact on economic growth and environmental preservation.
Asheville Parks and Recreation maintains 54 public parks, 6 miles of greenways, 11 community centers, numerous programs for youth, seniors and outdoor enthusiasts, a comprehensive athletics program, and many facilities that provide resources for a range of activities.

Speakers Bureau
Some department staff are available to speak to community groups on a variety of topics. These may include: Park Planning and Development, Public Art, Recreation Programs, and Senior Programs, to name a few. To request a speaker, call Frank McGowan, Superintendent of Business Services, at 259-5811 or send an e-mail to fmcgowan@ashevillenc.gov
Please be specific in your request and provide at least a month of lead time for staff to adjust their schedules accordingly.

Public Comment

The Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department invites comment on City related issues that impact our Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts community.  Please check this page periodically  for topics that concern your neighborhoods and our community at large.

News & Current Events

INGLES 4th OF JULY CELEBRATION - Saturday, JULY 4th, 2009

Parks Security Bid IPS

City of Asheville Seeks Volunteers for 2009 Bele Chere Festival

Bele Chere 2009 Online Voting for Last Band Standing

Walton Street Pool Opens for the Season

Climbing Wall Birthday Parties

Contact Information
Roderick Simmons, Director
Main office location: Asheville City Hall, Fourth Floor, 70 Court Plaza
Mailing address: P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Phone: (828) 259-5800
E-mail:parks@ashevillenc.gov

Back to Top

Department History

The City of Asheville began park and recreation services in the late 1890s with the construction of Riverside, Montford and Aston Parks. Shortly after, Recreation Park, McCormick Field and the Municipal Golf Course were added to the system. With a growing park system, the City developed the Parks and Playgrounds Division under the Public Works Department.

Augusta L. Barnett was appointed the first director of the Parks and Recreation Department in 1956. Although Barnett made significant improvements to recreation programs, she did not have the luxury of having quality facilities, and was forced to use schools and YMCA facilities to house programs.

After Barnett's retirement in 1971, Ray L. Kisiah became the director. During his tenure, Parks and Recreation experienced tremendous growth due to the abundance of federal funds to support public parks and recreation facilities throughout the United States. In all, over $5.2 million of non-city funds renovated existing facilities and built new ones.

Kisiah retired in 1995 and Irby Brinson was named director. In 1994, Parks and Recreation became the first municipal recreation department to receive national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and was re-accredited in 2004.

In 1997, Parks and Recreation began upgrading Asheville's parks and recreation system by developing the first long-range comprehensive master plan, the Asheville Parks and Recreation 2015 Comprehensive Master Plan and the Asheville Greenways Master Plan in 1998. Both serve as the guide to improvements to existing facilities and addition of new, greenway development, land acquisition, expansion of services and staff, and development of funding opportunities.

The National Recreation and Parks Association named Asheville Parks and Recreation the Gold Medal winner in 2002. Top-notch departments from around the country vie for the award each year in four different categories based on population size.

In 2005, the City of Asheville received significant recreation facilities from Buncombe County as part of the water agreement negotiations. The Municipal Golf Course, Nature Center, McCormick Field, Aston Park and Recreation Park joined the Asheville Parks and Recreation family.

Back toTop

Vision & Master Plan

The City of Asheville is developing a master plan for parks, greenways, recreation and cultural art that will guide how the City provides these services over the next several years. The City has hired a nationally-known parks and recreation management consulting firm, GreenPlay, LLC, whose home office is in Broomfield, Colorado to oversee the master plan update process.

Draft Master Plan

Draft Master Plan
Draft Master Plan without Executive Summary

Meet the Master Plan Consultant
GreenPlay, LLC based out Broomfield, Colorado, operates as a consortium of experts to provide services for parks, recreation, open space and related agencies. The City < of font>Asheville has secured the services of GreenPlay as the professional consultant to lead its master plan process for parks, greenways, recreation and cultural art.

For information about the master plan process contact the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Art Department at (828) 259-5800 or parks@ashevillenc.gov.

Back toTop