On July 15, 1910, the City Recreation Department was established to enrich Columbus by finding ways to make streets, alleys, boulevards, parks and public grounds more beautiful. On Jan. 2, 1972, the City Recreation Department merged with the Division of Forestry and Parks to become Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. We have grown from six parks to more than 400 parks on 13,500+ acres, have established 28 community centers, five athletic complexes, six golf courses, 230 miles of regional trails, six spraygrounds and interactive fountains, eight outdoor pools and an indoor aquatics center, 19 nature preserves, three reservoirs, five dog parks, a skate park and a range of programs for toddlers to seniors.